Force Link 3 3/4" Ski Speeder

One good thing about having a very short lead time between Star Wars movies is that it doesn't give stores long to clear out stock. In the prequel era, retailers had a solid three years to get rid of a movie's merchandise. Now they barely have a few months. For collectors, this means some great clearance details - like the rathtar I recently acquired. The ski speeder is another case of this.

I was largely indifferent to this vehicle when it was first released, but after seeing The Last Jedi I fell in love. Unfortauntely, the $89.99NZ price tag was incredibly discouraging. Recently however, Target had them on clearance for a much more reasonable $18.98US ($26.35NZ) each - and that was an offer I couldn't refuse.

The first thing you notice about this vehicle is just how darn big it is. The box belies its true size, largely because the vehicle ships broken into two pieces. If it's not exactly 1:1 scale with a regular 3 3/4" figure, then it's awfully close - and that's great to see. Not only is it big, but it's packed with fantastic features too. The one concession to playability is the handle on the lower side - but this is perfectly incorporated into the stabiliser and doesn't detract from the aesthetics of the vehicle one bit. Pull a trigger on the handle, and two missiles (again, discretely concealed into the engine greeblies) will fire. Depress another button on the top of the engine, and the starboard wing will 'blast' off battle-damage style. The whole engine canopy is removable, in fact - giving you further options for displaying damage, or setting up a maintenance diorama. The ski speeder also features a pair of fold-down landing gear so she can nestle somewhere safe between battles. Perhaps my favourite feature, however - and one that isn't even given a call-out on the box - is the tiny working seatbelt used to hold a figure securely in the cockpit.

Speaking of figures: the ski speeder comes with one of the nicest Poe Dameron figures we've seen yet. It's a spot-on likeness, and he features some great details like a rubberised jacket, working holster, and removable headset.  So far, this version of Poe is exclusive to this set - which is interesting, given that it's his most iconic outfit from The Last Jedi. Nevertheless, that makes him something of a must-have for 3 3/4" collectors, so he's a very welcome bonus with this vehicle.

You might think I have only praise for this set. And you're right. I really can't fault a thing. Hasbro have done a phenomenal job in translating this vehicle from film to plastic, creating a piece that plays well and displays wonderfully. It might not have the bang-to-buck ratio of the A-Wing, but it's definitely worth the money on clearance!

Force Link 3 3/4" Rathtar and Bala-Tik

I've been patiently waiting for a 3 3/4" Bala-Tik ever since adding the Guavian Enforcer to my collection back in 2016. Unfortunately, when he finally did turn up, it was as a pack-in with the Force Link rathtar. I don't really have any interest in this creature, and with an MSRP of $39.99NZ, it was a purchase I simply couldn't justify. I made a deal with myself, however: if I ever found the set retailing for less than I'd pay for the single-carded figure, I'd pick it up. Recently, that deal paid off when Amazon dropped their stock of rathtars down to the incredibly low price of $6.91US ($9.59NZ).

Bala-Tik comes with his screen-used blaster rifle, and is a fairly unassuming figure. But that's fine with me. His main job is to fill a character gap in my Force Awakens display, and he performs that role satisfactorily. One complaint with my particular figure is that he suffers from some severe bowing in his legs, though hopefully this is something that a little hot / cold water treatment will be able to fix.

It might seem that, at this price, the rathtar is just a nice added extra - but as my fiancée so eloquently put it, "that thing's not a bonus, it's a burden". The rathtar takes up an enormous amount of display space for very little aesthetic return. It might look passable from a distance, but up close it's a complete disaster. I thought the tentacles would be molded from some sort of bendable rubber-covered wire, but instead they're hard plastic fixed in a single pose. Further, each tentacle plugs into one specific hole - making assembly and reassembly a real pain. You might wonder why you'd need to be reassembling the rathtar, but that's just the thing: the slightest amount of movement or play will see at least one of the tentacles ejecting itself from its mount. The body itself is a completely hollow rubber orb that very much resembles the kind of thing you'd see in the dog chew-toy aisle. Even the Force Link chip has been added without any real consideration for design - being placed behind a glaringly obvious square flap on the very top of the creature instead of subtly tucked away on its underbelly as you might expect.

