Batman 3, aka “The Dark Knight Rises,” has wrapped, and Christian Bale is done. Also: Lunch with a Star Wars legend and Hulk TV news.

LUNCH WITH LUKE

Actor Mark Hammill, who brought Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker to life in the original Star Wars Trilogy, is offering to have lunch in Los Angeles with the highest bidder and a guest to raise funds for The RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights, which provides an ongoing base of support to human rights defenders around the world. Valued at $10,000, the exclusive experience is open for bidding from November 29th through December 15th at:

http://www.charitybuzz.com/catalog_items/276455

BAT-FINISHED

The Philippine Daily Inquirer talked with Christian Bale, and he confirmed he was done with Batman.

“I wrapped a few days ago so that will be the last time I’m taking that cowl off,” he said. “I believe that the whole production wrapped yesterday, so it’s all done. Everything’s finished. It’s me and Chris – that will be the end of that Batman era.”

He also praised co-star Anne “Catwoman” Hathaway.

“I had plenty of scenes with Anne,” he said. “And I was there when we did the screen test for her. The thing that I said to Chris [Nolan] that day was that there were many very accomplished actresses who had read for the role. I’m terrible at auditions, so I’m very impressed when somebody really seems to acquire an ownership of a character without having worked on it or prepared for some amount of time.”

THE INCREDIBLE HULK NEARS

Guillermo del Toro tells io9 that the screenplay is in for the possible upcoming “Hulk” TV show, and the team is waiting for a green light. Del Toro, serving as producer, says he and his team know the essential stories, including “Hulk: Grey,” written by Jeph Loeb, who is involved with the show.
“We know all the iterations of the Hulk pretty good. We’ve read all the essential stories, and we’re then riffing on that. There are so many incarnations and ideas. Jeph Loeb — who did a good run [on Hulk: Grey] — is involved, and I love Peter David’s Hulk. But there’s really no part in that mythos that we don’t know, so we are trying put our own personal spin on it.”

REVIEW FILE: Green Lantern The Animated Series #0, Wolverine #19, Uncanny X-Men #2, X-Men Legacy #259, Archie #627, Flash Gordon Zeitgeist #1.
Comics read in 2011: 1,853. Still to go: 158

Archie #30 (1948): If Betty can sew  a patch onto Archie’s pants, she can take him to the dance.  Did people really do things like this in the 1940s?

Betty and Veronica #192 (Dec. 1971) Veronica ditches the gang, who are cleaning up the river in Riverdale, when she has a chance to appear in a fashion shoot.

Star Wars Legacy vol. 2: Shards: This second volume of “Legacy” does a lot to set up the world of the “Star Wars” universe, 125 years after “Return of the Jedi.”  Cade Skywalker, Luke’s grandson, is the series’ main character, though he’s less active in this volume than the first.   Collects issues 8, 4, 9, 10, 13, 11, and 12 of the series, originally published in 2007.

The Unknown 1-4 and The Unknown Devil Made Flesh 1-4: Two supernatural-style mysteries by writer Mark Waid and artist Minck Oosterveer.  Oosterveer sadly died earlier this year.
In “The Unknown,” from Boom! Studios, master detective Catherine Allingham learns she only has months to live.  She chooses to use that remaining time examining seemingly unsolvable mysteries with her ex-bouncer apprentice, James Doyle.

Sanctuary #1: Stephen Coughlin’s digital comic from SLG features a sanctuary for animals with a dark mystery behind it — it reminded me somewhat of “Lost.”

Batman: No Man’s Land Vol. 1: Batman must deal with Gotham City after a terrible earthquake leads to the evacuation of most of the city.  This volume includes Batman: No Man’s Land #1, Batman #563-564, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #83-84, Detective Comics #730-731 and Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #116.    While the story is in some ways unbelievable, the storytellers do a good job making this altered Gotham and its residents part of a compelling story of Batman and his allies in a new, difficult circumstance.

- Matt Price
Comics read in 2011: 1,847. Still to go: 164.

It’s hard to imagine now, but for about six years in the late 1980s and early 1990s, “Star Wars” was largely in hibernation.
With no new films after 1983′s “Return of the Jedi,” fans of “Star Wars” were relegated to reading the comics and watching the aimed-at-kids “Droids” and “Ewoks” cartoons. And by 1986, even that was over.

