Mace Windu - CW [A] - Basic

Through the creative vision of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the Cartoon Network, the Clone Wars are brought to life in an exciting new series of short animated chapters. A unique animation style captures the drama of this epic period in galactic history along with its outstanding heroes and adversaries. Noble Jedi warriors lead Clone Troopers into battle against the evil Separatist forces and their droid armies. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda and their comrades struggle against the rising power of the dark side and confront personal challenges against a backdrop of war-torn planets.

Is it really believable that one Jedi Master could defeat a whole battalion of Super Battle Droids in one fell swoop? That’s what the Clone Wars micro-series showed us and whether it was believable or not, not too many of us cared because it was entertaining action. The Clone Wars micro-series presented well established characters in a totally different light. We learned things about them that we didn’t know before and it showed us their Jedi powers in new and exciting ways. Sure, it could construed as farfetched, but so are many other aspects of Star Wars in the films. It’s the beautiful imagery and concise storytelling that pulled on the heartstrings of Star Wars fans and why so many have embraced this micro-series. Mace Windu didn’t say much in the Clone Wars, but he sure showed off his battling skills throughout it. Now he has been cast as an action figure for the Clone Wars [Animated] line and we have to say that we’re impressed with the final product. Based on his Volume 1 appearance, Mace Windu, courtesy of the artists, did change his appearance somewhat by the time Volume 2 came around. We prefer the stylized interpretation of this version the best however.

Mace Windu comes with a mere five points of articulation. He has a swivel head, two swivel shoulders, a swivel right elbow and a swivel torso. Interestingly, the torso fits like a puzzle piece in tandem with Mace’s belt. This gives the plane of movement a very “bumpy” texture. What we’re trying to say is that it’s not a flatly planed swivel point of articulation. As a result, there is inhibited movement with the torso articulation. That being said, we still feel that Mace Windu has been cleverly tooled because he interacts with any display environment equally as well whether or not he is wielding his included purple lightsaber. Because of the grasp in his right hand and the swivel articulation in his right elbow, you can recreate believable poses of Mace in action, on or off the Clone Wars battlefields. None of his robes are removable so for all intents and purposes he is a fairly statuesque action figure. Please don’t expect to recreate any exaggerated poses with him because they’re just not going to happen. He comes with an included display stand, but he also has a phenomenal center of gravity. It’s likely you won’t need the display stand in order to make him stand upright without assistance. And it's cool to compare him against 2003's CW Mace Windu (General Of The Republic Army) (’03 #48) realistically styled figure.

We are particularly fond of the expression sculpted into Mace Windu’s face. He has attitude. He has determination. And he has intolerance of anything remotely related to or associated with the Droid Army.  And for that matter we have to say how thoroughly impressed we are with the complete action figure as a whole. Mace Windu has been expertly sculpted in a very faithful manner to the Clone Wars micro-series. From the costume to his facial details (and even the boots on his feet) are wonderfully done. On top of that, Hasbro ensured that the paint job accentuated the sculpt with even further detail. It’s really neat to see the animation of the Clone Wars series come to life through beautifully sculpting and clean and neat paint operations. If we had to wish for anything that missed the mark here, we would of course have pleaded with Hasbro to include more articulation in general. But even with that being said, we totally understand the point of the Clone Wars [Animated] line. It’s all about the distinct style they possess in animated form. We are completely willing to accept them from that point of view and embrace them unconditionally. Mace Windu is a highlight in this line. We hope you search him out.