Published: November 17th, 2020
Publisher: Disney+/Lucasfilm
Formats: TV, exclusively on Disney+
Timeline: After the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
The synopsis;
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?
The review;
Ever since the first LEGO Star Wars game arrived in 2005, the unique combination of humour and storytelling has captivated audiences the world over, and has been responsible for introducing Star Wars to new generations. The games have led to several LEGO Star Wars crossover animation series that have continued the adventures of our favourite Star Wars characters, albeit in their LEGO minifigure form. Originally, there was no dialogue in these shows, with noises and clever facial expressions replacing voices. Over the years this has evolved, and more recently some of the original cast have voiced their own characters, most notably Anthony Daniels as C-3PO and Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian in the first LEGO Movie in 2014.
Fast forward to 2020 and we get the first ever LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special. The original 1978 Holiday Special is infamous in the history of Star Wars for all the wrong reasons, a large slice of cheese which follows Han Solo and Chewbacca as they try and reach Kashyyyk to spend Life Day with Chewie’s family. If you have never seen it, you really should try, if for no other reason than it is the movie which introduces us to Boba Fett.
The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special brings gives us another look at the celebration of Life Day, bringing it bang up to date with a fun twist. Narrated by Yoda, the story is set after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and focuses on Rey and her training of Finn. Rey is having trouble with the training, and she embarks on a journey to learn a lesson that is not included in the many Jedi tomes that she inherited from Jedi Master Luke. The journey takes place on Life Day, as other members of the Resistance including Poe, Rose (voiced by Kelly Marie Tran), R2-D2, C-3PO (voiced by Anthony Daniels), and D-O, get ready to host Chewbacca and his family for the annual celebration onboard the Millennium Falcon, which has landed on Kashyyyk for the holiday. What follows is a 44-minute joyride through the Star Wars saga, revisiting pivotal moments from the last 40-odd years, including multiple incarnations of various characters, and appearances from The Mandalorian and The Child, and visiting the locations Tatooine, Hoth, Mustafar, Exegol and of course the Death Star. It is fast paced and full of fun and will have you laughing out loud.
Not all the animated characters were voiced by original cast members, but there are stand out performances from many of The Clone Wars alumni including Dee Bradley Baker, Tom Kane, Matt Lanter and James Arnold Taylor. Helen Sadler lends her voice to Rey, Omar Miller voices Finn, and Billy Dee Williams is back again as Lando.
The team behind the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special has captured the best parts of Star Wars with their own unique brand of humour, to bring us an exceptional adventure that delivers on every level and manages to teach us an important lesson about friendship and family as we approach the festive season from Thanksgiving to Hanukkah and Christmas.
I have a good feeling that a new LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special may grace our screens annually from now on, and if that is the case then bring it on!
Availability;
LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special is available now to watch exclusively on Disney+, sign up here.
