Clone Wars Good, Not Great

My wife, son and and I saw the Clone Wars movie last night. The theater had respectable attendance, but hardly a sell-out. We had a row of boys sitting behind us who were very funny. When a Lego commercial came on before the trailers, one boy called out, "Now that is what I'm talking about!"

They and my son were all very excited when the Clone Wars logo hit the screen and the music played. I won't go into a whole review since you can find plenty of them on the Internet. My little boy's favorite parts were Ahsoka and the walkers climbing up the mountain. Oh and he also really liked the little baby (I won't say more to spoil the movie for those who haven't seen it).

The funniest part was actually when my boy had to use the bathroom in the middle of the movie. We both walked down the staircase (we were in a stadium-seating theater) slowly while watching the movie. Then, when we rounded the corner, we both ran out the door and out to the restroom. I've never seen him use the potty as fast as he did then! Once we were done, we ran back with my boy leading the way (with direction corrections from daddy). I don't think we missed much of the movie at all!

There are plenty (as in almost too many) battles in the movie. I hope the TV series isn't mostly open warfare because I think that is too much violence to expose to kids and frankly it gets mind numbingly repetitive. My favorite parts of the Star Wars saga are all on a lot more personal level such as lightsaber battles, speeder bike chases, verbal sparring between friends and enemies.

I was also disappointed that Capt. Rex used the swear word d**n. I guess director Dave Filoni thought it would add "realism" and grit to the battle, but that word was never used in any of the six films. There are plenty of fictional words that could have been used in its place and been more relevant to this galaxy far, far away (shab and osik come to mind off the top of my head).

Anyway, I'm sure we will see it in the theaters at least one more time. When it was over my son immediately said that he wanted to see it again! Also, this might be the last chance to see Star Wars of any form in the theaters.

Counting with Capt. Rex

When I was at my local Toys 'R Us recently, I picked up a black Velcro wallet with Captain Rex on the front for four bucks. It's been a big hit with my son, especially since this is his first wallet. I put an old Toys 'R Us gift card and a few coins from the previous 30th Anniversary figures line in it for him.

Now he walks around the house swiping his card against table legs, printers, computer keyboards, etc. He also pulls out his coins and we count them together. He also hands them out to me and his mama. He is very good at sharing!

Star Wars Cache

Like Obi-Wan's chest or Han's smuggling compartments in the Millennium Falcon, it is important to have a hidden place to keep good stuff. I've learned the same is true with Star Wars toys for my son. Even though we spent plenty of money at the Midnight Madness sale (and a few other places since then), he hasn't seen much of it yet.

I have them tucked away in a hidden spot so that we have instant rewards on hand for good behavior. Yes, I am not above bribery for good moral behavior. Han would be proud! It can in handy just the other day. My little guy was diagnosed with the croup and had to get a shot of steroids to help his breathing. He didn't even cry, although it did make his leg hurt. He got an AT-TE out of it (the two-inch Titanium series version, not the $100 toy version!) even though he didn't ask for anything.

Having my Star Wars cache is also a good excuse for Daddy to go hunting again to keep the "larder" well stocked!

I Don't Remember That on Hoth!

One of my son's favorite scenes of any Star Wars film is the speeder bike chase from Return of the Jedi. It starts when the camera pans down onto the deflector shield array on the forest moon of Endor and ends when Luke severs the front part of an enemy speeder bike and sends the trooper crashing into a tree. He asks to see that part over and over again.

Well last week, while I was at work, my wife and son made a trip to Target and happened to go down the Star Wars aisle. He saw something there that sent him into an excited frenzy, to the point where she had to call me at work and ask if we already had the Hoth Speeder Patrol Battle Pack.

Now I knew that Battle Packs were a collection a figures and/or vehicles, but for the life of me I could think of what a Hoth Speeder was. I of course knew of Snowspeeders, AT-ATs, and AT-STs. But I did not remember any speeders, or what they looked like. I told her to go ahead and get it since I felt confident we didn't have it.

It wasn't until I got home that night that I discovered they were two speeder bikes and two scout troopers from Return of the Jedi, but repainted in white and light gray. This is obviously not G-Cannon, but I don't think my toddler cares about that a bit! It is his new favorite toy now...

SCUBA Trooper for Bath Time

Here is a great Star Wars figure that can be used for bath time. It is the clone SCUBA trooper, as seen in the Tartakovsky 2-D cartoon from a few years ago. I like this figure because there aren't many small pieces that can get lost. The loose parts consist of a backpack, a very long gun, and two flippers.

Although the flippers attach pretty firmly, I resorted to super-glue to keep them on. I know that Star Wars purists and collectors are cringing when I say super-glue, but I think that is the best choice for toys that are going to be played with. I figured that it would be better to have a toy that has the flippers, that may not fit into some vehicles, than a SCUBA trooper with lost gear!

How It All Began

Some say sons are born with the desire to be like their fathers. That could explain why my toddler is already into Star Wars. But I also think that this one object helped him start his fandom. My sister gave me a Darth Vader bank for my birthday; it was just after my son was born.

It was pretty neat. If you put a coin into the bank, the Imperial March would play, Vader's lightsaber would light up as his arm raised up, and his torso would pivot left and right. After the music, Vader's voice would say, "The Force is with you young Skywalker. But you are not a Jedi yet." But it was also a little annoying in that the music sample only included the first nine notes of the trumpets and it repeated it twice.

When my son was one year old, he found the bank and discovered that if you press the Star Wars button on the base of the bank, it would play as if you put a coin in the bank. At first he was scared of it, but still really interested in it. Over time, he got used to it and would press the button over and over again, much to the chagrin of mama who had to endure it all day!

When I was changing his diaper one evening, he started saying, "ba ba ba blblb ba." It took me a little while to figure out, but it hit me that he was trying to sing the Imperial March song! It was the first time he had actually sang something.

Today, years later, the bank is not in good shape. The arm has broken off and the batteries have worn down (mama is happy about that!). But even though the toy is broken, the fandom lives on: Star Wars is forever!

Star Wars Pop-Up Book

This ain't your daddy's pop-up book. I mean that literally! When I was a kid, I had the original Star Wars pop-up book where very few pages actually popped up. Most of them had a white tab you pulled that would make something move, such as Luke and Leia swing across the Death Star chasm or having Obi-Wan transform into empty robes at the feet of Vader.

The new version of the Star Wars pop-up book, which came out the Fall 2007, is phenomenally better. The book chronicles the entire original trilogy with intricately designed paperwork. My favorite is a small flap that reveals Wedge Antillies. As you open the flap, it looks like Wedge is in the process of removing his helmet. It is an amazing effect.

The best part is this is a great book to "read" with a toddler. I keep this on a high shelf and pull it down for father son time together. We sit in our reading chair and go through page by page. It also gives me a chance to teach him to be gentle with books. It is pretty sturdy, but I don't think they designed her with toddlers in mind (to paraphrase Han).

This book is definitely worth the price!