Katniss Barbie - yep, really

This is somewhat of a surprise to me. Obviously The Hunger Games has done all kinds of crazy things to previous box office records, and logic says there'd be a certain degree of merchandising - leaning to the more teenage/adult spectrum, surely - and thus I was NOT expecting a Katniss Barbie. Not in a million years.

More after the jump-

Broken on Entertainment Weekly, Mattel's Katniss Everdeen Barbie has been softened a good deal from the standard Barbie style/shape - while it's unclear if the body shape has been altered, it's at least been camouflaged a little with the costume and surprisingly sophisticated props. Though the feet are obviously still the Barbie Heel shape, thus why she appears to have been a victim of childhood footbinding.

My initial WTF reaction has calmed a little and I'm actually rather impressed by this. That feeling may change  when I see it in person - Mattel did some dreadful things to the Twilight dolls - but my first impressions are good. While I don't think it's a particularly close Jennifer Lawrence likeness, it's certainly not a Barbie likeness either and the midground is pretty appropriate. I approve of the braid. Could this be Barbies first pair of cargo pants? I certainly hope so.

The collectors can put in a preorder for this one over here - limit of five per order though, sorry eBayers.