Toys R Us and the midnight launch was to be something that was a great experience to be shared by all who love Star Wars. Perhaps it was in your corner of the galaxy but in mine it was a free fo all of greed.

We arrived around 10:30 and secured a good spot in line. The evening was passed by dueling on the DS with my friends as we played Guitar Hero On Tour and then watched Blue Harvest on the PSP. There were costumers from the Indy Knights and things were going well, opther than a couple annoying people in the line. No big deal.

The doors opened at 12:01 and in we went. A couple kids tried to run by and that was cool. They're kids, you know. We get to the section of toys and it is a madhouse of grabbing and people refusing to move. One guy is flinging the figures all over and not treating any of them carefully at all. He fills his basket up with almost 30 or 40 figures and then goes to cause chaos at the Lego section knocking down sets from the top shelf. Several people were grabbing 3 and 4 of the same figure (guess where we'll see those today or tomorrow) and then I finally got up by squeezing my way through those who still were not moving. Let me also say that the section of toys devoted to Clone Wars was, maybe 5 pegs across by 5 or 6 pegs down. There were other aisle pegs with Clone Wars bits but it was the re-packaged figs, not the new figs. Stupid marketing if you ask me.

As I reached for a Captain Rex, it was ripped out of my hands. As I grabbed the blue Clone with the large gun, it was snatched from me. A lady shorter than me was pleading for someone to give her an IG-88 Lancer Droid. Several hands were reaching up for them but not to give one to her. I hit the tiptoes and snagged one and handed it to her, receiving the most heartfelt thank you and smile I'd seen in a while and certainly all evening. I was reaching up for an Anakin when I noticed the kid (14 or 15) beside me was going for the same fig. I grabbed it and then gave it to him. Again, a thanks and a smile. The figs were all gone.

I stepped back out of the confusion to see what I had sactually been able to get for myself. Yoda, Obi-Wan, Grievous (reg and holo). That was it. 4 figures. I looked around at the disappointed faces of kids who got nothing and tried to see if anyone needed what I got but nobody did. THen I found myself next to the guy that had been creating chaos through the night. He told his wife he needed to get away from everyone so he could go through his figures and decide what he was going to buy because he didn't want to spend more than $35. He had a basket of figs that noboddy else could get to and now he was going to go from 30 or 40 down to 5. He had horded these like a starving man with his last handfull of rice until almost everyone had gone empty handed.

On the way out I did meet those people who were really in this as a community. A couple guys in front of me had bought the Millenium Falcon (too expensive for me at $159, but WAY WAY COOL) and the AT-TE that I will hopefully buy at some point ($99). I saw lots of Clone Trooper Helmets going out but figured I could get mine later.

We went to Steak and Shake for some fries and then decided to try Wal-Mart. BINGO! Store was empty and there was my Anakin, Clone Trooper and Captain Rex. The Falcon is $10 cheaper but still didn't get it. Long-o wait for that one.

I was a bit put off by the repackaging. Honestly it is confusing as can be. You'd grab a fig and then realize it was not from the new movie and then put it back. There are some really cool things out there. Can't wait for Ahsoka (?) to be released. I really want a fig of her.

I will never go to another midnight toy release. It was absolutely the most ridiculous thing I've ever been through.