Don't get me wrong. I'm perfectly happy with my seven dollar Bala-Tik. I just believe the less that's said about his pack-in companion, the better.

The Last Jedi Incredible Cross-Sections and Visual Dictionary

Back in 1999, my grandmother surprised me with the Incredible Cross-Sections and Visual Dictionary books for Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Over the following days and weeks I eagerly lapped every last detail contained in those books - my 12-year-old mind was blown at the depth of the universe that existed behind that movie. Since then I've made a habit of picking up the latest editions of these volumes whenever a Star Wars film is released. The Last Jedi was no different.

This edition of Incredible Cross-Sections is once again brimming with gorgeous hand-drawn cut-aways of every imaginable vehicle and starship from The Last Jedi. Accompanied by a raft of technical details and specifications, the book should - as usual - prove fascinating to both fans of the saga and of spacecraft engineering more generally. The Visual Dictionary encompasses a slightly wider scope, featuring high-quality photos of every imaginable character, costume, and prop from the film - making it a must-have resource for any cosplayer. Each image is also accompanied by fascinating call outs and trivia, enriched along the way by author Pablo Hidalgo's famously dry wit.

I managed to secure both Incredible Cross-Sections and Visual Dictionary for the incredibly low preorder prices of $13.78US ($18.99NZ) and $11.36US ($15.65) respectively - but you can still find them both on Amazon.com for not a lot more than that.

The Last Jedi Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

One thing I may have failed to mention during my effusive praise of The Last Jedi is its score. But maybe I didn't need to. With the return of John Williams as composer, it goes without saying that the music in this film is beyond reproach. That's why I didn't hesitate to pick up the Target exclusive soundtrack (featuring two collectible art cards) as soon as I spotted it in stores.

There's a real sense of what's come before in the Last Jedi soundtrack. In fact, it might very well feature more callbacks to the original trilogy than any prequel or sequel trilogy score that's come before. There are a number of samplings of classic character themes, as well as a few surprises - like the use of "TIE Fighter Attack" from A New Hope. There's also plenty of links to The Force Awakens, with "Rey's Theme" and the "March of the Resistance" featuring prominently throughout. At the same time, however, Williams also explores some intriguing new musical avenues.

Every new Star Wars film tends to add one particularly iconic piece to the orchestral oevre of the saga. The Phantom Menace had "Duel of the Fates", Revenge of the Sith had "Battle of the Heroes", and for The Last Jedi, it's "The Rebellion is Reborn" - a wonderful Disney-esque theme that adds some great levity to what is, at times, an incredibly dark film. There are some other great new tunes, too. "Canto Bight" features fantastic new in-universe orchestration reminiscent of the cantina from A New Hope, and in "The Spark", we finally get what might be considered Luke's theme - a powerful, triumphant variant of the Imperial March.

Regardless of where the saga has gone over the years - or how the films have been received by audiences - John Williams scores have never faltered. This soundtrack for The Last Jedi is simply further testament to this fact. It's my sincere hope that we see Williams contribute at least one more score for Episode IX before he decides to call it a day.

Episode VIII: The Last Jedi Premiere (December 2017)

At 7.00pm on December 14th 2017, my fiancée and I headed along to the release of what is - somewhat unbelievably - the eighth installment (and ninth theatrical release) in the Star Wars saga. I always like to let a new Star Wars film sink in for a few weeks before writing up my thoughts, and after a second viewing this afternoon, I'm satisfied that my first impression was the right one: Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi is one hell of a movie.

From Luke's very first scene in the film, one thing becomes very clear: This isn't going to go the way we think. Unpredictability is the order of the day here, and The Last Jedi pulls no punches when it comes to subverting audience expectations. I'd done my best to avoid the rampant theorising in the two years since The Force Awakens, but my fiancée and I had been unable to avoid the occasional late-night discussion about how we thought The Last Jedi might play out. It turns out, of course, that all of our speculations were for naught - and I love this film for that very reason.