In 1991, that all changed. The release of Timothy Zahn’s literate, action-packed “Heir to the Empire” revitalized “Star Wars” as a publishing phenomenon, leading to more than 100 “Star Wars” books. (The same-year release of Dark Horse Comics’ “Dark Empire” didn’t hurt, either.)

Set five years after the events of “Return of the Jedi,” “Heir to the Empire” posited a struggling, infighting New Republic government dealing with surviving vestiges of the Empire. The Grand Admiral Thrawn is a clever, charismatic commander whom Zahn describes as Erwin Rommel crossed with Sherlock Holmes. Besides Thrawn, Zahn introduced other characters who would become important in what’s now called Star Wars’ “Expanded Universe”: smuggler Talon Karrde and former assassin Mara Jade.

Now, 20 years after what became the first book in the “Thrawn Trilogy” was released, “Star Wars: Heir to the Empire (The 20th Anniversary Edition)” (LucasBooks/Del Rey, $30) is on the shelf. In addition to the novel, the anniversary edition features annotations from Zahn and others, and a new novella featuring Thrawn.

Zahn notes how the book changed along the way, character name origins and other Easter eggs, and how the book lines up with the books since, and the prequels, which were still years away at the time “Heir” was published.

If you read the book when it originally was released, the 20th anniversary edition is a good way to revisit the material. If you’re a “Star Wars” film fan but never dipped into the novels, this is a wonderful place to begin.

— Matthew Price
From Sunday’s The Oklahoman

Henry Gilroy, who also wrote for the “Clone Wars” animated series in 2008, provides a companion series in “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” 1-12, which follow the adventures of the Jedi in between the films “Attack of the Clones” and “Revenge of the Sith.”

The first six issues follow Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and Padawan Ahsoka as the Jedi attempt to rescue Asoka’s people from slavery.

In issues 7-9, Jedis Kit Fisto and Plo Kloon face Separatists on a world of rich resources, but their bigger problem may be an overpromoted Republic commander.

Issues 10-12 feature Anakin’s conflict with a similar personality who finds himself on the opposite side of the war from Anakin Skywalker.

Other “Star Wars” read recently:
Star Wars Legacy Vol. 1: Broken
“Broken” collects issues 1-3 and 5-6 of “Star Wars: Legacy,” introducing Cade Skywalker, grandson of Luke, 125 years after the events of “Return of the Jedi.”   Cade is a Skywalker with the roguish charm of a Han Solo, working as a bounty hunter after the Jedi have again been hunted to near-extinction.
Cade’s journey in some ways resembles his grandfather’s, but while Luke was raised by kindly Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, the orphaned Cade finds himself the ward of space pirates.
John Ostrander creates a conflict worthy of the name “Star Wars” as the surviving Jedi seek Cade as the galaxy again is torn apart by warring factions.

- Matt Price
Comics read in 2011: 1,492.  Still to go: 519.

The original “Star Wars” opened in theaters 34 years ago, on May 25, 1977.

Check out the original trailer below!

Natalie Portman (AP)

With an Academy Award-winning performance in the film “Black Swan,”  Natalie Portman has had a fantastic year.   Her success there, plus her background in genre films like the “Star Wars” prequels and comic-book based films like “V for Vendetta” and “Thor” make her the No. 16 actress with geek appeal on Nerdage’s top 25 list.

Portman has had a busy spring, starring in “No Strings Attached” and “Your Highness” before kicking off the summer movie season with “Thor.”

She starred as astrophysicist Jane Foster in the film, which stars Chris Hemsworth as the Norse god of thunder.

She talked to Nerdage about making the Foster character more realistic.

“Ken and I talked a lot before we started about how to make Jane like a realistic scientist on screen, not just make her someone like the Denise Richards in Bond with the glasses and so she’s a scientist,” she said. “But we talked about how real scientists are kind of like artists. They’re able to imagine things that aren’t there.”

Portman is pregnant with her first child, with Benjamin Millipied, who was her choreographer in “Black Swan.”

- Matt Price

The special features for the Star Wars: The Complete Saga Blu-rays were announced today – as part of Star Wars Day festivities at maythe4th.starwars.com. Star Wars: The Complete Saga will be on sale in North America on Sept. 16. You can also see a video about the release at the site.   What do you think? Does this make you want to buy the Star Wars films?  Does it make you want to buy them again, if you already own them on DVD?   Details on the features are after the break.

