The Phantom Menace is back in theatres and the toy store shelves are beginning to party like its 1999. The second assortment released in Hasbro's brand new Movie Heroes line featured six completely new figures based on the main characters in the first film in the Star Wars saga. Like all the figures in the Movie Heroes line, every figure in this assortment features a tan display stand, a playing card, and a six-sided die.

Queen Amidala

This isn't the first time we've seen Padmé Naberrie Amidala in her purple handmaiden battle outfit, but we haven't seen a new one since 1999. The initial assortment of Episode I figures featured the first version of this costume, and it was quickly followed up by a second version that sported a soft goods skirt and additional articulation to reenact the ascension gun scene during the Battle Of Theed.

The 2012 version of this costume is far more detailed than the originals, and with its limited articulation the details truly stand out. Save for the ball jointed head and elbows, this figure actually matches the articulation of the original figure. All things considered it is a pretty good figure, but one that in more or less dedicated to limited semi-action poses. Sadly, even though the body is sculpted to look like a fourteen year old, the head looks more like a fourty-one year old. If there is one figure in this assortment most likely to get an apologetic remake al a Jedi Luke, chances are good Padmé is that figure... Even though it isn't that bad of a figure.

Queen Amidala features her screen accurate ascension gun and grappling hook backpack.

Anakin Skywalker

Like the Queen Amidala, the Anakin Skywalker figure is a redo of a figure we haven't seen in years, only this time it features an extremely well designed Pod Racing helmet that fits seamlessly over the decent Jake Lloyd head sculpt. This figure doesn't work for anything other than the Pod Race scenes due to the wraps around the figure's forearms, but that doesn't take away from ho nice this figure is. Even with 1999 styled articulation, the modern sculpt is very nice. Oddly enough, this figure, and all the samples I've seen, has a weird paint mask error on the skirt, leaving a large portion of it clean.

The one negative with this figure is a scaling issue. With two Episode I Anakin figures released in the same month, there is no good excuse for the different heights, but being Star Wars fans, we always want to make one up, so here goes: There must have been some serious planning and a lot of logistics to work through to have a big parade and glowing ball thing ceremony, so wht if it actually took place a few months after the Battle Of Theed? That explains the height difference in the figures, and also explains how Ani was able to grow so long a Padawan braid... I'm just saying.

The Anakin Skywalker figure comes with the above mentioned Pod Racing helmet and an equally well conceived Pod-inspired jet pack for added playability.