Star Wars Science Kylo Ren Mini Lightsaber Lab

Hello! Mike here, and not so long ago in a Toys R Us not far, far away from my home, I came across the Star Wars Science Kylo Ren Mini Lightsaber Lab by Uncle Milton.

Being a huge Star Wars fan, I was very much interested in the build-your-own aspect of this toy since Jedi and Sith generally build their own sabers and I have always wanted to do that myself.

What you get in the box is an assortment of parts to build the Kylo Ren lightsaber and a cool little "poster" that talks about the "science" behind how this toy works. Here's a photo of the parts:

I am rather impressed with how sturdy every piece feels. Considering the $24.99 CAD price tag for this set, I'm quite relieved about that.

Putting the lightsaber together is simple, which is good since this set is mainly for kids and you wouldn't want it to be too complex. Here's a video of how to build the saber:

Once the saber is complete, it looks fantastic. I'm especially impressed with the details in the hilt. For something of this size, getting this much detail is unexpected.

Another unexpected detail is the light blades are shaped to reflect the "unstable" nature of Kylo Ren's lightsaber. Uncle Milton could have just put standard round blades in this package and people would have still bought it. But, this extra detail shows that they are willing to go the extra mile to bring us a truly great product.

My one criticism is something you probably noticed in the video. The LED's used to light the blades are extremely weak. Sure, they light up in 2 stages and have a cool pulsing effect, but what's the point of all that if you can't see them under normal lighting? Still, when you can see the light effects, they are actually quite cool.

And, you can do some fun stuff with the lightsaber, like take pictures of yourself as a Sith.

Yep. That's me as Kylo Ren... *Cough*

All in all, I really like this build-your-own lightsaber set. Although the price is steep, what you get is a sturdy, awesomely detailed toy that you can easily carry around and maybe even use to up your nerd cred by telling people that you made your own lightsaber. So, go out to Toys R Us and pick one up so we can have miniature lightsaber battles!

~ Mike

Loot Crate - Limited Edition Star Wars Crate

There has been an awakening. Loot Crate has realized the potential in selling limited edition themed Crates, and with all the excitement over "The Force Awakens", making one for "Star Wars" was a no-brainer.

When I first saw the $100 USD US / $130 USD International price tag on the "Star Wars" Crate, I was going to pass on it. Jess actually laughed at Loot Crate's audacity in charging so much. However, our good friend Tom had purchased a "Fallout" Crate not long ago and insisted that not only would the "Star Wars" one be worth the cost, it would actually blow our minds. He even ordered a "Star Wars" Crate himself to prove his point. I have to admit that I was pretty much convinced since Tom is not only honest, but also quite particular. So, Jess and I ordered a "Star Wars" Crate.

Fast-forward to December 18th - the day "The Force Awakens" opened in theatres. I woke up to find a giant Loot Crate at the door. Here, have a look!

If you can't tell, the box is approximately the size of 4 regular Loot Crates! Wow! And, check out the cool Millennium Falcon label.

Cool, right? Now, here's what Jess and I were greeted with when we opened the box after seeing "The Force Awakens" on the 20th:

Want to know my reaction? Here's an animated GIF to help you imagine it:

Once I picked myself up off the floor, Jess and I went through the items. Here's a list with approximate Canadian pricing:

- Star Wars Toque ($30.00 CAD)

- Star Wars Scarf ($30.00 CAD)

- BB-8 Raglan Tee ($20.00 CAD)

- Darth Vader Poptater ($20.00 CAD)

- Star Wars Little Golden Books ($35.94 CAD)

- Vader Down #001 Comic ($6.00 CAD)

- Metal Earth Kylo Ren Shuttle ($15.00 CAD)

- Rebel Alliance Gadget Pouch ($18.00 CAD)

- BB-8 10 oz Ceramic Mug ($12.00 CAD)

Loot Crate Box

Before I talk about the items in the box, I wanted to mention that the box itself has an incredible Millennium Falcon design on the inside. I was absolutely blown away by it.

Star Wars Toque

I'm Canadian. This is a toque, not a "pom beanie hat". The design is fantastic, but I have to admit that the size is too small for both Jess and myself.

Star Wars Scarf

Where the toque is small, the scarf is huge! I have never owned a scarf this long before, which is why I'm going to be wearing it this winter. In fact, I wore it yesterday and got some very positive comments from passersby!

BB-8 Raglan Tee

I also wore this shirt yesterday because the design is amazing. Simple, but stylish. I love it!

Darth Vader Poptater

Poptaters are 6" Mr. Potato Head toys that, I assume, are trying to compete with Pop! Vinyls by Funko. Aside from having "Pop" in the name, there are also more and more Poptaters for different fandoms, like "Breaking Bad", horror icons, and Marvel Comics. There are, of course, Poptaters for "Star Wars" and the one in this Crate is a collector's edition Darth Vader. It looks just like a regular Darth Vader Mr. Potato Head, so I'm not sure what's special about it. But, hey, it's still pretty cool.

Star Wars Little Golden Books

This is a set of 6 books that take the original "Star Wars" movies and turns them into kids books. They're great for introducing children to "Star Wars" and Jess and I are definitely going to read them to our kids when we have them.

Vader Down #001 Comic

For the older reader, Loot Crate provided the first issue of the new "Vader Down" comic series, complete with variant cover. Nice!

Metal Earth Kylo Ren Shuttle

I've seen Metal Earth 3D Models at 401 Games in Toronto quite a few times and have always been tempted to get the Millennium Falcon, but have been hesitant since I'm not sure if I'll enjoy building it since the metal looks kind of flimsy and I feel like I'd probably break a piece or two. Well, now I can test out the sturdiness of Metal Earth models by building Kylo Ren's shuttle! Sweet!

