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Clone Wars
Mace Windu
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Sean Teeter squeezes in tonight with a guest review of
the new Clone Wars Mace Windu. Take it away, Sean!
For something that’s been talked about since Star Wars: A New Hope, the Clone Wars are certainly getting an interesting treatment by Lucasfilm. They’re animated in three minute segments for television. Oh yeah, there’re also a few toys out there for sale.
Well tonight I have a new hope of my own, because Hasbro has released a new Mace Windu figure. There hasn’t been a good one since the very first preview figure for Episode 1. So how does the new one fair?
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Packaging - ***
I like the red dust explosion on the card, along with the blue stripe on the side. While not as nice as the gold stripe Saga packaging, I think it’s eye-catching and neatly done.
Sculpting - ***
Wait . . . I’m giving three stars to a Mace Windu in this category? Let me check my window, I think I saw a pig fly by . . .
First off, the head actually bears some resemblance to the super-cool Samuel L. Jackson, and even better, there’s nothing really goofy about it. I’m not so crazy about the partially open grimace, but it doesn’t look that bad.
The shoulders do inhibit the arm movement, but it’s a small thing. The outfit is highly detailed and covered with creases and wrinkles in all the right places. The hands are also sculpted well, and don’t have any trouble holding his
light saber. The only weird spot is the proportion of his head to his body: Mace’s melon should be a little bigger, especially with that long neck it sits on. In the end, he’s not perfect but I’m happy with this version of Mace. If only we could get a regular one now as opposed to an Extended Universe version.
Paint - ***
Except for around the neck area, there’s almost no bleeding to be found. Basically Mace’s robes are either dark or light brown, with white pants and undershirt. The boots have dark coppery shin guards on the front. Everything is very nicely done, but simple.
Articulation - ***1/2
Hold the @*$%#!!! phone! Strap on your snowshoes, Hell has just frozen over! Hasbro has finally made a well-articulated Mace Windu!
Ten points, count ‘em: ball-joint head, limited ball-jointed shoulders, limited ball-jointed elbows, wrist cuts, a waist cut, and hip cuts!
The ball-jointed elbows are an absolutely brilliant touch by Hasbro and add quite a lot of poseability to the figure. Mace can hold his
light saber with a classic double-handed grip or go single-handed. The ball-jointed neck affects the look of the head just a bit but is a nice touch. I would have liked some knee joints, but Mace has no problems standing on his own.
Accessories - ***1/2
Mace comes with four accessories: two removable wrist gauntlets, a removable Jedi Tunic, and his trademark purple
lightsaber.
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The gauntlets are okay, and frankly I can live without them. They don’t add much of anything to the figure itself, and can get lost behind desks and bookcases pretty easily. The tunic is actually just the lower skirt, which is attached to two pegs in the front. He looks kind of silly without it, but it does allow him to sit easily in the Jedi
Starfighter.
The real winner here is the lightsaber, which is a brand-new sculpt. The hilt is movie accurate down to the belt peg, and the paint ops are very detailed. This is the first 3 ¼” Mace Windu to sport the accurate hilt. I just wish the blade was removable, but we can’t have everything.
Durability - ***
He’s pretty solid all around. The head pops off pretty easily, but snaps right back on. No problem if you want Mace to be on the losing end of a lightsaber battle every now and then.
Value - ***1/2
Mace is a pretty solid figure all around, and at $5 he’s a pretty good value. At Target, he’s even less at about four and a half bucks. If you see him, get him.
Crazy Star Wars has him at a pre-sell price of $7.50.
Star Wars Figures is pretty high at $10.99. As always,
Ebay is always an option.
Overall - ***1/2
He has his flaws, but this is definitely the best 3 ¼” Mace Windu on the market. His detailed lightsaber and excellent arm articulation shine. The only thing holding him back from four stars are his limited shoulder joints and lack of leg articulation. I would have loved a completely removable tunic as opposed to just the skirt section, especially since he looks a little ridiculous without it. I can see why Hasbro did it that way (easier to sit in vehicles), but it still comes off a little weird. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this figure, especially with the lightsaber, articulation, and lack of useless action features. He’s definitely a worthy addition to your Star Wars collection.
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Figures from the collection of
Sean Teeter.
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