This Volkswagen Darth Vader ad appears to be the runaway hit of last night's Super Bowl! My son still has that Vader costume in his closet, right next to the Obi Wan Kenobi and Boba Fett costumes from Halloweens of old. Which reminds me of an age-old question I've had for parents:

When should you first let your kids watch Star Wars? Post your comments below on that one.

Remember, before you get all fuzzy Ewok on me, this is a PG/PG-13 series in which Obi Wan slices a Man/Walrus' arm off in a bar fight, leaving the bloody appendage on the floor. Oh, and then the Emperor basically electroshocks Luke for an uncomfortable 30 seconds or so until Dad finally gets the stones to do something about it.

On the other hand, this ad is a great reminder of how Star Wars unites generations. Darth Vader has stoked the imagination and the enthusiasm of this boy. And his father -- who no doubt has seen Star Wars more times then he'd admit -- knows exactly how to play along.