The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special delivers so many Easter eggs, inside jokes, and nostalgic references so quickly it’s like an intensive roller coaster. In this case, it’s a fast-paced adventure that crosses time and space to revisit the best parts of Star Wars, and is available now on Disney+. Like every Lego Star Wars animated special or video game — it’s not canon. Just fun fan service for all ages.
The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special takes place after the defeat of the First Order. With the galaxy now at peace, Rey, Poe, Finn, Rose, Chewie, and the rest of the gang fly the Millenium Falcon to Kashyyyk, homeworld of the Wookies, for a Life Day party with Chewie’s family. Rey is struggling to train Finn in the ways of the Force. She finds a reference to an ancient temple in the Jedi books she “took” from Luke’s island on Ahch-To that might help her become a better teacher.
At this point, the narrative splits between the team on Kashyyk humorously preparing for the Life Day party and Rey (and BB-8) setting off on their adventure to gain a deeper understanding of the Force. Upon reaching the Jedi temple, Rey and BB-8 soon enter a dimensional gateway that starts a cross-timeline journey through the Star Wars movies and series that we know so well.
In typical Lego animation fashion, the story quickly evolves into perfectly ridiculous set-ups. In fact, Rey’s timeline jumping journey accelerates to a hilarious mash-up of stories and characters that span all three eras of the Star Wars saga simultaneously. At one point, the mosh of characters briefly intersects with The Mandalorian series for a hysterical interlude.
If you want to learn how if Rey gains a deeper meaning of the Force and how Poe’s roast tip-yip turns out, you’ll have to stream The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special on Disney+. The special has a running time of 44 minutes, which is the perfect length for families with younglings.
STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL
The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special pays homage to the obscure and cringe-worthy Star Wars Holiday Special aired just once in 1978. It was so bad that George Lucas tried to buy all master copies to make sure it was never broadcast again. However, bootleg copies thankfully exist.
The most widely available copy was recorded on VHS tape from a broadcast on TV station WHIO in Dayton, Ohio. That version can be found as a DVD on eBay and on pirate sites for downloading. However, you won’t find it anywhere else. Lucasfilm and Disney has followed Lucas’ plan to never let the special be shown again.
The original holiday special is a must-see for hardcore Star Wars fans despite the two hours of dreadful stories and horrible special effects. It’s amazing that a show featuring the original cast of Star Wars: A New Hope, guest stars Beatrice Arthur, Art Carney and Diahann Carroll, and a cartoon featuring the first appearance of Boba Fett could be so terrible. It’s one of those “it’s-so-bad-it’s-good” things.
While the original holiday special isn’t considered canon in its entirety, some elements and characters are. Life Day is acknowledged by Lucasfilm in various media including novels, video games, and even on The Mandalorian. And Bea Arthur’s character, Ackmena, was made canon in books including From a Certain Point of View celebrating the 40th anniversary of Star Wars: A New Hope.
Both holiday specials have a lot to offer Star Wars fans. However, the Lego Star Wars Holiday Special is easier to watch on multiple ways. It just takes a Disney+ subscription. No need to scour eBay to find a copy.
BTW, if you’re a Star Wars fan, you should definitely check out our review of the Star Wars: Rebels art book.
