‘LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special’ Recap

Written by Juanita ‘Obi-Juan’ Bonner

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the ‘LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special’.
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Way back in 1978, when the Star Wars Holiday Special (SWHS) aired, I was just a little girl. I don’t remember the concept of the Kashyykian Life Day or even the fact that it falls on my birthday – November 17th. I do remember that, at the time, it was awesome to have anything Star Wars on television after the success of A New Hope (20th Century Fox; 1977) in theatres just over a year prior. However, I recall very little about the special itself. In fact, because I was much older when the Ewok TV films (20th Century Fox; 1984 & 1985) debuted, I somehow blended them with the SWHS thinking the focus revolved around Endor and its inhabitants rather than Chewbacca and his family. I guess I confused ripping arms off with braiding hair or something… LOL!! Ahh, childhood! **BIG GRIN** So, I figured, before we dive into this delightful LEGO upgrade, let’s first take a closer look at its roots, shall we?
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Just exactly what is Life Day anyway? Well, according to StarWars.com, “Life Day began as a Wookiee holiday centered around the Kashyyyk Tree of Life, but can be celebrated by any species in any location.” Additionally, the principles and traditions revolve around harmony, festive adornments and activities and “unique and special food items.” And let’s not forget the music! Created by George Lucas, the harmonious Life Day, similar to much of George’s other creations, was well ahead of its time. Overall, the concept equates to Earth’s Holiday Season without designating a specific religion or region, making the celebration globally inclusive (LOVE THIS!!). The SWHS on the other hand (LOL!!) garners quite the eyeroll from not only fans, but the cast and creator as well. I don’t know about you, but the first thing I think of is Princess Leia’s musical number and the oddly portrayed (LOL!!) son of Chewbacca, Lumpy. Not to mention Carrie Fisher is on record saying she used to play the SWHS at parties as a means to get people to leave… LOL, YIKES!! Sadly, despite the SWHS also introducing us to Boba Fett and his Mythosaur, due to the comical and often negative reflection surrounding the special itself, the wonderful message of Life Day was lost. Mentioned mostly in various SWU games, stories and novels over the years, Life Day made a huge TV resurgence when Jon Favreau added a nod to it in the first ever SWU live action series The Mandalorian (Disney+). HECK YA!! And now with pop culture nostalgia at an all-time high, it makes complete sense to revive (AND IMPROVE – LOL!!) this event for old and new generations alike. And what better way to do so by handing over the reins to LEGO… am I right?!?

Having a long relationship with the SWU, the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special wastes no time diving right in as we’re introduced by narration from the one and only Yoda. That alone brings a soothing comfort matched by the holiday feel of pages in a book drifting into the story. It’s a cozy beginning as Yoda explains that following the destruction of the First Order, freedom, peace and happiness once again fill the galaxy and there’s no better way to honor such joy than with a Life Day Celebration. With the warmth of Star Wars music softly playing, Yoda tells us that Rey and her friends have joined Chewbacca and his family on Kashyyyk. We pick up in the Falcon where Finn is undergoing Jedi training. WAIT… WHAT!!? Did someone just say Canon?? HECK YA!! We hilariously see Finn battle it out with a Marksman-H (NICE!!) while Rey questions herself as a teacher as well as whether Finn is truly ready to become a Jedi. In the meantime, a Holiday sweater wearing (LOL!!) Poe along with Rose, Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2, BB-8 and D-O show up with enthusiasm for setting up the Falcon to host Chewy’s entire family for the Life Day Celebration… AWWW!! Rey, focused on training Finn rather than her friends, leaves the room to ponder solutions. Meditating for guidance, she’s presented with a possible answer from the Jedi Texts. Setting aside the Life Day festivities and leaving the group behind, Rey and BB-8 seek answers in a Jedi Temple on Kordoku. Man, I always love seeing Jedi Temples!! You?? From here, our story splits in two. One path follows Rey on a roller coaster of melding, both past and present, while the other shows us the rest of the groups’ ups and downs preparing for the Life Day Celebration. Seems simple enough, no? So just what makes the LEGO SWHS so darn… um, special (LOL!) then??

