LEGO Star Wars: Rogue One – Rebel U-Wing Fighter Set (75155)

While anticipation builds for the latest Star Wars movie, a glimpse of the new ships and characters we can look forward have been revealed with the latest LEGO Star Wars sets. Continue reading LEGO Star Wars: Rogue One – Rebel U-Wing Fighter Set (75155)

Review – Star Wars: Bloodline by Claudia Gray

How did The First Order rise from the ashes of the Empire? How did Princess Leia become a General? Why did her accent waver from English to American in Star Wars (1977). All these questions and more are answered in Star Wars: Bloodline, the terrific new Princess Leia novel by Claudia Gray. Continue reading Review – Star Wars: Bloodline by Claudia Gray

Does My Daughter Love Star Wars Because of Me?

People often wonder why I’m so enthusiastic about sharing my love of Star Wars with my daughter. For the most part, they’re questioning it. Familiar comments are “Why not just let kids be kids?”, “Why not just let her choose herself?”, “Why am I imposing my interests on my daughter?”, or worst of all “Why am I trying to make her into a boy?” (I’m not).

Although I feel it’s no different than a sports fan passing on their love of a favourite team, for me it goes beyond mere parenting nostalgia.

We live in a world where cultural life is formed increasingly by the market, yet only certain brands are actively marketed to girls. If I was to simply “let kids be kids” and merely encourage what my daughter responds to in the pop cultural landscape around her, all I am doing as is relinquishing my parenting influence to that of the marketeers, and beyond that letting them define to her what is and isn’t for girls.

There is nothing inherently male about Star Wars. As a child, I don’t believe I liked it because I was a boy, but because I was a child and it was insanely cool. I don’t remember it being overtly marketed to males, something that changed as I grew older. When I was a kid, the other biggest Star Wars fan I knew was a girl who lived around the corner.

As a giddily excited new dad, I enjoyed buying Star Wars onesies and baby toys, but as she grew up I was happily surprised she continued to enjoy engaging with it. As a toddler, she loved us to read Darth Vader and Son. When I brought home my old Star Wars toys from my parents attic, I assumed I would store them away until she was 6 or 7, and give them a go then. She spotted them, wanted to play with them straight away, and they never made it past our lounge.

So am I imposing what I love on my daughter? You may have read this and other posts and think I am. I disagree. In a way, I am marketing to my daughter. I am trying to give Star Wars, seen widely as a ‘boy’ interest, the same chance of taking hold as the dozens of other ‘girl’ brands being presented to her. I do the same with superheroes. I’m just trying to level the gendered marketing playing field. She’s already accepted that Star Wars is for both boys and girls (and will often tell her friends this). Whether it will stick, I have no idea.

While I admit I will find it slightly sad if she decides that Star Wars isn’t for her when she is older, I will completely respect that choice (and not try to change her mind!)

But in the meantime, Star Wars is something we enjoy together as father and daughter, and today we have a day of Star Wars toys, dress ups, and watching The Empire Strikes Back ahead of us. Fun times that I shall always remember with joy.
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Star Wars: Episodes I-VI, The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels are all available to watch on NOW TV

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Disclosure: I receive free access to NOW TV in exchange for blogging about the service.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars – The Prequel Series You’re Looking For

If like me you’re a Star Wars fan who’s no fan of the prequels, have no fear. There is a series worthy of the saga and much better than Episodes I to III – Star Wars: The Clone Wars is the prequel you’re looking for.

In the original Star Wars trilogy, the hints to what had gone on before were as tantalising as they were brief. One of the key moments was in Star Wars when Obi-Wan tells Luke about his father Anakin, who was “the best star pilot in the galaxy… a cunning warrior, (and) a good friend.”

This enigmatic description set the tone for what I imagined any prequel movies would be like. I saw Anakin as a dashing heroic man, a brash and intelligent Jedi Knight who somehow lost his way, was tempted by the dark side, and became Darth Vader.

This is not the Anakin Skywalker portrayed in the prequel trilogy. A precocious child who becomes a petulant teen, prone to sulking and tantrums, he never grows into the man we believe could potentially be the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy, let alone the most feared agent of the Empire, Darth Vader.

By the time I walked out of seeing the third and final prequel movie Revenge of the Sith in 2005, I had had enough of this pre-Imperial galaxy far, far away. My fandom for the original trilogy remained, but I was done with tales of Anakin, the Republic, and the Clone Wars.

Which is how I, and many similar lapsed fans, missed the subsequent prequel series that we had been yearning for – Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

“Star Wars: The Clone Wars is the prequel series you’re looking for”

Set between Episodes II and III, it centres around the galactic wide conflict that began at the end of II and was wrapped up in III. It takes many familiar concepts and characters from the prequels, but uses them in a way that is a lot more interesting, exciting, and satisfying.

