Original Blu Ray Still Available

The Original Star Wars Blu Ray

I procrastinated and I almost missed it. I remember on Star Wars Day back in 2011 (May the Fourth), they announced that the entire Star Wars saga would be released on Blu Ray for the first time in September of that year. While I was excited about the release on a new format, I have been pretty underwhelmed by the whole Blu Ray thing. Yes it is incredible resolution, but the discs are slow to load and all the animated menus are more of an annoyance than convenience for me.

So September came and went and I could not bring myself to plop down close to three figures for another set of Star Wars movies. I already have the 2006 two disc original trilogy releases than included the original theatrical versions of the films, plus another set of the original trilogy from 2004 that includes a bonus disc featuring Empire of Dreams (which is a great documentary by the way).

Fast forward to 2013 and the announced sale of Lucasfilm to Disney. So now I am a little concerned about the availability of the Blu Ray set. I figured there would be a new release, and so there was. However, the releases did not feature the bonus discs in the original set. Now I am a little worried. I see that Amazon has the original set, but with the link to "buy it here" third party sites. The prices are not as good.

Well recently I have seen that Amazon has it back in stock themselves at a price of around $98. I was about to go ahead and buy it when I found it at Target yesterday for $88. This wasn't even a sale price. It seems lately that Amazon's prices have not been as good as they once were. Anyway, I went ahead to bought them and was thankful for the chance.

Now I will say, my wife was very kind to me by not rolling her eyes and asking me why I need *another* copy of the same set of movies. Of course, I have been indulgent in her geek-out of all things Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, so I guess it all evens out.

Anyhow, I sat down and looked through some of the bonus content. Wow - it is amazing. To see out-takes of scenes I have memorized practically frame-by-frame is hard to wrap my head around. For example, when Luke is recovering at the Hoth hospital and Han comes in and tells him he looks strong enough to pull the ears off a gundark, Leia is on the other side of the room. She has *always* been on the other side of the room. But now I know that scene started with her touching, dare I say caressing, Luke's wounded face before walking to the side door. It's little things like this that make all the difference and makes me glad I had a second chance from procrastinating.

The Rebels Revealed!

The Main Characters of Star Wars Rebels
Hera, Sabine, Kanan,Zeb, Chopper, and Ezra

So we now have the lead cast of the newest venture of Star Wars animation - Rebels. I must say I am excited to see it. As Lucasfilm was releasing one character per day, I was concerned that the show would be too much of A New Hope allegory. And, yes, while we do have a Chewbacca type, a Han Solo type, and an Artoo type, there are enough interesting differences to make it interesting.

Kanan Jarrus (Human Jedi) - First off, I love the name. I first thought it was pronounced like my favorite Indycar driver, Tony Kanaan. My wife and I were considering using the Biblical spelling of the name, Canaan, for daughter. I think having this type of character was inevitable considering the era. Is this a fusion of the Luke & Han characters? Perhaps, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. He reminds me of Captain Mal of the Firefly television series.

Ezra Bridger (Human Teenager) - If you are going to have a show on Disney XD, it certainly helps to have a kid in the cast. I like the twist of it being a misfit Force-sensitive boy who, like Jango Fett said, is trying to make his way in the universe.This seems like a scenario of what if a young Boba Fett had Force powers and came under the tutelage of someone more experienced?

Zeb Orrelios (Unknown Alien) - This alien, which is a new race, is obviously derived from early concept drawings of Ralph McQuarrie for Chewbacca. I'm glad he speaks Basic and is apparently very intelligent. Will he be like Beast from X-Men?

Sabine (Mandalorian) - This is the most out-of-box thinking of all the Rebels characters we know about. I love the fact that she is a female Mando and also an artist. I really don't know what to expect from her and that is a good thing!

Hera Syndulla (Twi'lek) - I am very glad we have more than one female character in the main cast.  As the father of not only a son but also a daughter I have become more keenly aware of the lack of strong heroines in the GFFA. Padme had potential, but her strength diminished throughout the prequels and effectively committed suicide with the birth of her children. No thank you. Hera strikes me as the most level-headed of the group and someone you should listen to when she talks.

C1-10P / Chopper (Astromech Droid) - The obligatory droid. I'm glad they didn't include a protocol droid. I like the Ralph McQuarrie style of this character.I just hope that he doesn't become an irritating one.

The Inquisitor (Pau-an) - The Col. Roderick Decker of Rebels? So how does he use that lightsaber without cutting his leg off?

I must admit I was not a huge fan of the Clone Wars. While I did respect the technical brillance of the show, and I very glad they made the series, the stories just did not grab me. Perhaps it is because I am more of a fan of the OT era than the PT era. Rebels looks to be a lot of fun. I am looking forward to it!

Rising Gun Violence

I am very concerned about the growing amount of gun violence in American entertainment. I know I hold an unpopular view but I truly believe the horrific incidents of gun violence in movie theaters, schools, and shopping malls are linked to the pervasiveness and permissiveness of gun violence in entertainment. 

