Holographic Pre Vizsla (The Clone Wars) - Maquettes

Pre Vizsla was a defender of the Mandalorians' historic past as warriors that had once fought against the Jedi Order. Recognizing the Mandalorians' previous culture and what he believed they should be, Vizsla possessed a strong desire to return Mandalore and its people to that reality by leading the Death Watch in its campaign to take control of the Mandalorians' homeworld.

OK. We’re irritated this time and we’re not holding back. The Holographic Pre Vizsla Maquette did not meet expectations in any form whatsoever. In fact, it’s such a disappointment that it may be the only collectible in our entire collection that we’ll surely send packing. What a waste. The anticipation for this piece was never really high, but we did look forward to it.... until we received it that is. The Holographic Pre Vizsla Maquette dismays on so many levels, we’re not exactly sure where to begin. But even before we cracked open the box, we noticed that Gentle Giant Ltd. didn’t even design a unique box for the collectible. They used the same graphic artwork for the regular version and slapped a sticker that boasts that it’s a 2011 Premier Guild Member Exclusive (that never happened) and a new bar code sticker at the bottom. What the heck? It seems they just weren't too interested in it either!

We actually thought we received the wrong item until we saw the collectors’ card attached inside. Then we opened up the styrofoam encasement and discovered one of the weakest pieces Gentle Giant Ltd. has ever offered the PGM. Imagine receiving a clear plastic ice-blue Maquette. Even the stand is plastic! Can it get any cheaper? We thought that with an MSRP of nearly $100 that Gentle Giant would have found it in their hearts to cast this thing in glass or some higher quality material. Perhaps we're disillusioned. But what adds insult to injury is that the plastic used to cast Pre Vizsla is inferior as well. While the color is pretty even throughout the mold, there are signs of some impurities and even a few air bubbles which makes the entire piece feel very cheap. And that's exactly what it is: cheap. We’re thoroughly disheartened. What’s a shame is that this is one of the better poses for a pieces in the Maquettes line. Pre Vizsla is standing rather straight and erect with one of his blaster pistols at the ready.

Interestingly, the Holographic Pre Vizsla Maquette is limited to a very paltry 200 pieces. This has an edition size no bigger than the Christmas gifts they give to their big accounts and VIPs during the holidays. Will this piece one day command those insane aftermarket values? We sincerely doubt it. And once word spreads that this is a $100 piece of plastic, contempt will likely brew before any genuine interest from casual collectors. We’re not being over dramatic here. When the box was received it was lighter than a feather. It was that cue that started our rage. We actually thought that the wrong item was included in the box. That’s pretty bad when Gentle Giant Ltd. is notorious for bringing so many high-end collectibles to the marketplace. If you want a Pre Vizsla collectible in Maquette form, spend your dollars on the colorful polystone version. At least there is some substance to that piece. We apologize for being so jaded about this piece, but as Luke Skywalker would say, what a piece of junk!