Solo: A Star Wars Story is a Must See For Any Star Wars Fan

First things first – this movie is based off my two favorite characters: Han Solo and Lando Calrissian. So it is a real treat to have an official origin story that brings these two together in such an enjoyable way. These types of films are tricky, mainly because we already know how the story turns out and who survives. But I think that it speaks highly to the film’s ability to entertain and surprise the viewer. This Star Wars film slots fairly high amongst my favorite Star Wars films! 

An Origins Story

In the beginning of the film, we meet Han as a young scrappy man surviving on the streets of Corellia, a very industrial area known for it’s ship building. Most of its inhabitants are supporting the building efforts – willingly or unwillingly. Because of this, the dream of a better life is the motivation for Han to learn how to be a pilot and escape his current life.

Eventually, he joins on with a band of mercenaries in the quest to turn a profit and secure a ship. Well, as it turns out in Star Wars, there is always a bigger fish. Han finds himself getting tangled up with an even bigger crime syndicate. Of course along the way we meet Chewbacca and Lando.

But Is There More Than What The Trailers Share?

The trailers do a good job of basically telling you what the story will be. This made me a little nervous that there would not be much more to tell other than a few filler details. As the film progresses I was pleasantly surprised to find that there were a good bit more detail and twists. The characters we meet are pretty good.

The sidekick characters are especially good and memorable. L3 is Lando’s co-pilot and “it” is a hoot! Lando was amazing and well portrayed. I had no problem with continuity between the two actors (Bill De Williams and Donald Glover). Side note: I’ve been a fan of Donald Glover (any Troy and Abed fans out there?) and didn’t have any doubts that he’d be the perfect Lando.

The portrayal of Han worked well. I was not sure how I would feel about Alden Ehrenreich based on what I saw in the trailers – as he does not really look like Harrison Ford – but it was not a problem as the movie went on. The introduction of Chewbacca was clever, but later I wondered if his character would have done the things implied. What was really cool is that scenes in this film actually make some scenes in the original trilogy a little better, more meaningful.

The last thing I will say is that there is a pretty big reveal towards the end of the movie and even as I write this I am not entirely sure what that means for what comes next…

Who Can Watch? Kids or No Kids?

This movie is a little dark and earns a PG-13 rating. There is no blood or curse words that I can recall. People do get wounded and bruised up and there are some pretty intense scenes around a war set on the front line with a few creatures. Most tense scenes are diffused with humor as is the standard formula these days. A 7+ year old that can distinguish fantasy live action from real life would probably be okay seeing this.

Definitely check out Solo: A Star Wars Story, it is a must-see for any Star Wars fan!

Haven’t seen the trailers yet (gasp!)? Watch here:

Read more great Star Wars articles:

Star Wars Rogue One Perler Bead Templates

DIY Rogue One Night Light

5 Reasons Why Star Wars Lovers Should Visit Legoland California

Star Wars Episode 8: The Last Jedi Review

Its been a day since the last time we saw the Last Jedi. We have seen it twice now because it takes a couple of viewings to appreciate the details and fully immerse yourself in new Star Wars content that goes by fast. What’s great about this movie is that society is buzzing about it. We were at the mall wearing Star Wars clothing and people ask “Have you seen the movie?” In this day and age when people communicate via computer/device it is kind of nice to connect again with strangers in person with causal fan talk.

This episode picks up shortly after episode 8. At this point we are reset back to good (The Resistance) vs evil (The First Order) as the new Republic government was destroyed by the Star Killer Base. So the rebels are on the run led by Leia Organa, Kylo Ren along with General Hux are in pursuit, and Rey has found Luke Skywalker for what she hopes will be training in the use of the Force. Additionally Fin and a new character, Rose, have a side story with a social message that gave me a little bit of a Star Trek story tone. As with Rogue One hope and never giving up are themes that continue. After all, rebellions built on hope.

We liked the movie. As you have probably heard it sets things up so that you think you know what is about to happen and then it turns and does the opposite. That story telling technique works well for this episode. With so much Star Wars content (and more on the way) they need to mix things up every now and again. Its worth noting that the humor is also present strongly in this story which is not bad.

For a Star Wars movie the characters were given a little more substance than normal. For example I think Poe Dameron grew from where he was during his first scene as hot head shoot first to the end where he is in tune with the bigger picture. Rose was a fine addition to the story and was a character with compassion and care. Mark Hamil did a solid job portraying Luke Sywalker again. Finally Carrie Fisher was also good portraying Leia again. I would like to take a moment and say I really enjoyed the actors who played the smaller parts as officers on the First Order ships and the Rebel cruiser. As background characters they emoted enough in their performances that I cared about them.