- Matt Price

Bring home the adventure and share Star Wars™ with your whole family – when STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA comes to Blu-ray Disc from Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment! To be released beginning on September 12 internationally and on September 16 in North America, the nine-disc collection brings the wonder of the entire Saga direct to your living room, where you can revisit all of your favorite Star Wars moments – in gorgeous high definition and with pristine, 6.1 DTS Surround Sound. Dive deeper into the universe with an unprecedented 40+ hours of special features, highlighted by never-before-seen content sourced from the Lucasfilm archives.

Special Features:

STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA ON BLU-RAY is presented in widescreen with 6.1 DTS Surround Sound. Special features include:

* DISC ONE – STAR WARS: EPISODE I THE PHANTOM MENACE

o Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Ben Burtt, Rob Coleman, John Knoll, Dennis Muren and Scott Squires

o Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

* DISC TWO – STAR WARS: EPISODE II ATTACK OF THE CLONES

o Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Ben Burtt, Rob Coleman, Pablo Helman, John Knoll and Ben Snow

o Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

* DISC THREE – STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH

o Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Rob Coleman, John Knoll and Roger Guyett

o Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

* DISC FOUR – STAR WARS: EPISODE IV A NEW HOPE

o Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren

o Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

* DISC FIVE – STAR WARS: EPISODE V THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

o Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren

o Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

* DISC SIX – STAR WARS: EPISODE VI RETURN OF THE JEDI

o Audio Commentary with George Lucas, Carrie Fisher, Ben Burtt and Dennis Muren

o Audio Commentary from Archival Interviews with Cast and Crew

* DISC SEVEN – NEW! STAR WARS ARCHIVES: EPISODES I-III

o Including: deleted, extended and alternate scenes; prop, maquette and costume turnarounds; matte paintings and concept art; supplementary interviews with cast and crew; a flythrough of the Lucasfilm Archives and more

* DISC EIGHT – NEW! STAR WARS ARCHIVES: EPISODES IV-VI

o Including: deleted, extended and alternate scenes; prop, maquette and costume turnarounds; matte paintings and concept art; supplementary interviews with cast and crew; and more

* DISC NINE – THE STAR WARS DOCUMENTARIES

o NEW! Star Warriors (2007, Color, Apx. 84 Minutes) – Some Star Wars fans want to collect action figures…these fans want to be action figures! A tribute to the 501st Legion, a global organization of Star Wars costume enthusiasts, this insightful documentary shows how the super-fan club promotes interest in the films through charity and volunteer work at fundraisers and high-profile special events around the world.

o NEW! A Conversation with the Masters: The Empire Strikes Back 30 Years Later (2010, Color, Apx. 25 Minutes) – George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Lawrence Kasdan and John Williams look back on the making of The Empire Strikes Back in this in-depth retrospective from Lucasfilm created to help commemorate the 30th anniversary of the movie. The masters discuss and reminisce about one of the most beloved films of all time.

o NEW! Star Wars Spoofs (2011, Color, Apx. 91 Minutes) – The farce is strong with this one! Enjoy a hilarious collection of Star Wars spoofs and parodies that have been created over the years, including outrageous clips from Family Guy, The Simpsons, How I Met Your Mother and more — and don’t miss “Weird Al” Yankovic’s one-of-a-kind music video tribute to The Phantom Menace!

o The Making of Star Wars (1977, Color, Apx. 49 Minutes) – Learn the incredible behind-the-scenes story of how the original Star Wars movie was brought to the big screen in this fascinating documentary hosted by C-3PO and R2-D2. Includes interviews with George Lucas and appearances by Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher.

o The Empire Strikes Back: SPFX (1980, Color, Apx. 48 Minutes) – Learn the secrets of making movies in a galaxy far, far away. Hosted by Mark Hamill, this revealing documentary offers behind-the-scenes glimpses into the amazing special effects that transformed George Lucas’ vision for Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back into reality!

o Classic Creatures: Return of the Jedi (1983, Color, Apx. 48 Minutes) – Go behind the scenes — and into the costumes — as production footage from Return of the Jedi is interspersed with vintage monster movie clips in this in-depth exploration of the painstaking techniques utilized by George Lucas to create the classic creatures and characters seen in the film. Hosted and narrated by Carrie Fisher and Billie Dee Williams.

o Anatomy of a Dewback (1997, Color, Apx. 26 Minutes) – See how some of the special effects in Star Wars became even more special two decades later! George Lucas explains and demonstrates how his team transformed the original dewback creatures from immovable rubber puppets (in the original 1977 release) to seemingly living, breathing creatures for the Star Wars 1997 Special Edition update.

o Star Wars Tech (2007, Color, Apx. 46 Minutes) – Exploring the technical aspects of Star Wars vehicles, weapons and gadgetry, Star Wars Tech consults leading scientists in the fields of physics, prosthetics, lasers, engineering and astronomy to examine the plausibility of Star Wars technology based on science as we know it today.

