Posted in: Disney+, Star Wars, streaming, TV | Tagged: anthony daniels, billy dee williams, chewbacca, David Shayne, dee bradley baker, disney, finn, Helen Sadler, Jake Green, James Arnold Taylor, kelly marie tran, Ken Cunningham, LEGO Star Wars holiday special, Life Day, lucasfilm, Matt Lanter, Omar Miller, Poe Dameron, Review, rey, rose tico, Tom kane

LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special Is the Easter Egg Hunt We All Needed

When people think of the surreal Star Wars Holiday Special (1978), it doesn't exactly evoke anything but awkwardness. For 2020's LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, it should fill you up with nothing but warm fuzzies even for the most cantankerous fans as we get an abridged trip down memory lane. Directed by Ken Cunningham and written by David Shayne, who previously worked on several other LEGO-themed projects, the special focuses primarily on the sequel trilogy characters Rey (Helen Sadler), Finn (Omar Miller), and Poe (Jake Green) trying to organize Life Day for Chewbacca and his family.

The story finds the trio picking up (sort of) from The Rise of Skywalker (2019) where the 800-pound elephant in the room finally gets addressed in Finn's force sensitivity is used as a plot device where Rey starts training him to be a Jedi. Meanwhile, Poe acts as party organizer while all of this is taking place on the Millennium Falcon. After a series of failed lessons, a dejected Rey tries to find a way how to become a better teacher when the Jedi texts didn't offer what she's looking for. The series of random events that follows just because of a magic crystal takes fans on a nostalgic ride through all of Star Wars live-action canon from the original trilogy, prequels, and sequels.

Along Rey's journey through the franchise history, you get to see so many possibilities that sandbox gets explored in the only way LEGO can that provides much legit continuity and logistical issues poking fun at itself not in a mean-spirited way. The humor hits on so many levels similar to Star Trek: Lower Decks. It obviously helps to have a talented cast anchoring the performances. Those familiar with the films and animated shows will recognize some of the voices like Kelly Marie Tran, who reprises her live-action role as Rose Tico. The same goes for Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian and Anthony Daniels as C-3PO. On the animated front, you also have Dee Bradley Baker, James Arnold Taylor, Tom Kane, and Matt Lanter from the Dave Filoni animated shows. Sure, because it's a LEGO parody, there's a kitchen sink feeling, but it never feels like it gets carried away. The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special is currently streaming on Disney+.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!