I do not claim that people who watch such violence turn into violent criminals. Nor do I think gun rights of responsible gun owners should be taken away. In fact, I believe such rights are guaranteed by the Constitution. However I do think there is some detrimental effect on the viewer who is exposed to a lot of this style of entertainment. Such a person is, I believe, desensitized to gun violence. Also, studies have shown a correlation between this exposure and higher levels of aggression. 

A recent study has established that gun violence in PG-13 movies has grown significantly and are now more violent than even R-rated movies: http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-78139868/

Now movie studios know that they need the teenager market to be profitable so there is an economic incentive for them to push as much adult content into a PG-13 movie as they can get away with. This is why I think the whole idea of self-regulation, via the MPAA, is laughable. But they are politically well-connected and thus better oversight won't happen. 

So what is the Star Wars connection? Well it is something I struggle with. There is plenty of gun violence in the Saga. Yes it involves fantasy-style blasters, but that is more of a technicality. 

I have most of the seasons of the Clone Wars on DVD and now that my son is showing an interest, we are watching them together. It seems to me that there is much more violence than what I am accustomed to in the original trilogy or Episode I. 

Granted the name of the series is called Star WARS for crying out loud so it's not like there should be pillow fights. Yet in the back of my mind I keep thinking that this is much more violence than what I was exposed to when I was my son's age. 

I don't really have an easy answer to my dilemma other than to moderate the frequency of watching these shows. Perhaps the future movies will see more weaponry that is not as clumsy or as random as a blaster but more elegant weapons for a more civilized age. 

One can always hope. 

A New Dawn

Well it has been nearly three and a half years since I last updated this blog. A lot has happened since then! Most importantly, I began a daddy for the second time. This time a beautiful little girl. I have also had to accept that my son is *not* a Star Wars fan. Perhaps he is just not old enough to appreciate it, or maybe I have failed to transfer my passion for the GFFA on to him, but regardless, I have come to accept it.

But there is new hope, thanks to the jaw dropping news last November that Disney was buying Lucasfilm and that the sequel triliogy has been green-lit! I hope this might create another opportunity with my son. My first introduction to the Star Wars universe was with Empire Strikes Back. I was seven years old when I saw that movie and have been a fan ever since. Episode VII is slated for 2015 (though I suspect it will be pushed back), so my son will be ten years old. I think that is the perfect age for a young Star Wars fan. The news has certainly rekinidled my own fandom!

Obi-Wan: "That boy is our last hope"
Yoda: "No. There is another."

Even if my son manages to resist the siren call of Jedi Knights and distant planets with a single ecology (e.g., Hoth, Endor, Tatooine) there is still hope that my daughter will get into Star Wars when she is older. One can hope!

Retro Halloween

I just had a major flashback when I found this on the official Star Wars site. It has pictures of the original Star Wars Halloween costumers from the 1970s and 1980s. I remember having the Darth Vader and Threepio ones as a kid.

Big Millennium Falcon Toy Review

My son (well actually my son and I to be truthful) received the Big Millennium Falcon (BMF) for Christmas. Here is my review as a dad with a three going on four year old:

What I personally like best about the BMF is how it gives me a fresh perspective on this iconic vehcle. The toy is at a huge scale of almost three feet long. It is so big that Hasbro had to create a special one person vehicle that docks inside the Falcon (recognizing kids couldn't heft the full vehicle around the backyard for dogfights!). So this toy is really more of a playset than a toy vehicle.

This makes sense when you think of how many important scenes of ANH occur within the Falcon: Obi-Wan trains Luke to use the Force, R2 beats Chewie at dejarik (space chess), the heroes hide in smuggling compartments, etc. Then add in the scenes for ESB: the hyperdrive is broken/fixed, Han and Leia have their first kiss, the ship is attacked by mynocks, etc.

The assembly is pretty simple. The saucer and cockpit are already attached so the biggest step is to attach the front two mandibles. The top and bottom gun placements and the communication dish fit into place firmly as well.

The landing gear, however, is a completely different story. There are no less than seven separate landing gear pieces that fit into the bottom of the craft. However these pieces do not fit firmly into place. Sliding the Falcon on the carpet even just slightly is enough to dislodge at least a couple of them. I recommend leaving the landing gear and lower gun placement off the ship. You lose the ability to easily use the ramp but it makes for a more stable playset for the little one.

As a side note, in the most recent issue of Star Wars Insider, the model designer explained that he used the Empire Strikes Back version of the landing gear which includes an additional pair. Why is that you ask? Well for the ESB film, Lucas wanted a full model of the Falcon constructed. However the set designers discovered that the two-in-back one-in-front design was inadequate to support the weight. It is apropos that the BMF has the same additional support!

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!

Spider Droid No Match For Kid

Following the theme from my previous post, I have another vehicle to add to the toddler-disabled list: the Homing Spider Droid. According to the official background, this droid has formidable weapon that can disable other vehicles as well as scythe through enemy troops. However, its principle weakness is its legs that support the central ball unit. If it loses one, it falls to the ground completely disabled.

