I like Star Wars a lot, and the franchise has been special to me ever since I was a kid. I loved the games, the shows and, of course, the movies. While it’s had its ups and downs, I’ve never failed to watch one of the new major releases.
While I don’t think "LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special” quite qualifies as a major film in the Star Wars canon, I was still looking forward to watching it. I wasn’t expecting anything fantastic — all I wanted was some nice holiday fun and hopefully a handful of laughs along the way.
Was "LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special” a classic? Probably not. But was it what I hoped it would be? Yeah, I think so.
"LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special” takes place after the events of the latest Star Wars trilogy, following Jedi Master Rey as she travels across space and time in order to find the key to becoming a better Jedi. Meanwhile, the rest of the gang has to throw a party celebrating the fictional holiday “Life Day” for Chewbacca’s family. It’s exactly what you’d expect.
I guess my only “criticism” of "LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special” would be that it entirely, and I do mean entirely, relies on nostalgia in order to be effective. Any viewer who is unfamiliar with the Star Wars movies will find themselves utterly lost as Rey jumps between storylines. Every Star Wars movie is referenced at some point, and these references are often integral to the plot.
But I didn’t really mind it all that much. I mean, that’s kind of what I was hoping to see. Yeah, maybe it’s lazy to use nostalgia in order to get your audience to care about what they’re watching, but I don’t care. I like seeing some of those classic images from my childhood.
The jokes aren’t all great, but I definitely laughed while I was watching. Some of the bits that are more explicitly aimed at kids don’t do much for me, but they made a lot of jokes based on stuff from the movies that I thought were really funny. It was clear the writers knew what moments the fans wanted to see, and gags were built around them. Again, they won’t work so well for anyone who isn’t familiar with the films, but I got a kick out of the bits.
I think the best praise I can give is "LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special” is a pretty solid holiday movie. I imagine the narrative will appeal to viewers of all ages, and there’s something for Star Wars fans old and new. It makes references to the original trilogy, the prequels and the sequels without making any controversial changes or judgements, ensuring as many people will be able to enjoy it as possible.
On the whole, "LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special” was a really enjoyable watch. Is it going to become a holiday classic that people watch years on from now? I don’t think so, but it’s not like it needed to be. All I wanted was something sweet and fun for this holiday season, and that’s exactly what I got.
