My family and I celebrated my little brother's sixth birthday today.

He's a pretty big Star Wars fan (big in fandom, not in stature ), although he hasn't actually seen all of Episode III yet - my parents think some parts might be too scary for him, and he thinks he would be bothered by the Order 66 sequence (hell, I was disturbed for a few days after that....).

He's really into Star Wars toys and pretending to be a Jedi or a Sith - he runs around the house with wooden spoons (the large kind that you stir things with), swinging them viciously around while simultaneously making lightsaber sounds and blaster sounds, and acting out improvised dialogue for both himself and the enemy (e.g. "Come out here and fight me like a man!" or "You'll never escape me now, Darth Revan!"). It's pretty intense. Like, it can be very difficult to relax, have a conversation, or watch TV in the same room. My other brother, age 17, adds to the chaos by playing along and chasing the little one recklessly all over the house.

For his sixth birthday, my little brother didn't have very many specific gift requests, but one of the was the "General Grievous' Blaster" toy. He got it, and he way very excited ("Yes!!! General Grievous Blaster!!!"). It's a pretty solid toy. A nice, hefty (but not too heavy) black gun, with a bright red light in the firing chamber that flashes every time the trigger is pulled, and of course, blaster sounds! Quite loud and realistic ones, I might add. And talk about a semi-automatic weapon - it seems like my brother manages to fire it off several times a second....

I have to admit, it's a pretty cool toy, despite adding immeasurably to the general chaos of our household. I recommend it, but be prepared for some noise. Maybe this would be best as....an adult toy? Heh, only among Star Wars fans....

I'll end my anecdote/review with a quote from my little brother:

"I just got out of school, I want to shoot something!"



P.S. I might be out of touch for a couple weeks, so if there are any comments, don't take it personally if my response is very delayed.