Never have I been so surprised by a Star Wars film. If The Force Awakens is a warm blanket of familiar nostalgia, then The Last Jedi is its maverick antithesis. But that's a good thing. The wildly different approaches these two films take to the Star Wars universe causes them to complement - not detract from - each other. The characters characters established in The Force Awakens are now taken through meaningful arcs full of failure, despair, and growth. At the same time, legacy characters - characters whose arcs we might have thought complete - face new challenges that see them develop and rise beyond the heroes we grew up with. Along the way, we're also introduced to a raft of wonderful new characters (Kelly Marie Tran's Rose and Laura Dern's Vice Admiral Holdo are particular standouts) who further enrich the Star Wars universe.

Its hard to say more without giving too much away. But rest assured that - despite its subversions - The Last Jedi still retains all of the elements we've come to love about Star Wars: a thrilling story, fascinating new worlds, and some of the most gorgeous visuals we've ever seen in a Star Wars film. Johnson also manages to inject an incredible amount of humour into the proceedings. In fact, The Last Jedi may oddly be both the funniest and the saddest Star Wars film to date. I'm rapt to hear that Lucasfilm has entrusted Johnson with an entirely new trilogy of Star Wars films. If this is what the saga looks like under his direction, then the universe is safe indeed.

So what did you think of The Last Jedi? Did you attend a premiere? If so, how did it go? Be sure to let us know via Facebook or Twitter, or by sending an email to relicsoftheforce@gmail.com!

Lego 75187 BB-8

There's nothing better than having a substantial-sized Lego build to complete over the holiday season - and thanks to my soon-to-be brother-in-law, my fiancée and I had just that with the Lego 75187 BB-8 set this Christmas.

We'd been eyeing up this set for some time, so were rapt to receive it as a gift. Coming in at around 1100 pieces, BB-8 is a hefty chunk of plastic filled with wonderful details. Every side-panel (including the bottom) is uniquely detailed with greeblies, and BB's signature facial details are perfectly rendered with the ingenious use of a handful of radar dishes. What's most impressive, however, is the way in which the designers have managed to duplicate the droid's spherical shape using predominantly non-curved bricks.

BB-8 comes with a couple of nifty play features, including a spinning head and his trademark 'thumbs-up' lighter which emerges from an opening hatch. Both mechanisms are controlled by rotating a respective side panel, and work incredibly well. BB's head mount is particularly nice - being fixed to an elasticised gimble contraption. This means that instead of spinning somewhat 'robotically', BB's head bobs back and forth slightly with each turn - cleverly emulating the more natural movements of his on-screen counterpart. Our only (very minor) criticism of this set regards the door that conceals BB's lighter. While it pops open nicely when the lighter is extended, it needs to be manually closed after the lighter is retracted. It would have only required a small modification (and the addition of an additional elastic band) to have this door automatically close - but it would have added an incredibly satisfying finishing touch.

That small gripe aside, this is a damn-near perfect set. As added bonuses, BB also comes with a fantastic stand and nameplate (the likes of which we usually only see in Ultimate Collector Series sets) and a minifigure-scaled BB-8 for size comparison. The whole package makes a wonderful display piece, and one that will be front-and-center in our living area for a long time to come!

Porgs Galore...

Well, it's happened: the first porgs have been added to our collection. It all started when my fiancée and I received an adorable plush porg for Christmas from her parents. But of course, like anything good, we couldn't stop at just one - and a few days later we found ourselves also picking up a 'porg-on-board' for our car.

With his soft flocked body and adorable round eyes, the plush Porg captures all the cuteness of the real thing. Best of all, his flexible wings allow him to be posed in all kinds of amusing ways (as pictured above). The porg-on-board is a little smaller, but features suction cups on his wingtips (allowing you to stick him to your car's window à la a particular avian's event-filled ride aboard the Falcon). Best of all, he comes packed with an accompanying 'porg on board' sticker to alert other drivers to your precious cargo!

