A zany and ill-conceived “holiday” adventure, The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special isn’t much better than the original. With the First Order gone the universe is free to celebrate Life Day once again, but Ray, frustrated with her failings as a Jedi instructor, uses the occasion to seek out a galactic key that may have the answers she’s been looking for. As one would expect, voice actors reprise most of the characters; and per Lego, are more comic and silly. And the plot may actually be more crazy and ridiculous than the ‘78 version; with all its time jumping and cooking antics. Still, the animation is incredibly well-done, and there are some nice bits of humor (especially for Star Wars fans). Yet while it’s entertaining at times, ultimately The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special is a contrived and pointless mess.

This LEGO Star Wars holiday special manages to do what many similar productions can’t: it makes you laugh, keeps you entertained, and even delivers that cozy warmth we crave during the festive season. It doesn’t reinvent anything, but its trip through various moments in the saga, packed with clever visual gags and brisk pacing, works surprisingly well. The colorful style and the well-balanced humor, though mainly aimed at children, are handled with care. It’s charming, packed with references for fans, and never overstays its welcome. It’s not trying to be an epic space adventure, but it succeeds as a lighthearted and endearing celebration of the Star Wars universe. Perfect to watch with kids or just for a good laugh. And honestly, it’s a huge step up from the infamous 1978 Holiday Special—that alone says a lot.

Pretty funny, fun and clever.

I love Lego Star Wars but this was not very creative. It would have been a lot of fun if they interacted in an interesting way with the different time and places. For example the Mandalorian was just 3 seconds and just a plug.

Perfectly fine for what it is. 'The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special' is OK, not necessarily good or bad. A couple of the actors carry over from the 'Star Wars' franchise itself, though the vast majority of main stars from the aforementioned do not. The plot is split three ways in terms of how I enjoyed them. The best stuff, for me, is the bits with Palpatine and Darth Vader, Trevor Devall undoubtedly gives the best voice performance as the former. The parts with Rey, who is voiced unconvincingly and borderline irritatingly by Helen Sadler, is watchable. Lastly, the stuff with Finn & Co. is uninteresting filler. On Sadler's story in this, I did enjoy seeing them go back through the films from the main franchise - though I would've liked it more if they did it in a more clever and amusing way, à la 'The Lion King 1½' with the Pride Rock scene. At just 44mins and with the nessacary - if not a great deal of - festive vibe, it's practically impossible to dislike this... at least for me. It's also light years ahead of its 1978 predecessor, not that that's difficult mind.