The Hasbro version has a similar weakness. The legs are inserted into pegs that are fairly firm. But, when I came home from work today, I saw its whole right side missing. The top and bottom turret weapons and the canopy were also missing (once again the canopy...). I'm surprised the upper cylinders of each leg have not fallen off or been removed yet.

The good this is that the pieces can be reassembled pretty easily. The trick is finding them all again!

"Don't worry. She'll hold together!"

I have to hand it Kenner and now Hasbro, Star Wars toys are very durable. I'm fortunate that my parents saved all my Star Wars toys from when I was a kid. We're talking the original 1977 figures here. They also saved my old G. I. Joe toys as well. I've passed them on to my son now and have found my old Joe toys have fallen apart. The rubber band that holds the torso to the waist have dry rotted.

The Star Wars figures, on the other hand, are still in great shape! The vehicles are in a bit of worse shape. Part of it must be due to hard play when I was a kid, part of it due to storage & moving over the years. My old Millennium Falcon is missing the rear panel, the cockpit cover, and most of the accessories like the floor panels. My landspeeder has the top rear engine broken off. Still, my son still loves playing with them.

So now to the point of this post. I've found that some Star Wars vehicles are more hardy to kid play (especially toddler play) than others. We haven't bought too many of these, but here are a few observations...

Probably the worst toy for little kids is the Trade Federation Armored Assault Tank (AAT). There are a bunch of pieces that don't attach well. There is a central piece with attachments for the sides of the front curve of the tank, the turret, and side cannons. The main cannon is also loosely attached to the main turret. My three year-old had played with it for only a few minutes when one of the side pieces came off. It easily reattached, but over time all the pieces came off again. Your only option here is super glue the parts, which can work for everything except the turret unless you don't mind it not rotating.

The best vehicle I've found so far is the new V-19 Torrent Starfighter. The two main wings attach very firmly and the center wing is pretty well seated. The two engine attachments are the weakest parts, which I might end up super-gluing. The cannons fire, so I am hesitant to super glue and thus ruin them. The good news is that after two days of play by my son, the cannons are still attached.

The weakest part of any Star Wars vehicle is the entry point for the figure, such as a starfighter canopy. I don't think there is anything you can do about that with super glue since the piece acts as the hinge as well. The Torrent canopy is a little difficult in that when it clicks closed it takes a little dexterity and effort (more than a toddler can manage) to get it open without pulling the whole thing off. Still it is an extremely well put together little toy (to paraphrase Capt. Panaka from TPM). Oh, and it is not actually little. The wingspan is two feet long!

Midnight Madness at Toys'R'Us

My son and I went to the Toys'R'Us midnight madness sale for the launch of the new Clone Wars product line. Fifteen members of the 501st were there and my little guy was both excited and nervous. There were clone troopers, stormtroopers, Boba & Jango Fett, Padme, a Jawa, and even a "lifesize" Chewbacca (he must have been on half-stilts). He was fascinated, but too scared to get close to him. He was content just waving to him. However, this morning (*late* this morning) when he woke up, he asked to see, "Chihuahua Chewbacca". I guess he liked him after all!

Here we are meeting Boba Fett!

For the record (and to help me remember), this is what we got last night:

Vehicles for Figures
Spider Droid, V-19 Torrent Starfighter
Titanium Vehicles (small die-cast)
AT-TP, ARC-190 Starfighter, Gunship
Clone Ware Figures
Anakin, Obi-Wan, Capt. Rex, Battle Droid
Stuff for Collecting (a.k.a. for Dad)
1st Day Capt. Rex, 1st Day R2-D2, Holographic Gen. Grevious.

My Introduction

I grew up with the original trilogy. I still vividly remember going to Burger King to collect stickers for the Empire Strikes Back book. You had to get four squares to form a picture of the movie - the asteroid escape, the Imperial walker attack, etc. I of course also had the Star Wars figures and am very thankful that parents held on to them for all these years.

I am now a proud father of the best little boy in the world (of course I am biased). I feel like I am having a second childhood - especially when it comes to Star Wars. This time last year (July 2007) I bought a Star Wars toy for the first time since the early 1980s. It was a Tie Fighter, similar to the one I played with incessantly as a kid myself. A year later and my son still plays with it!

His favorite Star Wars character also proved to be one of his first words - Boba Fett. When he saw the iconic T-shaped helmet in one of my Star Wars magazines, he pointed to it and said, "Boh-bah, Boh-bah!" I was so amazed, especially since he was my favorite character too as a kid.

We were cleaning up his toys tonight and he came across my old Lando figure. Now we know how slick Lando is (or he thinks he is), but do you know how my son remembers him? He grabs his own throat and makes a face - imitating the scene where Chewbacca is choking Lando while he tries to say,"Han! There is still time to save Han!" While I'm not thrilled about him pretending to choke and had to correct him on that, I was laughing inside about the first thing he thinks of as the ladies man of Star Wars!

The purpose of this blog is to share my experiences as being a Star Wars fan and raising a son who also happens to love Star Wars too. Please feel free to leave comments!