Star Wars Official 2018 Calendar - Collectors Edition

The new year is almost upon us, and in 2018 I'll be keeping track of the days with this fantastic 40th anniversary calendar I received from my parents for Christmas.

Each month features an image of a main character from A New Hope, framed by gorgeous screen shots from the film. Best of all, the calendar continues the tradition of including a two-page centrefold that allows the calendar to still be displayed long after 2018 is up. This time around, it's a unique 40th anniversary version of the original Star Wars theatrical poster.

BB-8 8GB USB Flash Drive

Wrapping up the Christmas presents from my parents this year (see what I did there?) is this delightful BB-8 8GB USB flash drive. I've been in dire need of a new flash drive, so this little guy'll fit the bill perfectly.

Made of a durable rubberised plastic, BB's head pops off to reveal the USB socket. He's ever so slightly stylised - his head just a little more squat than usual. In fact, he's perfectly in keeping with the Stormtrooper flash drive I received a few years back.

Star Wars Christmas Stocking and Santa Hat

I love holiday-specific Star Wars paraphernalia, and this Christmas my parents surprised me with a very cool stocking and Santa hat set featuring Darth Vader and a cadre of stormtroopers.

The hat went great with the stormtrooper Christmas t-shirt I got for my birthday, while the stocking joined the rest of the family's over the fireplace on Christmas Eve.

Sphero BB-9E App-Enabled Droid and Force Band

My fiancée has always been one to spoil me, but this Christmas she went above and beyond - surprising me with the Sphero BB-9E App-Enabled Droid and a Force Band. Last year, I received the Sphero BB-8 from my parents for my 30th birthday, and was immediately blown away by just how much he could do. The same is true of 9E. Despite the superficial similarities in appearance, this is no mere repaint. Featuring glowing lights in her head (yes, my fiancée and I have decided this BB will be female), 9E also possesses a new personality, negotiating her surroundings in a completely different way to her older brother.

A few new pieces of internal tech also allow her to do things her sibling can't. For one, internal vibration sensors allow her to be programmed to 'react' to passing humans while she's charging on her base. That particular feature hasn't worked too well for me yet - but that may be due to me placing her in a sub-optimal charging location. Alternatively, you can program her to spontaneously initiate conversations with other Sphero droids when she's not being operated by a user. This feature is particularly fun, as the droids carry out their interactions completely in character. Place 9E next to her arch-nemesis BB-8, and you'll find the two droids begin squabbling on awakening - with BB-8 usually running for cover somewhere in the corner of the room.

While Sphero began with an app that was exclusively for the operation of BB-8, they've now released a generic 'Droids' app that allows you to run all of your app-enabled droids from the same program. This app is also packed with new features - including an option to have your droids watch (and react to) the Star Wars movies alongside you. There's also now the ability to engage more than one droid in patrol mode simultaneously.

In addition to the usual charging base, 9E also comes with the new 'Droid Trainer' - unlocking even more options within the app. This collapsible base doesn't feature any electronics, but is probably better thought of as a something like a 'treadmill' for your droids. Featuring a low-friction concave hollow, the Force Trainer allows the BBs to spin and move on the spot. Sphero have hinted that they have a lot of upcoming features that will utilise this device, but for now it's main use is in the 'augmented reality' (AR) section of the Droids app. Entering this mode allows you to use your touchscreen device to 'drive' around ships from the Star Wars universe, collecting items as you go. At the same time, your droid will move accordingly. Turn left, and your BB will roll left in its Droid Trainer cradle. Come to a stop, and your BB will come to an abrupt halt too. It's a fun little gimic, but not much more than that. It's also questionable whether it can be counted as genuine 'AR' as your BB doesn't actually appear on screen when you point your device at her. That being said, the base is covered in AR arma patterns, building in the functionality for the base to - at some point in the future - be used for a genuine AR experience. This might be a tantalising hint at what Sphero have in mind for future updates.

Gimmicks aside, the Droid Trainer is most useful in its simplest configuration - the aforementioned 'treadmill'. The Trainer finally gives us the opportunity to have an operational and interactive droid setting next to us on our desk without fear of it running off the table and (quite literally) losing its head. It's also a great way to practice emotes and movements when you're limited for space.

