Arena Adventure

Attack of the Clones proved two things: first, that George Lucas can still write a story that combines action, intrigue and complex Machiavellian manuevers compellingly; secondly, that the man has no ear for dialogue. It's showtime at the arena for Anakin Skywalker and Mace Windu! They are the main attraction for a ferocious Reek and evil warrior who are looking for trouble. Will the two Jedi heroes defeat the enemies? It's up to you! To begin with, I just want to point out the fact that this set includes Mace Windu. Mace frickin' Windu! Samuel L. Jackson as a Playskool toy! How incredibly cool is that? How many people alive can say that they've been immortalized in plastic by both McFarlane Toys and Playskool? Well, "two," but that's not the point. The point is that we've got Mr. Bad Emeffer himself from the kid-friendliest company ever. Wearing his tan Jedi robes, Mace is molded in this line's typical squat pose: legs apart, slightly bent, and hands raised to the front. He's got his purple lightsaber and a magnet imbedded in his left hand that provides "Jedi Force Action." He's got a calm but determined look on his face, and his skin is even the right shade for Mace. He stands 2 1/4" tall to the top of his bald head, and will be perfect for anyone who wanted to start working on their own custom Pulp Fiction Playskool set. Those Skywalker lads have a fine tradition of being whiney farmboys, as evidenced by young Anakin. Sure, he's not looking to grab some power converters from Toshi station, but he does have a tendency to pout and get squeally when things don't go his way. A little shorter than Mace, little orphan Ani's wearing his dark brown robes and carrying his bright blue lightsaber - his Padawan's braid hangs down over his shoulder, and he's got a big smile on his face. His right wrist is articulated, for 'saber-swinging fun, and he too has a magnet in his left palm. In Episode II, we finally got to meet the creators of those cool little Battle Droids: the insectoid Geonosians, a race of technicians and builders whose mechanical prowess is all the more impressive considering that they live in big termite mounds. This set includes a Geonosian warrior, a green and black 2" figure with orange highlights and a 3 1/2" staff. The paint job does a good job of suggesting the warrior's iridescent exoskeleton, particularly the two-tone copper eyes. He's wearing a golden skirt, and his 1 1/4" wings are molded from clear plastic. The biggest member of this set (aside from Mace, who gets the title of "biggest member" for a different reason) is the mighty Reek. The big rhino-like beast that attacked Anakin in the arena battle, the Reek is more than 3 1/2" tall in Playskool skale. His brown and red skin is textured nicely, with all the wrinkles and warts you'd expect on a creature like this, and his three yellow horns are ridged and cracked. The sculptors even got the big black ring through his nose. Just like the Wampa, the Reek has an action feature: pull on his back left leg, and he raises his head for "awesome head-ramming action." Nothing's better than having Mace ignore Anakin's cries for help as this mighty beast shatters the youngsters bones and ruptures his internal organs. Man, that Mace he doesn't have time to save whitey when he's busy trying to watch his own black ass. Word. Both the Jedi can ride on the Reek's back, or hang off his side using their "Jedi Force" magnets. Overall, the theme of the Playskool sets is "cute." The people, the beasts, the vehicles are all much more adorable than ever before. Unfortunately, Playskool seems to have done what no other Star Wars licensee has ever managed: underestimated the demand for their product. The sets are fairly difficult to find, between the folks buying them for their kids and folks buying them for themselves. These are great toys, if you can find them. What as-yet-un-Playskooled characters do you want to see? Tell us on our message board, The Loafing Lounge.

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