Mark Hamill, right, portrays the character Luke Skywalker in this scene from the initial " Star Wars" release, with the droll droid C-3PO in this undated photo released by Lucasfilm Ltd.

Happy Star Wars Day!   The unofficial Star Wars holiday is based on a pun from the films –”May the Force be with you” becomes “May the fourth be with you.”

Mimoco (www.Mimoco.com) is celebrating by announcing new, limited-edition TIE Fighter Pilot MIMOBOTs, who will join fellow Star Wars MIMOBOT USB character flash drives.

Here’s the description from MIMOBOT:
A fierce starfighter, TIE Fighter Pilot MIMOBOT proudly serves the Galactic Empire in combat with the same authentic characteristics of other fan-favorite, classic Star Wars MIMOBOT characters. Protecting your data from Rebel attacks, he wears the sleek, black flight suit and helmet featured in the Star Wars movies – Remove the iconic helmet to reveal his determined face and the USB port. Plug your TIE Fighter Pilot MIMOBOT into your computer to unlock exclusive pre-loaded Star Wars content including wallpapers, screensavers, icons, avatars, and sound-bytes. The TIE Fighter Pilot character flash drives, part of the Star Wars Series 6 collection, are now available for $22.95 at www.Mimoco.com.

Click past the cut for more images and a video featuring Mimobot USB flash drives.

- Matt Price

“Join the Empire” with Mimobot – Recruitment video from MIMOBOT & mimoZine on Vimeo.

Of the “Star Wars” comics not featuring the stars of the original trilogy, this is one I’d always heard good reviews about. Now that I’ve read it, I’ll concur: “Crimson Empire” is a very enjoyable expanded universe story.

The six-issue series looks at an elite group that didn’t get a lot of development in the films – the Emperor’s elite Royal Guard.

Written by Mike Richardson and Randy Stradley (Aliens vs. Predator), with artwork by Paul Gulacy (Master of Kung-Fu) and P. Craig Russell (Elric: Stormbringer), “Crimson Empire” has a creative team that is very lauded in the comics industry.

Kir Kanos, one of the last two surviving members of Emperor Palpatine’s Royal Guard, is on the run.  After the emperor’s death, Kanos is thought too dangerous to live.  As a fugitive, he’s seeking revenge on those who betrayed the emperor.  But being opposed to the new Empire regime draws him in with some members of the Rebel Alliance, who believe Kanos’ training could be of help to them.

Flashbacks include showing how the Royal Guard were chosen and trained; this is a harsh world that shows the tyranny of the Empire.

With plenty of action, twists and surprising developments throughout, “Crimson Empire” is recommended.  The six issue series has been collected in a trade paperback.

This book spawned a sequel, “Crimson Empire II,” and a third, “Crimson Empire III” is said to be in the works for 2011.

- Matt Price
Comics read in 2011: 237  Still to go: 1774

Star Wars #1-6 (1977)

The first six issues of Marvel Comics’ ongoing “Star Wars” series adapted the first film. Written by Roy Thomas and drawn by Howard Chaykin, they’re not only a good adaptation of the film, they also make pretty solid comics.

The “Jabba the Hutt” scene that was cut from the original film (before being restored in the special editions) is here, though here Jabba is more of a llama-looking creature. Oddly, Luke Skywalker is called “Blue Five” rather than “Red Five” prior to attacking the Death Star.

Given that the comics were finished before the movie was released, the small variations aren’t too surprising. And while the art is a little bit uneven, it’s overall a pretty enjoyable adaptation. In the days before DVDs and VHS tapes, reading the comics was the only way to experience the story of “Star Wars” over and over once the film left theaters.

These comics are often given credit for saving Marvel Comics – and perhaps the entire comics industry – in the late 1970s, and while they may not read as exactly worthy of that, they are nostalgic fun.

