I saw this at Costco and, being a fan of Family Guy, felt that a parody of Star Wars would be worth buying. At $25, the box set yields a T-shirt (size XL), some trading cards, 3D glasses (which can be used for a DVD extra and also the trading cards), and a small booklet that shows some of the storyboards and sketches used during the movie's development.

The movie itself is quite short (less than an hour). If I had payed $25 for just the movie, I would have been disappointed. I actually expected something more from the movie; either a longer movie, parodies of more movies, or something like that. However, even if the extras included in the box aren't something you're interested in, it does give you more for your money.

The movie itself is a near-perfect copy of the original Star Wars movie (Episode 4 for those who don't remember). The characters from Family Guy are generally used in appropriate places, though sometimes they are "forced" into scene in a somewhat arbitrary manner just to give them a cameo. Speaking of cameos, the usual celebrity spots are included, just like normal Family Guy episodes, and they are often extremely funny.

Regarding the main characters, Lois is Princess Leia, Chris is Luke, Peter is Han Solo, Brian is Chewbacca, Stewie is Darth Vader, Meg is the garbage compactor monster, Quagmire is C3PO, Cleveland is R2D2, and the dirty old man, Herbert, is Obi-Wan.

Too be honest, I'm really tired of the dirty old man jokes from the series and having Herbert as a main character throughout the show got old fast. There is one musical scene with Herbert that's humorous but a little long-winded. YMMV depending on how much you like the character.

Another thing I noticed is that there were far fewer sex jokes than a normal Family Guy episode. Again, though sometimes the jokes in the series are funny, they do get old after a while. So it was nice to not have to continually hear jokes about sex and anatomical parts; they are present but they are used sparingly.

I felt there were a lot of places where the parody could have been pushed a little more. The Star Wars scene with the chess match between Chewie and R2D2 was completely ignored; Futurama had a good example of how this could have played out. For that matter, Lego Star Wars had several more jokes than this Family Guy parody.

I don't know what the producers/director were trying to accomplish; if they wanted to homage to Star Wars while still poking fun at it, then they did a very good job. I really felt there were plenty of missed opportunities, but don't get me wrong. It was still funny and many times I laughed out loud while my wife just rolled her eyes (like when R2 opens a window to shoot a pistol at TIE Fighters, gangsta style).

The DVD does offer some extra material, like an interview w/ George Lucas, a 3D fight scene, etc. I haven't watched them yet so I can't say how they stand up as extra features.

One other "bonus" to the box set is that you also get a pre-"ripped" movie for your computer, iPod, or other non-DVD player. Basically, it's the movie already optimized for your other video players but it still has the movie studio's DRM attached to it. You can copy the movie to your computer but you have to enter a key code to "unlock" it. It's pretty much the same thing as using a DVD ripper program and then using Handbrake or other converter program to put it on an iPod. This way, the studio can allow you to do that while making sure the DRM is still applied to it so you can't share it.

It's a nice touch, since you're not illegally violating the DCMA to transfer the movie. However, as with any DRM scheme, there may be a limit to what you can do with it (beyond just sharing it online). For example, what happens if you lose the key number or how many times can you transfer it?

Overall, I think the movie could have been better placed as part of the series, like being an extra disc in season's box set (which will probably happen later this year). However, even though the movie is short, it's still great fun and you can see how much the Family Guy staff loves the Star Wars legacy. And the extra goodies in the box mean you are getting more for your money.

For those wondering about children, it's not as bad as the regular series but there are still some "inappropriate" scenes, usually dialog. Herbert's character may be offensive but it could also be used as a teaching device for parents to talk about pedophiles. It's probably better for older teens though.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older