As an added bonus, my fiancée also gave me the Sphero Force Band. This has been out for a while now - originally created to work as a sort of 'remote control' for BB-8, but now compatible with all Sphero droids. I'd been somewhat dubious of this item, questioning how functional it'd truly be. It turns out my concerns were for nothing, however. I've had some bad experiences with kinetic-based devices (see my recent write-up on the truly awful Force Link bracelet), but the Sphero Force Band works beautifully. Once the Force Band is on and synced, a simple 'force push' will send your droid rolling away from you, and a 'force pull' will bring her back. Raising and lowering your arm modifies her speed, and moving your arm to the left or right will roll her in that direction. Heck, she'll even look where you point! It's all incredibly intuitive, and after a couple of laps around the room you'll find yourself driving your droid without a second thought. Best of all, the Force Band runs completely independently of the Droids app, so there's no need to keep your portable device on when using this function.

Surprisingly, this isn't all the Force Band has to offer. As well as operating your droid, the Force Band also comes with a standalone app that contains a raft of other features. For one, there's a virtual reality 'training' mission during which you use your Force Band to assist a (digital) BB-8 in a number of tasks. Most fun, however, is the 'Force Awareness' mode. Once entered, this mode will quietly tick away in the background until - at some point - it detects a holocron in your vicinity. The band will then vibrate in a sort of 'hot and cold' fashion as you move around the room attempting to find the holocron. Once found, your holocrons will appear in the app - containing data on some character, weapon, or other element from the sequel trilogy (very much like a set of digital trading cards). You can keep track of how many holocrons you've collected, and how many you have left to find. The holocrons also vary in rarity, adding some excitement to the hunt.

A select number of the weapons and vehicle holocrons can be added to your 'Armory' - another feature of the Force Band app. Once this mode is entered, your Force Band essentially becomes a kinetic soundboard, making different noises depending on what you have 'equipped'. Equip a pistol and make a point-and-shoot motion with your hand, and you'll be rewarded with a blaster sound. Equip a vehicle and swoop your hand as though it's flying, and you'll hear realistic engine noises. The playability options are endless - especially for kids (and, ahem, some adults) who still love to run around the house with a starfighter in their hand.

Technological wizardry aside, the physical construction of the Force Band is also superb. There's real quality here - from the fine in-universe detailing, to the authentic weathering, to the enormously satisfying 'click' of the magnetic clasp. Heck, it looks nice enough to even double as a straight-up costuming accessory.

I'm absolutely rapt with BB-9E - and the additions of the Droid Trainer and Force Band also open up a whole battery of new play features for both her and BB-8. I've no doubt Sphero will continue to add new features for this duo too, and I'll be sure to report on them here when they do!

Stormtrooper Christmas T-Shirt

With Christmas only a couple of weeks away, it was rather apt that my parents also got me this excellent Stormtrooper t-shirt for my birthday!

I'll be rocking this all Christmas Day (and eve too, most likely). It's a nice match for the Stormtrooper Peekbuster ornament I also received for my birthday!

Hallmark Keepsake Stormtrooper Peekbuster Christmas Tree Ornament

Over the last decade, I've been slowly building a collection of Hallmark's exquisite Keepsake Star Wars Christmas ornaments. As time has passed, the ornaments have become more and more complex: featuring lights, sounds, and now even motion-sensing capabilities. This year, the Stormtrooper Peekbuster ornament takes advantage of this latest feature to create an incredibly effective present-peeking deterrent. Thanks to a birthday present from my parents, one of these peekbusters is now standing vigil over our tree.

With a Christmas-themed sculpt and a forward-facing motion sensor, the Stormtrooper Peekbuster is a wonderfully unique addition to the Keepsake line. Programmed with six custom-recorded phrases, the trooper sounds off whenever motion is detected in the vicinity. The detailing and paint app is - as always with these decorations - top-notch. Best of all, he's almost perfectly in-scale with figures from the 3 3/4" line, leaving open some tantalising diorama-building possibilities.