Mace Windu - Unleashed

Those who see Mace Windu's cool manner may often assume that this senior member of the Jedi Council is a diplomat who has left his warrior spirit behind. That kind of assumption would be a critical mistake. As a man of peace, he strives to forge alliances and resolve conflicts with the quiet wisdom that has gained him much respect. But Mace knows that the lightsaber can often become the only solution after all others have failed. beneath his temperate exterior there still beats the fierce and daring heart of a Jedi Knight. When the lives of others are at stake and his peaceful attempts have come to naught, Mace does not hesitate to engage in battle, often at the risk of his own life. He has a deep feeling of responsibility toward those with whom he shares the galaxy and will do whatever it takes to ensure their well-being. Called to action, Mace reacts swiftly and with all the forceful skill of a seasoned warrior, wielding his lightsaber with power and passion.

It could be said that one of the more exhilarating moments in Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones would be anything that excluded Anakin Skywalker, but with all kidding aside, the sequence where Jango Fett blasts Mace Windu with fireballs from his gauntlets ranks pretty high on that list! As Mace Windu utilizes the Force to freefall down into the Geonosian arena, he works hard to free himself from the heavy brown robes that make up his distinct Jedi appearance. He manages to save himself in the nick of time by throwing the robe to the ground as it produces a cloud of smoke obstructing his view. The moment he hits the arena floor he is surrounded by Separatists droids, but he quickly joins the fray of other Jedi Masters doing their very best to win this seemingly impossible battle. It is these scenes that have inspired the gorgeous Mace Windu Unleashed figure. Another one of our personal favorites, it doesn’t present Mace Windu outside of the norm, but it certainly brings together his most tenacious qualities with accents that make him uniquely screen accurate, yet oxymoronically “off screen” enough as well. The Unleashed Mace Windu brings forward the energy and strength of the wise Jedi Master into a gorgeous display which incorporates many elements from Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones into it.

Mace WIndu has a beautiful dynamic sculpt. It appears as if he has just rescued himself from his burning cloak (as evidenced by it lying underneath of his feet). He has his signature purple bladed lightsaber out and ready to deflect Separatist advances and although he seems to be in perfect shape physically, Mace Windu has an expression of relief on his face. Can you blame him after all? He just fell hundreds of feet while on fire and managed to land on his feet and continue in battle. That’s an impressive feat. His right hand, which is holding the lightsaber hilt by the way, has swivel articulation. The movement isn’t that great, but allows you to angle the lightsaber in a few more optional ways. The major achievement with Mace Windu however is the sculpt. We’re not kidding. Spend a few moments looking the figure up and down and you’ll be blown away with Hasbro’s attention to detail. Mace’s outfit is blowing in the mind and Hasbro was sure to capture every crease, crevice and wrinkle possible to help simulate the movement of this inanimate object. He stands atop his torn-off cloak which rest on a portion of the Geonosis arena floor. The reddish tan color of the sand has been perfectly applied here. It’s amazing what Hasbro can recreate in plastic. It really is.

For us however, the greatest parts that bring this piece to life are the flame attachments. Of course, there really wasn’t this much fire surrounding Mace Windu during the Battle of Geonosis, but this is what helps set this Unleashed figure apart from the screen accurate action figures (in 3.75” scale). This is an artist’s interpretation of the events during the Battle of Geonosis. And we prefer it to the events that we saw in the film. The red, orange and yellow colors of the flames are brilliant. They looks so good that you might think this Unleashed figure is on fire for a moment. They also add much needed color to the drab red sand of Geonosis and the organic colors of Mace Windu’s Jedi outfit. Between the flames and the unique purple color of his lightsaber blade, we can easily claim that this is one of the most strikingly colorful Unleashed figures in the entire line. Mace Windu was wisely reissued in the “artwork” packaging two years after its original release. It was packaged under a different assortment number and quite frankly, has never looked better in the revised packaging. The likeness is spot on the sculpt and deco are even better. So if you’re a Mace Windu fan it goes without saying that this one is for you. Besides, you have matching artwork to go with him. What more could you possibly need?

As a bonus feature to this review, we have provided the original artwork created for this Star Wars: Unleashed figure. Click the thumbnail to the left to see the amazing illustration.