Locations are decent. Luke’s island is pretty cool. There is more happening there than I thought. A lot of good scenes of Luke’s life style. Canto Bight was the casino planet and as so serves as the Star Wars’s “bar scene” that seems to be part of the formula now where they can show case different aliens. Finally Crait looks like Hoth at first, but provides a couple of cool Millenium Falcon scenes that reminded me very much of the original Star Tours Comet sequence at Disneyland.

Obviously you NEED to see the new Star Wars movie. You will be entertained and enjoy your time. For a Star Wars fan it felt satisfying, but one wonders how episode 9 will go. Personally I hoping for some great big revelation that ties everything together in a “oooohhhhh” moment, but I guess we got to wait and hope with our fellow rebels.

If you are taking your family to this movie you probably want to leave the 5 and under crowd at home. There is no real blood and guts gore. Typical blaster fire hits and person falls down. A lot of explosions with loud noises. Check out a sneak peek of the training these Jediwent through to prepare for the movie! 

Have you seen The Last Jedi yet?

Star Wars Rogue One Perler Bead Templates: Rebel Alliance and Galactic Empire

Use these Rogue One Rebel Alliance and Galactic Empire Perler Bead Templates to show the world if you’re on the dark side or the light side and see if your true Jedi comes out! 

May the 4th… er… April the 4th be with you. 

Today’s the day!! Did you preorder your copy of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story? If not, get on it! It comes out on Blu-ray/DVD today and is the perfect addition to your ever-growing collection of Star Wars movies. 

The fact that it is being released on my husband’s birthday did not escape me. How perfect is it to have one of your favorite movie franchises release a movie ON your birthday? Kismet! In celebration of my husband’s birthday and the release of Rogue One on store shelves, my daughter and I got to crafting to make the perfect birthday gift for dad: Star Wars Perler Bead creations! 

My daughter has been obsessed with her Perler beads since receiving them for Christmas this past year so when she was thinking of what to make her dad for a birthday gift, she immediately went and grabbed her Perler bead kit. But she couldn’t figure out what to make.  [Read more…]

DIY Star Wars Rogue One Night Light

This post featuring a DIY Star Wars Rogue One Night Light is brought to you by Kleenex brand via Momtrends.

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In just a few short weeks Rogue One: A Star Wars Story© TM Lucasfilm LTD will be coming to theaters everywhere and I’m pretty sure that my family may be looking forward to that more than Christmas this year. We’re huge Star Wars fans and have been for… well… ever! And it’s not just one or two of us, it’s the whole family. Including Grandpa. My dad may be the biggest Star Wars fan I know and he’s passed that down to his kids and grandkids. So as we wait patiently for the next story to come to life on the big screen, we’re biding our time with fun Star Wars themed crafts. 

In partnership with Lucasfilm LTD, Kleenex brand will launch limited edition boxes featuring Rogue One: A Star Wars Story designs, perfect for Jedis of all ages. They’ll hit store shelves this Fall. Once they do, you too can create your own Kleenex brand ft. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story designs night light. This DIY craft turns a Kleenex box with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story designs into a fun room accessory, simply by removing the tissues, poking small holes in the sides of the box (using a thumbtack) and inserting an electric tea light, creating a “night sky” in a dark room. So easy that my 7 year old son was able to complete this craft on his own! 

This craft, just like the Star Wars movies, brought my family together. Spending quality time together is an easy way to show you care. And we can take this idea outside of the home by showing others we care as well. We can all be heroes by banding together to combat indifference with gestures of care, like sharing a tissues from a Kleenex box featuring Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

diy-star-wars-rogue-one-night-light-supplies-needed

DIY Star Wars Rogue One Night Light

What you’ll need: 

  • 1 empty Kleenex box with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story designs
  • 1 thumb tack
  • 1 electric tealight

diy-star-wars-rogue-one-night-light-poke-holes-in-box

What you do: 

1. Grab your Kleenex box and use the thumb tack to poke holes on all sides of the box. 

2. Turn on your tealight and drop into the empty Kleenex box

3. Enjoy the light show! 

diy-star-wars-rogue-one-night-light-add-tealight diy-star-wars-rogue-one-night-light-shine-on

You can find more great kids crafts by checking out my Pinterest boards! And for more fun with Kleenex, check out their boards too here

Do you have a caring moment to share with Kleenex? 

Disclaimer: Compensation was provided by Kleenex brand via Momtrends. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Kleenex or Momtrends.

