LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special Disney+ Movie Review by Josh Davis : Pop Culture Leftovers

LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special Disney+ Movie Review by Josh Davis

November 29, 2020 6:41 am |

Rey leaves her friends to prepare for Life Day as she sets off on an adventure to gain a deeper knowledge of the Force. At a mysterious temple, she is hurled into a cross-timeline adventure. Will she make it back in time for Life Day?

Star Wars fans of a certain age remember a dark time, before the prequels, before the sequel trilogy, when someone thought the “Star Wars Holiday Special” was a good idea.
Released in 1978, the special began with more than 10 minutes of Wookie grunts and groans from the Chewbacca family – minus Chewbacca – with virtually all of the initial dialog spoken in Shyriiwook (which, of course, is the made-up language spoken by Wookies).

Later, Chewie’s father, “Itchy,” enjoys what can only be described as virtual reality porn. For some reason, both Bea Arthur and Jefferson Starship perform. Even the ineffable Carrie Fisher has a terrible, terrible music number.

At best, and perhaps with the help of no small amount of alcohol, the holiday special was so bad that you couldn’t look away.

Much more conventional is Disney’s new “Lego Star Wars Holiday Special,” released this month on Disney+.

Animated in big, colorful Lego blocks not unlike “The Lego Movie” and its various sequels and spinoffs, the special features voice actors playing most of the famous Star Wars roles.

Anthony Daniels, Billy Dee Williams and Kelly Marie Tran return to voice C-3PO, Lando Calrissian and Rose Tico, respectively. Elsewhere, alums of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” like James Arnold Taylor (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Tom Kane (Qui-Gon Jinn, Yoda) and Matthew Wood (D-O, Kylo Ren) round out the cast.

The plot follows sequel trilogy heroes Rey, Finn, Poe and Rose, as the gang are preparing to celebrate “Life Day,” which is basically space Christmas.

While the others are planning the party, Rey finds herself struggling to train Finn in the ways of the force. Seeking answers, she and BB-8 travel to a lost Jedi temple on the planet Kordoku, and they find a mysterious key that opens a portal to signature moments from throughout the Skywalker saga.

Traveling through the portal, Rey witnesses Luke Skywalker and Yoda training on Dagobah, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon fighting the Separatist rebellion, Luke blowing up the first Death Star, and Darths Vader and Sidious scheming on Death Star II, all in a series of bits that both pay homage to and spoof classic Star Wars. There’s even a brief Baby Yoda cameo, as well as a send-up of Kylo Ren’s penchant for awkward shirtlessness.
Elsewhere, the special offers some nice nods to the old holiday special, from name-dropping Life Day itself, to the introduction of the Chewbacca family in Lego form.
By the end, Rey learns a valuable lesson, and everyone is reunited for some wholesome Life Day fun, filled with even more cameos from throughout Star Wars lore.

The “Lego Star Wars Holiday Special” is a fun, funny and nostalgic ride through the series with (mostly) great voice acting to help bring all of the classic characters and scenes to life.

Rated TV-Y7, the special is obviously geared toward children, but should also be a pleasant adventure for long-time fans seeking something light during the holiday season. At just 47 minutes, it’s a quick watch.

For those looking for something a little more substantial in their Star Wars diet, well, there’s always “The Mandalorian,” also on Disney+, which continues to delve into darker, grittier territory, and expand Star Wars cannon in new and exciting ways.

PCL Rating: High Taste It

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: FRESH