Rebel Alliance Gadget Pouch

If "gadget" equals "make-up", yeah, this is a gadget pouch. More specifically, it's a gadget pouch that now belongs solely to Jess. :p

BB-8 10 oz Ceramic Mug

My favourite item in the entire Crate is this mug. BB-8 was a surprisingly wonderful character in "The Force Awakens" and this mug captures her cuteness quite well. I'm only moderately disturbed that I'd be drinking out of his head. (Yes, I'm purposely using both male and female possessive adjectives. LOL)

OVERVIEW

I have to admit that there was a part of me that was quite worried that I wouldn't be getting my money's worth due to the very high cost of this Loot Crate. $130 US is around $180 CAD after all due to the stupidly weak Canadian Dollar. If you add up the approximate values of the items, you'll notice that it's just a few dollars over $180 CAD, so technically, we're pretty much only breaking even up here in the Great White North. However, when it comes to the items themselves, I think they're worth every penny, err, nickel. We don't have pennies anymore...

All in all, I'm extremely impressed and very happy with this Limited Edition Loot Crate. Great items, decent value, and lots of excitement. Would I buy another Limited Edition Crate? With the cost in mind, it would have to be for a fandom I care a lot about. For those of you who love something enough to spend this kind of money, I say head on over to the Loot Crate Web Site and go for it!

Stay tuned for more coming soon this month. And, as always, thank you!

~ Mike

Nerd Block Classic - December, 2015

Heya, peeps! Mike here, and in a surprise turn of events, I bet you're wondering why I suddenly have a Nerd Block review after I Nerdvorced them last year. Well, I was tempted back for 1 month only due to their Cyber Monday deal and, more importantly, their promise of amazing "Star Wars" items! Yes, I'm that big of a fan. LOL

After a long wait and a lot of doubt as to whether I had made the right decision to trust that not even Nerd Block could screw up giving people good "Star Wars" items, I received my box!

Yep, that looks good! Before I tell you about those items, though, here's a little info on Nerd Block Classic:

Monthly Subscription - $19.99 USD / month

3-Month Subscription - $53.97 USD / period

6-Month Subscription - $101.94 USD / period

Yearly Subscription - $191.88 USD / year

You have to add shipping to all of the above prices. For shipping to Canada, I was charged $8.75 USD, plus HST (13%) on top of everything! So, if you're Canadian like me, the items better be worth the extra cost and the stupid exchange rate at this time! Let's take a look at what I received.

DECEMBER, 2015

Here's a list of the items for this month's Nerd Block Classic, along with estimated Canadian pricing:

- Star Trek Captain Pin ($10.50 CAD)

- Kylo Ren T-Shirt ($18.00 CAD)

- Star Wars Mouse Pad ($8.50 CAD)

- Star Wars Blaster Keychain ($10.00 CAD)

- Star Wars Ice Tray ($15.00 CAD)

- Unmasked Darth Vader Pop! Vinyl ($17.00 CAD)

Nerd Block Inserts

Something new to Nerd Block since my final box with them last year is that they now have several inserts. There's one talking about the items (shown above), another revealing the general theme of next month's Block, and some ads. The items insert is what I appreciate the most since it makes it clear what was in the box and the different available options, if any.

Star Trek Captain Pin

Clearly, this isn't a "Star Wars" item, but it's still very cool. I'm a fan of "Star Trek" insignia pins and this Captain rank pin is definitely right up my alley. Awesome.

Kylo Ren T-Shirt

I love the design of this shirt. Also, it seems Nerd Block is now using higher quality shirts than they did before. My only complaint is that the size chart is a little off as my XL was definitely bigger than what was stated. I should have gone with my usual Large.

Star Wars Mouse Pad

This beautiful mouse pad has a design that looks like one of those old vacation destination ads. I love it, but Jess loves it more, so it's now hers. LOL

Star Wars Blaster Keychain

Wow, a Nerd Block exclusive item! Nice! I love this keychain and it's now on my key loop. ^_^

Star Wars Ice Tray

This is 1 of 3 ice trays subscribers could have received. I already own one of the other 2, so I'm quite lucky to have gotten this one.

Unmasked Darth Vader Pop! Vinyl

My first "Star Wars" Pop! vinyl was from Nerd Block. Now, so is my second. Of the 3 possible figures subscribers could get, this was the one I wanted most, so I'm one happy nerd right now. This is easily my favourite item in this Block.

OVERVIEW

I'm pretty sure you've come to the conclusion that I really liked this month's Nerd Block Classic. Honestly, it was the best Nerd Block I have ever received. It's on the same level as a normal Loot Crate, and that's saying something. However, despite the awesome items and getting my money's worth, I am most definitely not tempted to go back to becoming a Nerd Block subscriber. Why? Because I'm pretty sure this is an exception and not the rule. I've read what people have gotten in previous months and I haven't been impressed. With "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" coming out and the promise of awesome "Star Wars" merch, Nerd Block had to put together something epic this month to not only prevent subscribers from leaving, but to also attract new ones. I honestly don't think Nerd Block will match this level of quality for a long while, so I've already cancelled.

Of course, if you disagree and are interested in joining Nerd Block, please feel free to visit their web site at www.nerdblock.com. They have more than just their standard Block. They now have all sorts of themed programs like Arcade Block and Horror Block.

And, that's it for now. Stay tuned for more entries this month. Have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful Holiday Season!

~ Mike