Well first, in traditional LEGO fashion, the settings are magnificent and the comedy is just gold! We get great little LEGO jokes like heads spinning around and hair popping off. There are also a lot of familiar voices from the SWU, including actors from games, films and animation, making the whole thing even more fun. For me, it feels like a balance between other hilarious LEGO projects and Robot Chicken Star Wars (Adult Swim). Things like Poe crying A LOT (LOL!!), Anakin and Kylo’s anger, Vader’s insecurities, The Emperor’s sarcasm, Chewbacca’s family trying to eat Porgs and Lando getting excited about capes are just the tip of the iceberg. The blue milk references and shirtless Kylo Ren and General Hux scene alone are hysterical!!

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Second, it’s all about the mashups!! During Rey’s adventure, poking fun at both the Light and the Dark side hits an all time high when multiple generations are crammed together in unique and hilarious ways. I know I certainly wasn’t expecting to see Darth Vader pitch the name Starkiller Base in place of Death Star II… LOL!! Or to later see his insecure whimpers when cast aside as The Emperor takes a liking to Kylo Ren instead. Let alone hearing three generations of Obi-Wan say “Hello there,” to one another… LOL!! Or two Han Solos (NICE!!) facing off with Greedo using a very apt “who’s gonna shoot first” reference… AWESOME!! And what about Vader fighting himself on Hoth or both Luke’s confused by their not yet known nephew hating them. And the genre mashups don’t stop there. Scenes from all across time and space continually have you laughing while also saying, “WAIT… WHAT? REWIND THAT!!” throughout. Including a Mandalorian blip that will have you cheering in your seat… LOL!! On the flip side, seeing Poe, Rose, Finn, Chewbacca and the droids meet their own challenges during the Life Day Celebration is equally as fun with a few mashups of their own. Complete with Lando, Ewoks, Jawas (MARTINI… LOL!!), Max Rebo and more!! I mean. You had me at Max Rebo!!! Even Babu Frik, Jannah, Zori and Maz Kanata, make an appearance at the party alongside several other SWU characters bringing all smiles.
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Finally, this wouldn’t be Star Wars if there weren’t some life lessons along the way. Because by the end, Rey learns that not everything comes from a book. That of course the ancient Jedi Texts are important, but a good teacher will always look beyond. Yoda tells her that, “knowledge and training, a Jedi needs… yes. But useless these are without… connections.” The Life Day lesson Rey learns about her path as a Jedi teacher is that every Master and Padawan need each other and must work together. That her mistake was thinking she had to come up with the answer on her own. And as she sees the swirling visions of Masters and Padawans, she comes to realize that friendship is the key. She then races to set the collisions of time right again – hilariously, I might add (LOL!!) – before returning home to apologize to Finn and join in the festivities. At the same time, Poe and company come to understand that Life Day is about the love shared between family AND friends. And to this they say, “The more the merrier.” YAY!!! Not to mention, seeing Babu Frik breakdance and C-3PO do the robot while Max Rebo provides the jams is definitely the cuteness, I didn’t even know I needed... LOL! Then, as a Life Day miracle of snow on Kashyyyk happens (AWWW!!) and our beloved group, together again, joyously play outside, the story pans out to the book as our narrator Yoda wishes us all a Happy Life Day. AWWW!! Cue the feels!! THE END.

Special indeed!! As with most LEGO projects, the whole thing is family friendly, action packed and full of silliness in all the right places. Additionally, the unique blend of the entire Skywalker Saga allows young, old and everything in between to find multiple areas of interest and nostalgia. Which, I’m guessing, is exactly what LEGO and Disney were going for… LOL! And considering Life Day is also my birthday, my wish is the same as Leia’s from the original SWHS. “That this day will always be a day of joy, in which we can reconfirm our dedication and our courage. And more than anything else, our love for one another.” I’m also quite pleased that we now have a new and fantastically improved Star Wars Holiday Special to commemorate this warm and caring day for years to come. I barely scratched the surface on the laughter and subtleties within, so you’ll just have to see it for yourself, if you haven’t already!! Until next time… May the Force Be with You… Always.

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