Squeaky Mouse Droid: Force Friday Report
A very short time ago, in a suburb pretty close by…
When we arrived at Toys R Us at 11PM there is already a line of about twenty thirty people waiting to get in for when they open the doors at midnight (sorry. at 12:01). We’re all there on the same mission: so that we can see and purchase some of the new Star Wars toys from the new film The Force Awakens. It’s a cultural milestone of sorts, because as big as the Star Wars film franchise is, it may be eclipsed by any corresponding toy line (this was one of the insights into what pop culture would become that made George Lucas one of the great thinkers back in the 70’s and 80’s).
Yet this time wasn’t quite like the same event from 1999 prior to the release of The Phantom Menace (I was there for that) where there was quite a frenzy, but this TrU was a bit off the beaten path, so I’m sure that some locations that opened at midnight for this event were a bit more chaotic. The vibe here was.. nice. No one dressed up, but everyone there was a fan, and some people even brought their kids. I even spoke to a few nice people while waiting.
Of course, after me and my friend entered the store, and got our free catalog and our free Kylo Ren poster, we were off…
…in the wrong direction. I don’t know.. the store is huge. So by the time we found the Star Wars aisle I think some of the good stuff had already been taken. By “good stuff” I mean: the six-inch black series Kylo Ren figure. Word was that there was ever only about a half a dozen of them, so even if we hadn’t gone in the wrong direction, It’s doubtful that we would have been able to get one of these treasured figures, as there was more than enough people in front of us to snatch from the shelves all of these Kylo Rens.
Also not available was the Black Series Force Effects Kylo Ren lightsaber… I don’t think this store even got any (they did have Yoda’s and Darth Vader’s) so there was that. Also, no remote control BB-8’s. I had actually considered getting the Sphero version of this item, which comes at a hefty retail price of $150 but is no doubt the coolest Star Wars toy released since the original Kenner lines of the early 80’s (you can even control it with your smartphone) and it’s not to be confused with the cheaper (but still pricey – at $70 or so) Target exclusive version. I didn’t mind not getting that Target version, because 1) we weren’t at Target, and 2) I have a feeling that it wouldn’t be worth the money and would quickly stop working right just like every remote controlled helicopter I’ve ever tried to own. But I was actually considering getting the Spheroid version. We will see…
So what did I get? I got 3.75 inch versions of Kylo Ren, a standard First Order Stormtrooper, and a First Order Flametrooper. I also got a First Order Special Forces TIE Fighter Micro Machine (the name is much bigger than this little momento) but it’s pretty cool, as well as a small Kylo Ren plush. I also got somethings for my nephews. One is having a birthday so I got him the First Order Stormtrooper Nerf Gun set, and I got the other nephew a Kylo Ren lightsaber (the cheap “flick” kind).
On the way out, I caved and got this:
Oh it’s so great. Maybe I’ll actually keep him. He screams and complains and shakes his head around and all of that.
So what else did I see of interest? I almost got a Captain Phasma figure. I saw the Lego versions of the Falcon (from the new film, with an older Han Solo and some pirates along with other hero characters. I also saw both vehicles from this awesome commercial:
[youtube id=”XCvSAWCNLwo” width=”620″ height=”360″]
There was a lot more there. My friend pointed out a self-stirring Darth Vader coffee mug. Too bad I’m not a coffee person, or it would have been mine.
May the Force be with you, and thanks for supporting my Squeaky Mouse Droid column.
