The kids finished the original Star Wars trilogy this weekend. Both really enjoyed it, but my daughter has quickly turned into a full-on Star Wars geek. She immediately went out and created her own visual dictionary with pictures of all the main characters. I mentioned the Thrawn Trilogy, and the Solo twins, and she whipped up an illustrated short story about Luke's daughter Ashley Skywalker fighting the Emperor's son. She's already half-way through Heir to the Empire. This has gone too far! I've got to sit her down and make her watch Star Trek (the original series).

I rented TESB over the weekend. I had plans to, anyway, to make sure the kids found out Darth Vader was Luke's father by watching the movie, but it was also a good way to give the kids something to think about other than Bear's death. They really enjoyed it, my 8 year old daughter especially. As Darth Vader asked Luke to join him to rule the galaxy, she was yelling, "No! Say no! Say no!" And when Darth Vader said he was Luke's father, she just sat there for a minute, then said, "He's lying."

My 7 year old son recently reached a nice reading goal at school, and I rewarded him by renting Star Wars for him. I have never seen such gratitude from my son, who leaped onto me while thanking me profusely. Now, those that know me know that I am absolutely no fan of George Lucas. In fact, I could be characterized at times as actively hostile. However, I refrained from poisoning my son's opinion, and let him and his sister watch it. It's really been great to see them enjoying it. They know of Anakin Skywalker and know that he's Luke's father, and they know that Darth Vader killed Anakin...but they don't KNOW. I'm going to get ESB very soon so that none of their friends spoil it for them. My son is currently in his room, playing the Star Wars theme on his stereo too loudly and singing along with it (dunh dunh dunh duuuuuunh duuunh, dunh dunh dunh DUUUUUUUNH duuunh...) and laying in the floor playing with my old old Star Wars figures...from when I was just about his age... Anyway, it's not that I can't enjoy playing with Star Wars figures, too.

I went to see Iron Man last night with Mik and a few other comic book nerds I know. It was AWESOME!! Mik beat me and already has his own review up.

Looking at Comic Book adaptations, before this movie my favorite was Spider-Man 2, followed by X2, and then a less specific mixture of Spider-Man, X-Men, Batman Begins and Blade. I have to say that Iron Man trumped them all, hands down. Make sure you read The Ultimates and stay through the credits!

I was watching Zulu for the billionth time, and happened to notice in the credits that Cetewayo was played by the real Zulu Chief Buthelezi! I never noticed that before.

I just picked up The Beast (1988) at Wal-Mart for $5.88. This was a really great movie, I'm surprised that I hadn't heard about it until now. A must watch for any moderns fan.

The movie centers on a Soviet tank early in the invasion of Afghanistan. The tank is lost, and trying to find it's way back to the Khandahar road. A small group of Mujahideen are pursuing it in an attempt to avenge the brutal destruction of their village, which the tank had taken part in.

The tank crew are a motley bunch, and the story primarily centers around a somewhat psycho commander and the driver of the tank, demoted several times for "thinking for himself." On the other side, the Mujahideen are two groups, a more traditional group and a more modern, less religious group, and the unfamiliar RPG they are trying to use to take out the tank.

The movie takes a fairly even hand with both sides, concentrating more one good and bad people (and choices) rather than focusing on the larger conflict itself. It was very well-made, great acting and wonderful scenery. Overall, a very high quality movie with a number of small scale conflict ideas that could be presented as table top games.

Here's the description from the back of the box:

"Afghanistan, 1981, and the Soviet Union is locked in a futile and bloody battle with the Mujahedeen guerrillas. Separated from their patrol, the crew of a Russian T-62 tank engages in a deadly game of cat and mouse with local insurgents led by Taj (Steven Bauer). The tyrannical tank commander Daskal (George Dzundza) wreaks havoc on a peaceful Afghani village, pushing the moral boundries of the tank driver Koverchenko (Jason Patric) to the limits. Sensing mutiny, the psychotic Daskal abandons the disenchanted tanker to die in the desert at the hand of rebels, only to find he's sealed his own fate."