Anakin is the dashing hero,  a cunning warrior, renowned pilot, and good friend of General Kenobi (who’s wry sense of humour is also more evident).

Other characters from the bookend movies also feature. The Jedi council includes the familiar faces of Yoda and Mace Windu. The Chancellor continues to pretend to be nice. Count Dooku (previously Christopher Lee) is the intimidating villain he was supposed to be in the movies, and to a lesser degree the cyborg General Grievous.

The clones that gave the war its name were mostly namelesss copies of New Zealand actor Temuera Morrison in the movies, have distinctive looks and personalities in TCW – most notably Captain Rex (who my daughter identified as a character way before I did).

But the greatest addition to the Star Wars canon, one that changed Star Wars forever and probably the main reason I love this show so much, is Ahsoka Tano.

Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: The Clone Wars

A central character, she was introduced from the very beginning of the show. A 14-year-old Padawan to the newly knighted Jedi Anakin, she is a smart, feisty, swift and talented warrior. While learning the ways of the force in the proper way, she is also inspired by Anakin to regularly push the boundaries of expectation and authority.

Before Rey, Ahsoka was the character who demonstrated that the galaxy far, far away was just as much a place for girls as boys. My daughter adored Ahsoka – not just a female Jedi, but a girl – from pretty much the first moment we laid eyes on her, and her love of the young padawan has only grown. She is even her imaginary friend.

Elsewehere, while female characters were often given short shrift in the movie galaxy, they are prominent and well realised in this show. Padme Amidala is more of an intelligent and skilled diplomat than depicted in the movies; Female Jedi Knights feature far more heavily (including some kickass lightsaber battles); the villain/anti-hero Asajj Ventress – who was almost a character in Revenge of the Sith – is a regular guest star, with her distinctive raspy voice, pale bald head, and two red lightsabers. Plenty of other female characters ranging from bounty hunters to heads of state, witches, and military leaders are also featured.

While ostensively a kids show, the long story arcs of 4 or 5 episodes, often involve a sophisticated range of political and and emotional depth. Some are also downright scary, such as a story involving Jedi children being hunted to death for sport, or the return of Darth Maul (yeah, the guy who was chopped in half in The Phantom Menace), though I should point out that my 3-4 year-old daughter was fine with them – and she tells me when something scares her.

One of the good things about getting my daughter into this now, is that there is so much tie-in merchandise available second hand. We have found everything from figures, puzzles, books, model kits, and my daughter’s prized Captain Rex computer (which can double as a mask 😉 )

This is a great show if you’re a Star Wars fan, and almost justifies the existence of the prequels – and while those are only 3 movies amounting to about 7 hours, Star Wars: The Clone Wars has over 120 episodes for a whopping 45 hours of content!

If you’re currently watching Star Wars Rebels and haven’t seen this, then you really need to check it out. Ashoka and Captain Rex – key characters in Rebels – both have history that can only be understood from watching this show.

And just in case you haven’t got the message, let me be clear Star Wars: The Clone Wars is better than prequels. Now all we need an animated remake of Revenge of the Sith for the circle to be well and truly complete…

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Our Star Wars Cartoon Family Portrait

We had a lovely surprise gift during a recent holiday to New Zealand – this great Star Wars inspired cartoon family portrait.

Our cousin Vaitoa (the family tree connection is more complex than that but cousin is fine) is a commercial artist, and while as far as I know not particularly a Star Wars fan himself, he knew of my love of the galaxy far, far away… and how I’m sharing it with my daughter.

He browsed our Facebook photos for reference – the one here is just to show you what we all look like normally – and then created our likenesses for this picture.

We first saw it when he gifted us with a framed print, while he and his awesome family came round to see us for an all too fleeting visit while we were in New Zealand (where my wife is from and we lived together for 4 years).

We love this picture, and now back in the UK we proudly have it hanging in our home.

Cartoon Jedi Family
Mummy, daddy, and youngling

What’s happening in this illustration? Well, Jedi are not allowed to have relationships, so I reckon my wife and I look like a couple of Jedi Knights who fell in love and decided to leave the Jedi Order to be together. We then had a child, and we are bringing up our youngling to learn the ways of the force. And we look very happy about it.

My wife – also not particularity a Star Wars fan – is stoked to have this portrait of us.

The point of the post is to share something we think is really cool, but it would be remiss of me not to pay it forward and promote my cousin’s services. So, if you want your own version, drop our cousin Vaitoa a line at vaicreative01@gmail.com. Tell him cuzzy Simon sent you, and said you’d give a good rate 😉