In the 40-plus years since its original airing, the Star Wars Holiday Special hasn’t become a sentimental time-honored viewing tradition like A Christmas Story or National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation . . . unless your traditions skew more towards Mystery Science Theater 3000-esque riffs. There’s a reason one has to search the darker reaches of the internet (okay, maybe YouTube) to even view the introduction of Life Day and (unintentionally) Boba Fett to the canon in all its late 70’s glory.
So why make a sequel? Cash grab? (Particularly since Lego releases a Star Wars Advent Calendar every year.) Glutton for punishment? Something else?
The answer is homage – – not only to Star Wars past, present, and future, but just what gets the family around the TV on Christmas Day. And in that, this succeeds beautifully.
And of course, there will be gentle spoilers throughout.
A good holiday special needs to balance the needs of the two distinct audiences that watch it: the longtime fans of the property, and those family members/friends that may join them that only have a passing knowledge of that property. So the goal is to tell a self-contained story with beloved characters, with just enough wink-and-a-smile to keep those longtime fans engaged. And of course, there has to be those touches of holiday nostalgia, be they larger themes or just the right amount of snow, hot cocoa, and festive Christmas sweaters.
The holiday angle ends up twofold: While Poe (complete with festive sweater) is throwing a Life Day party on Kashyyyk and the Millennium Falcon with all the stops for Chewie’s family, Rey seeks answers on Kordoku to her Jedi training so that she can be the best teacher to Finn and all future Jedis . . . which itself comes at the risk of missing out on the Life Day celebrations at home. To reach this understanding, Rey ends up on her own A Christmas Carol-esque journey through Star Wars space and time. But those Life Day preparations back on the Falcon aren’t going exactly as planned, and Finn’s certainly feeling it. Is Rey’s lesson closer to home than she thinks? (Naturally, of course. This is a holiday special, so don’t expect things to get too intellectual.)
This is the greatest hits of the Skywalker era, from young Obi-Wan to Darth Vader to Palpatine, combined with the next generation of Finn, Rey, and Poe. As the creators indicated in interviews about production, this is how kids play with Lego Star Wars toys, mixing the different films and stories to create something new and different. No doubt Rey’s front and center presence will make those that are not fans of the final three films skulk off to Reddit to complain, but don’t let them sap that joy from you. Bask in the lighthearted fun and frivolity.
In terms of the timeframe of this special, this comes after The Rise of Skywalker. Put in the context of all of last week’s Star Wars announcements, this has the touch of a gentle farewell to the Skywalker saga, if only for now. Think of it as one last time around the Outer Rim with the characters and moments many of us grew up with and share with our own children: young Luke on Tattooine, Echo Base during the Battle of Hoth, the duel over the molten lake. But there’s nods to Star Wars present (and future) too with a brief cameo by everyone’s favorite father and son duo, complete with the iconic notes of Ludwig Göransson’s spaghetti-Western score.
The humor is gentle slapstick, from Palpatine’s disgust over a “Galaxy’s Best Emperor” coffee cup to Finn’s culinary missteps, making it appropriate across generations. (In this era of socially distant holiday celebrations, those in the U.S., U.K., and Europe at least can use the GroupWatch feature to link up different accounts for a watch party.) There’s plenty of in-jokes galore: a shirtless Kylo Ren, Darth Vader’s almost-reveal of Luke’s parentage way before he even knows of his Jedi roots, Lando’s love of capes (and a fun play on a classic Admiral Ackbar line to boot). The devotees will chuckle at the fan service and gentle satire, whereas those just looking for a good time get a laugh.
Continued belowBut that’s where this succeeds best, that fan service. Because there’s something for everyone: the Reylo shippers, the casual fans, the original trilogy devotees, even those that like the prequels. This is a fandom that is by no means a monolith, though this special certainly caters to the Skywalker saga films than spinoff series. And in finding room for the meta-humor in everything without cameos just for the sake of them, this ends up achieving just what a good holiday special should do: provide something for everyone. (Though I would have loved an in-joke or two to that 1978 happening. Lego Boba Fett? Lego Bea Arthur?)
Lego toys are by nature blocks, which allows for some pretty epic destruction scenes and moments of humor. Finn’s hair gets swiveled around to the front of his face during a cooking mishap, and Kylo Ren’s temper tantrum near the end sees his throne reduced to the smallest of Lego pieces that your lose during the build but your bare feet find hours later on the floor. Those doing the Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar probably realize that this provides the theme for some of this year’s builds and minifigs: Rey, young Luke Skywalker, Poe in his holiday sweater, D-O, a Porg. As of this writing we have about nine days to go, so could Chewie and his family be not too far behind? (If your cynical side is wondering when the cash grab comes in to play, this is it.)
By the end, lightsaber battles are fought and important life (and Life Day) lessons are learned by all. (Even Palpatine? Yes, even Palpatine, however brief it was. And let’s take a moment to mention how he does get some of the best lines in this special, perhaps a redemption after so many years of starring roles in inferior films.) In 48 minutes, without overstaying its welcome (that 1978 happening was twice that length and then some), the Lego Star Wars Holiday Special takes the elements of its predecessor and does something new. And it’s all wrapped up in nostalgia that provides the balm for a year that came from the deepest reaches of the dark side, along with that dash of hope that reminds you just what Star Wars is at its core to propel you towards the future.
Wishing you and yours a very Happy Life Day, whatever version of it you celebrate.
The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special is currently available to stream on Disney+ in markets where the service is available. If you’d like another take on the special, check out this Force Ghost Coast to Coast episode!