Find Kleenex on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram

diy-star-wars-rogue-one-night-light-a-great-craft-for-kids

Christmas Came Early: Star Wars The Force Awakens

Star Wars The Force Awakens

A Christmas gift delivered early, is what Star Wars The Force Awakens is and what a special treat it is! When this film was announced I felt a nervous excitement. Would it feel like Star Wars? Would the story be any good? Would the original cast be back? Well, that would be yes, yes, and yes. 

We start with the familiar Star Wars scroll to fill us in on with what has happened since Endor. Pieces of the Empire, now organized as the First Order, have carried on and continued to wage war with the Rebels, now called the Resistance. It is still good versus evil. And, of course, we have a Star Wars mystery on our hands. Luke has started a new Jedi Academy, but it has been disbanded when one of his students turns on him which drives Luke into hiding. We just don’t fully know the circumstances of this event yet and no one knows exactly where he is. The rest of movie revolves around both sides getting to Luke first. We meet two new young characters along the way who help with this quest. The first Rey, a scavenger on the planet Jakku and Finn a former stormtrooper. Rae has an interesting backstory that has yet to be revealed I think. Finn provides some heart and is a character that is battling the urge to run versus standing up for something more. Finally, we have our bad guys Kylo Ren and General Hux guided by a mysterious figure named supreme leader Snoke who give good chase throughout the movie.

Star Wars The Force Awakens - Storm Trooper

This movie really felt like the Star Wars universe of episodes 4­-6. It had a lot of creatures and droids that appeared to be very well done puppets and it had the signature “lived in feel” that Star Wars pioneered. The imagery on Jakku was amazing with the backdrop of the decaying war machine relics of a battle between the Empire and the Rebels. Throughout the movie, we are treated to mementos of the previous films. I was also pleasantly surprised by some of the humor mixed in.

I enjoyed seeing the original cast’s presence in the film. The roles they were given were a satisfying bridge between the old trilogy and this new one. The new characters were engaging enough and as a member of the audience felt vested them. The story is not overly complex and easy to understand as opposed to some of the prequels. For the most part, I was able to suspend my belief as the story unfolds. After a first viewing (I plan to see this one more time in the theater) I put this at 2nd or 3rd place in the series behind Empire Strikes Back, my personal favorite, and A New Hope.

Star Wars The Force Awakens - Dark Side

With the marketing machine going strong in the toy aisles across America your kids probably know about this movie. So should you take them to see it? The movie is rated PG­13 and it gets that from what I can tell is all the blaster fire and storm troopers dying. There was a scene or two with some blood. The language seemed to be okay with no swear words that I could recall. I would recommend 7 years and older.

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS arrives in theaters everywhere on December 18th!

Planning to wait in line to watch the movie? Print out this Star Wars Activity Packet to make the wait more fun!

Are you heading to the theaters this weekend to see The Force Awakens?

5 Reasons Why Star Wars Lovers Should Visit Legoland California

5 Reasons Why Star Wars Lovers Should Visit Legoland California

We are a family of Star Wars lovers. Whether it’s watching the original trilogy, catching an episode of Clone Wars on Disney XD, or building LEGO® Star Wars™ sets, the Star Wars vibe is definitely found in our home.

So when we were asked to come attend the unveiling of the new Miniland Death Star Replica Exhibit at Legoland California, we couldn’t say no. We were already familiar with the awesomeness of the other interactive displays in Miniland from our trip last year for our son’s birthday celebration and couldn’t wait to experience these new scenes.

If you’re a Star Wars lover then you will not be disappointed. Visiting for Comic Con in a few months?? Head north for a day trip to Legoland before you go home! Here’s why… [Read more…]

Star Wars Rebels Star Destroyer Inspired Paper Airplanes

This shop featuring Star Wars Rebels Star Destroyer Inspired Paper Airplanes has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

Star Wars Rebels Star Destroyer Inspired Paper Airplanes - a fun and easy way to let imagination reign and let kids be kids

Sometimes you have to just give into your inner kid, sit on the ground, and start making paper airplanes based off of your favorite movies and your son’s new favorite TV series.

That’s exactly what my husband did after we took home Star Wars Rebels on DVD last Friday. He even let my son pick out a Star Wars toy so that he’d stop playing with my husband’s Millennium Falcon and X-Wing fighters.

Luckily Walmart has a great selection of Hasbro Star Wars toys that piqued my son’s interest. He ended up deciding on a pretty sweet Star Wars Rebels Comand Star Destroyer Set. [Read more…]



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