I wish I had a cool Captain Phasma quote from the new Star Wars movie to help with this lead-in, but everything has been kept so tightly under wraps that, well, I got nothin’.
It doesn’t really matter, though, because aside from a snappy beginning, I don’t really need to have heard Captain Phasma speak to know that she is going to be one of the most stone-cold badasses in this new Star Wars saga. I am calling it because over-under odds on it being true are even higher than Kylo Ren, so just be prepared to bow down before the Chrome Captain come December. The visual formula is definitely there: let’s take the awesome Gwendoline Christie (of Game of Thrones fame) and put her imposing form in a Storm Trooper costume, then slap a coat of chrome on it all. Yeah, I knew from the second I saw her that Captain Phasma was finally going to put some competence at the helm of the Trooper ranks, and she would be my most anticipated Black Series figure.
If you were there for Force Friday, you knew that first series of Black Series figures (especially Kylo and Troopers) flew off of shelves everywhere and the product refresh still hasn’t happened yet. I was able to grab everyone except the Troopers (damn it!), so I am already feeling inadequate since Phasma doesn’t have anyone to command, but I also knew that the minute the second wave of the Black Series hit, she would disappear in a heartbeat. Well, the second series did drop on Amazon, and VERY briefly I might add, but thanks to a tip from a friend, I was able to constantly refresh and I eventually snagged this figure when it popped back in stock for about three seconds. I had a lot of luck on my side, but let me tell you, I am so, so, so glad that I did because I LOVE this figure.
Like I said, the aesthetics have so much working in their favor, it isn’t even funny. Christie is a tall lady (she’s 6’3”), so her stature adds to the overall imposing nature of this commander, and any time you keep a key character under a helmet in the Star Wars universe, it adds instant intrigue. I am not saying that we will never see her actual face because, let’s face it, Christie is a famous and well-liked actor, so she is probably due some face time, but for now, there is a lot of intrigue about her. Plus, the First Order army seems to be even more polished and bright white than the Empire Troops that preceded, so adding the chrome finish and rank-denoting cape makes for the best character design we have seen so far, at least in my opinion.
That imposing stature has been translated well into the Black Series figure, and while I don’t have any of the new First Order Stormtroopers, I do have plenty of the old school kind (and old school is now actually old school since these are sequels and not prequels), and she stands tall above the ranks; it looks really cool. The paint job on the figure is very clean as well, and that was absolutely required to pull off this look, so all of the lines are in nice order. Sure, I would have LOVED if Hasbro would have used a vac metal chrome for the uniform instead of silver paint, but I had already figured it was foregone conclusion that they wouldn’t, so I was prepared. It would have looked cool, but as it stands, Phasma looks good as-is.
The articulation is also quite good, and since her costume is pretty form-fitting, there is not a lot of hindrance that can come with long shirts, baggy pants, and the like. I will take a second to point out that some of the pouches on the belt are made of really hard and inflexible plastic, so that can mess with some of the thigh/hip movement, especially on the left side. The shoulder armor also inhibits the vertical arm movement a bit, but not any more than the troops that have come before her. The cape is cool, but also pretty rigid, but I have found that it doesn’t inhibit much here. The figure is (thankfully) free of soft goods, so there is no clash of media on this one like is the case with Kylo, so Phasma is very streamlined and sleek; I feel this look with be a hallmark of the First Order, so she will not only be leading the troops, but also the fashion trends. Yeah, I see a LOT of Phasma costumes happening this Halloween.
Phasma also comes with her champagne-colored blaster that looks to be a repaint of the standard-issue version included with the FO Trooper. This is a piece that, like the armor itself, feels like a natural next generation of the standard blaster from the Original Trilogy. It is interesting in its look and color, and it is distinctively “Star Wars” without being overstated. Phasma can hold it with both hands well enough, so her action posing is good to charge into battle brandishing her weapon. Mine came out of the package pretty warped, so I had to use a hairdryer on it, but otherwise, it is a solid, if not too exciting, accessory.
Captain Phasma is, by far, my favorite Episode 7 Black Series figure thus far; it isn’t even close if I am being perfectly honest. The construction is good, as are the details, and the character’s aesthetics are just too perfect for anyone else to really stand a chance. I really cannot wait to see what Gwendoline Christie does with the role in the actual movie, and I am know I am not alone on this – the online chatter so far has held the character in very high regard, and that makes me happy. It is not often that this genre gets such high support for a strong female character, but it looks like there is hope for the galaxy far, far away. Be on the lookout for the Chrome Captain because I am pretty sure that series two will be hitting more stores in the coming weeks, but act fast, she is not going to last long.
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