The comics have been reprinted multiple times, but are now available via Dark Horse’s “Star Wars: A Long Time Ago” omnibus vol. 1.

- Matt Price
Comics read in 2,011: 129. Still to go: 1882.

Irvin Kershner is seen during the making of "Robocop II." (AP)

NewsOK has the AP report on the death of “Empire Strikes Back” director Irvin Kershner.

Kirshner, who also directed the James Bond film “Never Say Never Again” and “Robocop 2” died at age 87.  Kershner directed what is generally considered to be the best of the “Star Wars” films and told Vanity Fair in October he tried to bring more depth to the “Star Wars” saga.

Read the full report at NewsOK.

- Matt Price

From Heritage Auctions:

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Considering how many Ewoks trolled the moon of the gas giant Endor as the Empire re-built its Death Star in Return of The Jedi, it’s amazing that more authentic Ewok masks and costumes haven’t shown up at public auction. That, however, is precisely the case, as evidenced by the advance buzz being generated by hardcore Star Wars fans as the Star Wars Ewok costume mask worn by actor Lars Green – who passed away in 2003 – in Episode VI prepares for its auction debut in Los Angeles.

The mask is part of Heritage Auctions Beverly Hills Nov. 13-14 Signature® Music & Entertainment Auction. It is conservatively estimated at $3,000+.

The mask has been consigned to Heritage by Green’s brother, Dr. Glen Green, a middle school teacher of U.S. History in Arcadia, CA. According to Green, there used to be even more to the costume, but time, his own children, and many Halloweens led to the disintegration of several key parts.

“There used to be hands and feet that went with the mask,” said Dr. Green, “but my kids used to wear it for Halloween every year, and wore out the hands and feet.”

While highly prized as a gift from his brother, Dr. Green had no idea the mask was worth anything until his middle school students let him know that what he had carried more than sentimental value.

“I’d take it out and put it on at school in October and the kids would go crazy for it,” Dr. Green said. “Recently the kids started saying, ‘you know, Dr. Green, that mask is worth a lot of money. You should sell it on eBay.”

Rather than taking his chances online, Green took the mask to the professionals at Heritage, who have seen a decided spike in interest in the mask based on both the popularity of the Star Wars franchise and the absolute rarity of intact examples of these costumes.

“We’ve been pretty much overwhelmed at the response to this mask,” said Kristen Painter, Manager of Music & Entertainment Auctions at Heritage. “People have been coming into our Beverly Hills office off the street, absolutely freaking out over this thing.”

There are two distinct schools of thought around the little Ewoks: Those who love the fluffy little gibberish spouting warriors, and appreciate their contribution to ultimate triumph of good over evil in Star Wars, and there are those who think it was the first completely blatant sop to merchandising in the long line of such plays that were to follow.

“No matter where you fall in this pop culture debate,” said Painter, “it’s difficult to ignore the impact that just seeing this piece makes. Strangely, it’s quite a powerful costume.”

This mask is just one of many such masks created for supporting players and background artists portraying the primitive, fierce, three-foot-high Ewoks who appeared in the 1983 sequel to Star Wars, as well as the made-for-television movies Caravan of Courage: The Ewok Adventure and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor.

The latex mask is covered in thick black fur, has plastic teeth in the mouth opening and tinted plastic lenses in the eye holes. It’s padded on the interior for comfort and a secure fit and can be definitively placed on actor Lars Green in Jedi, coming to auction directly from his brother.

“I’ve always really enjoyed it and shared it with my own kids and kids at the middle school,” said Dr. Green. “I just think it’s time to share it with everyone else.”

It’s the most gruesome NewsOK Comics Podcast in history, as Kyle reveals what happened to him in a recent football game.

Star Wars in 3-D

The Los Angeles Times reports that “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” will return to theaters in 3-D in 2012 and will be followed in the stereoscopic format by the five other live-action movies set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

She-Ra turns 25

She-Ra

It’s the 25^th anniversary of “She-Ra,” the He-Man spinoff that featured his sister, She-Ra, protecting the realm of Etheria from Hordak.

Matt Price talked to Melendy Britt, who voiced She-Ra, about how she became the inspirational 1980s heroine.  Look for the article in upcoming editions of The Oklahoman.

Nolan confirms Batman 3 involvement

It’s not a surprise, but Christopher Nolan tells Empire magazine that yes, he will be the director of the third Christian Bale “Batman” film. No word on who the villains will be, however.

