We’re days, just days away, from the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. How are you spending your own personal countdown?
Me, I’m combing through sites like The Hollywood Report and Variety glancing at, but not fully reading the reviews that have started trickling out.
I’m thinking about our predictions for the how well the film is going to do when it officially hits theaters on Friday ($200 million is a gimme, in my mind, but how much higher can it go?)
And I’m also perusing a few outstanding Star Wars books that have come my way from the folks at DK.
The first is Ultimate LEGO Star Wars, which is a look at the vast universe of Star Wars in LEGO form.The book is huge, and is really a fun and invaluable look at the way the series has been interpreted in brick format. I mean, did you know that there’s been at least seven (SEVEN) full-size versions of the Millennium Falcon since 2000? And can you believe that there’s definitely people out there that have all of them. Written by Chris Malloy and Andrew Becraft, Ultimate LEGO Star Wars delves deep into, highlighting just how rich the franchise is. How can you argue that fact, when a book like this contains chapters on vehicles used by the Separatists, the Rebels and the Empire. And there’s the multitude of character entries, from every life form in the galaxy. If you’ve got kids, this is an excellent way to introduce them to LEGO and Star Wars.
There’s another DK book worth sharing with the kids this holiday season. Star Wars Made Easy, written by Christian Blauvelt, was actually one of the first to have any information and imagery out about The Last Jedi. The book itself is a nice, compact hardcover that takes you on a simple journey through the world of Star Wars, beginning with the Original Trilogy, before winding its way through the prequels, The Force Awakens and Rogue One. Throughout Star Wars Made Easy, Blauvelt writes in a friendly, easily digestible tone, and makes a point of answering questions that your kids would likely raise while watching the films, from ‘What is the The Force?’ and ‘Who are the Sith?’ to ‘Why does Star Wars start with Episode IV?’
Both books are valuable refreshes and introductions to a galaxy far, far away, but which’s latest chapter is virtually here. See you at Star Wars: The Last Jedi!
