The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special (TV)
It was destiny that any “Star Wars Holiday Special” that was ever made by Disney was going to be a LEGO one, correct? There was no way we would get Harvey Korman or Art Carney-level stars hamming it up or psychedelic rock performances or, God help us, an erotic song for Chewbacca’s father to, you know, “enjoy.” Thankfully, the answer is yes, and it’s as enjoyable an experience as you could ask for out of the enterprise. Max Rebo beats Jefferson Starship every way to Sunday as a musical act, anyway.
Our story takes place after “The Rise of Skywalker,” and Rey is training Finn in the ways of the Force while the gang make their way to Kashyyyk for Life Day. But Rey is doubting her ability to train Finn. She has poured over the Jedi texts, and is doing everything they say, but it doesn’t seem to be working. In a moment of uncertainty alone, she may have found the key to being a successful Jedi Master, and her and BB-8 head to an ancient Jedi Temple to find it. What they find is a key to the past, and Rey’s ability to learn from her failures.
The opening of this special is not quite “10 minutes of Wookie dialogue without subtitles” dull, but it’s only mildly amusing compared to the heart of the special, which is the adventure Rey goes on through the history of the Star Wars Universe. Whether you’re a fan primarily of the OT, or the prequels, or the sequels, or even “The Mandalorian” and “The Clone Wars,” there’s something for every degree of “Star Wars” fan to enjoy, along with the holiday hi-jinks back at the Millennium Falcon. One of the most enjoyable aspects of any of the “Star Wars” LEGO games have been their ability to cut loose and have some fun with some of the absurdity of the Universe (that actually goes for any LEGO game), and this is a strong example of that by writer David Shayne and director Kirk Cunningham. Once the film really starts to introduce the paradoxes of multiple versions of characters, as well as the silliness of LEGO Palpatine, it’s difficult not to at least have fun with the special. It doesn’t delve too much into the madness, but it presents alternate realities to some events that have been so iconic that are kind of hilarious to consider, as well as a conclusion that is sweet and gets to the heart of what being a Jedi, and character in the “Star Wars” Universe means. It’s sappy, but it’s impossible not to enjoy it for what it is.