“If I haven’t announced it, I think that people probably all know at this point that I’m doing it,” he told Empire.

This week’s reviews are Captain America Patriot 2, Captain America 610, and Time Bomb 2.

The Comics Reporter has a great remembrance of the life and career of Al Williamson, who died June 12.   Williamson’s art – from Flash Gordon to Star Wars to Secret Agent X-9 to a host of Marvel Comics inking assignments – was fantastic throughout his long career.   He was 79.

My first exposure to Williamson was his art on the “Return of the Jedi” adaptation from Marvel Comics.  It was also either my first or nearly my first exposure to Archie Goodwin, the writer, who was from Oklahoma.  I read and re-read those comics throughout the summer of 1984, and by summer’s end, I was not only a “Star Wars” fan, but also a fan of Archie Goodwin and Al Williamson.  (And the Bill Sienkiewicz covers were pretty good, too.)  While I don’t believe the “Return of the Jedi” comics are available online, fans can see Williamson’s art from the “Empire Strikes Back” adaptation, which many fans prefer,  online at StarWars.com.

I’ve read many Al Williamson stories since, and even owned a bit of his original art, and am always amazed at the mastery of the craft that he had.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in the cartoonist’s memory be made to either The Joe Kubert School, 37 Myrtle Avenue, Dover, NJ 07801, Attn: Al Williamson Scholarship Fund; or Yesteryears Day Program, 2801 Wayne Street, Endwell, NY 13760.

- Matt Price

Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford in "Star Wars."

Happy Star Wars Day, everybody. May the 4th be with you.  (More on what I’m talking about here.)

- Matt Price

Natalie Portman (AP)

Queen Amidala herself, Natalie Portman, takes the #19 spot in Nerdage’s list of actresses with geek appeal.  She was Princess Leia’s mom, starring in the three “Star Wars” prequels, and starred in “V for Vendetta,” based on Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s graphic novel.

Last year, she was cast as Jane Foster in the Marvel Comics-based “Thor” film

“I just thought it sounded like a weird idea because Kenneth Branagh’s directing it, so I was just like, ‘Kenneth Branagh doing ‘Thor’ is super-weird. I’ve gotta do it’,” she told Superhero Hype.

Principal photography on “Thor” began in January.  The movie is scheduled for a May 6, 2011 release.

- Matt Price

Our friends at The Bat Blog point out this Nerdage-appropriate YouTube video, called “Han Solo, P.I.”   It’s a remake of the Magnum, P.I. intro, this time with Han Solo in the starring role, using footage from the original “Star Wars” trilogy.

Want to see a side-by-side comparison with the original intro? Makes it even more impressive, I think:

Funny to see some of the Harrison Ford-Tom Selleck similarities when pointed out like that. And of course, as many know, Selleck was the original choice for “Indiana Jones,” which ended up going to Ford.

- Matt Price

I have one small quibble, as also pointed out here:  Wasn’t the Death Star built in space? Thus, the launching costs wouldn’t be accurate. (Though I guess the materials have to get there somehow.)

– Matt Price

A retelling of the “Star Wars” original trilogy, by someone who’s only seen bits and pieces of it. Pretty brilliant.

If you’re enjoying “Star Wars: The Force Unleashed” for the Wii, but find you just haven’t been able to slash enough, a new product is coming to your rescue: Dual Glow Sabers from dreamGEAR. For about $25, you can get a set of two. Your Wii remote goes into the cradle of the saber.
Gamers can choose from Sith red or Jedi blue, and play with these Wii accessories. And not only on “The Force Unleashed,” but on any Wii game that requires a slashing motion. The Dual Glow Sabers are compatible with all Wii sword-fighting games.

The LED lights in the sabers are handy, and the sabers themselves seem pretty durable. (I don’t know that I would recommend repeatedly knocking them against each other, not that anybody would do that.) And they don’t seem to have a negative effect on gameplay.

If you’re not sure that you need your Wii controller to look like a lightsaber, you might think again — LucasArts’ “Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Lightsaber Duels” is shipping in early December.

Producer Ken Fox told IGN.com that “Clone Wars” for the Wii would be “all about lightsber dueling.”

“It’s about swinging your Wii remote like a lightsaber and recreating what we know will be classic lightsaber battles from the movie and the show,” he said.

