Belle

So has she got friends called "Booke" and "Candle"? Intelligent and well-read, Belle's love of books is matched only by her longing for adventure. In the Mirrorverse, Belle's unconventional point of view has allowed her to discover hidden magic in her books, and cast a multitude of enchantments that heal and defend her allies when times get tough. As far as this Disney Mirrorverse game goes, that's a pretty clever excuse for making Belle so different from her original portrayal. Like, Rapunzel is in the game, but she's a melee fighter who hits people with her frying pan; Princess Brave is in the game, but she shoots arrows; the only magic Belle used in her movie was the mirror that let her see anyone she wanted, and that was just something Beast gave her, not something she did on her own. So unless they were going to have the game character club wolves with a stick or just "mean girl" all her friends through the power of song, something needed to be done. Game Belle looks like movie Belle: her brown hair is done in the same style, a fairly ornate ponytail thing with victory rolls along the temples and a single, carefully stylish lock of hair falling down onto her forehead. That's a lot of effort to look effortless, Belle. Her sculpted expression is absolutely neutral, not showing any specific emotion at all. Belle's outfit owes a little bit to her winter dress from the movie. Yes, that was pink, while this is her traditionally casual blue, but the fur-trimmed cape is similar. She's wearing a lighter blue coat, also with fur trim, and brown pants with boots. Technically the leggings should be lighter, like buckskin or something, not this dark shade. Her coat is held closed by a wide belt with a big pouch hanging off the left side, which is supposed to be a spellbook, but is so poorly painted that you'd never realize it. The clasp on the cape is a golden rose, and there's a yellow rose design tampographed on the back of the cape as well. Thematic! Unlike Buzz and Jack, Belle is one of the 5" figures. Why in god's name does Todd insist on doing all his toys in scales nobody wants? Six-inch figures, man. Six. Inch. Figures. And if you insist on doing things the wrong size, at least stick with that wrong size! Either do all the figures at 7", or do them all at 5", but don't release both scales at the same dang time. Or better yet, just do them in 1:12 scale to begin with. The 5" figures have crappy articulation, but still better than old McToys would have had: she moves at the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, and shins. The elbows and shoulders are swivel/hinges, but everything else is just a swivel. Even the boots, which means the legs can only turn, not actually lift or bend in any way. It's bad. Belle includes one accessory, but it's the one that a spellcaster needs to have: a staff. It's taller than she is, and looks like it was formed from wood that grew into this specific shape, rather than being carved. The branches at the top curl around a rose in the center, because that's Beauty and the Beast's signature magical item. The rose is red, but the rest of the staff is unpainted - if you look at the renders, you can tell it's supposed to have darker spots on the bark, green leaves for the flower, and paint on the handle where she actually grips the damn thing. Instead, we get plain gray plastic. Mirrorverse Belle is a really nice design, suiting the character we know, but clearly dropping her into a new situation. More than we could say for the comfy version, right? But this toy is just a disappointment. It moves badly, it isn't painted enough, and it's too small to actually fit with anything else. Do better! -- 11/04/21

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