By Matthew Price
Assistant Features Editor
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

By Matthew Price

Assistant Features Editor

THE NEXT LEVEL

Become Darth Vader’s secret apprentice in “Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.” “Force Unleashed” is set between Episodes III and IV of the “Star Wars” saga. Vader’s apprentice is Starkiller. Vader keeps his apprentice’s moves secret even to the Emperor. Starkiller follows Vader’s commands in this storyline, officially sanctioned by George Lucas.

Starkiller was orphaned during a battle on the Wookiee planet of Kashyyk. Sensing Starkiller’s strong Force abilities, Darth Vader takes the young boy on as his apprentice. Years later, as the Clone Wars come to an end, Vader sends Starkiller on a mission, to find and destroy the remaining Jedi.

Starkiller’s joined in his quest by the android PROXY and a female pilot, Juno Eclipse.

There’s a lot to like in “Force Unleashed” — the storyline is one of the strongest ever for a “Star Wars” video game. Also, there are plenty of fun gameplay moments, especially in Starkiller’s ability to use the Force. The art design and sound design are both just right, pulling the gamer into the “Star Wars” universe.

There are negatives that take “Force Unleashed” from being a groundbreaking game into just being a solid one.

The targeting of Starkiller’s Force powers is inexact, and often frustrating. And the camera movements can be unhelpful, especially in levels with close quarters. And, unfortunately, there’s no multiplayer.

However, “Star Wars” fans will likely want to tackle “Force Unleashed” more than once, both to search for special items hidden throughout, and to find out both possible endings. The game is available for the Xbox 360, which was played for this review. It is also available on the PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 2, PSP and Nintendo DS.

For the Wii:  Compared to the Xbox 360 version, the graphics are not as good on the Wii.  It also seems as if the number of characters to battle has been scaled back.  However, the Wii makes up for it in the control department — the motion controls, which allow many of the Force attacks to be controlled by gestures, are a lot of fun.  In fact, it could get even more fun — I received an e-mail yesterday from dreamGEAR, who are sending me some lightsaber-style Wii controllers to try out with “Force Unleashed.”  Look for more on that once I get a chance to try ‘em out.

Brandy McDonnell and I discuss the films of the summer, including “The Dark Knight,” “Hulk,” “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and more in this week’s entertainment podcast.

– Matt Price  

– Matt Price 

DEAL OR NO DEAL — Episode 361 — Pictured: Chewbacca, Darth Vader, R2-D2 — NBC Photo: Adam Taylor

“Deal or No Deal” visits a galaxy far, far away with a special two-hour “winner takes all” Star Wars-themed episode on Monday, April 28.

Guest supporters for the show include Carrie Fisher, Chewbacca, R2D2 and Darth Vader as the villainous banker.

Hosted by Howie Mandel, “Deal or No Deal” is a game show where contestants play and deal for a top prize of $1 million in a contest of nerves, instincts and intuition.

I think the 26 models in “Slave Leia” bikinis, if nothing else, should juice “Deal’s” ratings for the night.

– Matt Price

Yoda and Darth Vader are among the “Star Wars” characters recently announced to  appear in Soulcalibur IV for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Vader will appear as a guest character on the PS3 version; Yoda makes his mark on the 360.  The game is slated for a summer release.

“In the entertainment industry, LucasArts possesses some of the most recognizable characters and franchises in the world. We’re thrilled to integrate their historic characters into one of our most treasured brands.” said Makoto Iwai, executive vice president and COO at NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc, in a release.

From the release:

In Soulcalibur IV, the epic struggle between the spirit sword, Soul Calibur, and the cursed sword, Soul Edge, continues with revelations about this ongoing story as fighters from across the galaxy seek the powerful swords for their own goals and to face the ultimate judgment. Propelling the franchise into the next-generation, Soulcalibur IV flexes its graphical muscles to shows its visual brilliance with a new look for both allies and enemies.

Shown in true high-definition graphics, Soulcalibur IV offers an entirely new battle system that promises to revolutionize the fighting game genre. Featuring an expanded customization mode, Soulcalibur IV allows players to personalize a character to look and perform as they desire. Also, for the first time in the franchise, customized characters or original favorites can be taken online to challenge others for the top spot of this timeless series. Developed by Project Soul, the legendary team behind Soul Blade(R) and Soulcalibur(R) I-III, Soulcalibur IV is set to reinvent the brand and reintroduce the fighting genre to new and existing fans alike.

– Matt Price