May the Fourth Be With You! On Star Wars Day, some fans may well be watching the ennealogy in full–which will take all afternoon and night–and others will have other ideas in mind. That can range from having a themed party with friends or even simply partaking in some other aspect that defines what being a fan is about–sharing fun times with like-minded people! (or enjoying a light saber challenge)
I plan on dedicating some time to play LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. I’m still undecided if I’ll only focus on Luke Skywalker’s hero’s journey or the entire family. That could take all day, or I can spend part of it enjoying the various animated series for some light-hearted fun. Or I can finally get around to building that LEGO AT-ST. I adore the whimsical, humorous nature of the fan-made videos–especially when the characters mumble. I’ve been wanting to have some fun stop-motion animating that mini-walker as it’s been on my bucket list (and was animated in stop-motion in Return of the Jedi) for a long time!
I can have various series running in the background while I’m building. The following is my ranking of the various series from best to worst, and the links go to where one buy them on Amazon USA or stream. With no surprise, one series is totally tops without being too overboard with the silliness that defines the LEGO brand.
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures
There’s no other product out there that extols the original spirit of the original trilogy in the story about Zander Freemaker. This boy and older siblings are simply trying to survive and make ends meet; much like Luke, they suddenly get thrust into the galaxy-wide conflict. The problems they face have to be solved brick by brick, and LEGO style! The reason for its success is that Bill Motz and Bob Roth have a very clear love for the mythology Lucas established, and not the committee that now runs it.
I’ve wrote a detailed review and commentary many years back, and I’m glad Disney responded with the next best thing to watch:
LEGO Star Wars: All-Stars
Available to watch on Disney Plus
This anthology is very short, and it’s recommended only because the Freemaker story continues! It’s a prequel to the aforementioned series. Instead of being a forced entry, to see how it all began for them is just perfect.
LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales
Not everyone appreciates Episodes VII to IX, and sometimes all we need is just Anakin’s story. The love-hate relationship Episodes I to III is just as controversial. However, to fix that problem, to hear C-3PO retell that portion of the saga makes watching it more feasible since humour is key to encapsulating the best of what those films represented.
LEGO Star Wars: Holiday Special
Available to watch on Disney Plus
This entry makes up for everything that 70s celebration screwed up on. Instead of presenting a variety show, it gives viewers a decent interpretation on what Life Day (a Wookie celebration) represents. It’s not really their version of Star Wars Day. It also gives fans of the new trilogy a continuation that won’t be realised in film–Finn’s Jedi’s training. Ray is training him and to see her struggle much like how Obi-Wan did (with Anakin), is at the heart of why this one-off works.
Plus, unlike the other singular works released years prior–namely The Padawan Menace and Empire Strikes Out (ranking in a similar position)–this entry was designed with continuity with the live-action films in mind. Terrifying Tales is a step better. I just feel they all fall in middling category–The Quest for R2-D2 and Bombad Bounty included. These 23 short form works can be found by searching YouTube, and ranking those is a separate article in itself!
LEGO Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles
Trying to figure out where The New Yoda Chronicles fits in is confusing. They are essentially 2 minute skits (made available through LEGO Company’s YouTube Channel) and are considered mini-movies than an official season. Another problem lay in when it was originally broadcasted–it was very slow to release back in 2013/14, and it’s easy to forget what went on prior. Part of the tale involves Jek-14, a Force sensitive clone trooper–and he’s the only character whom I liked over the others.
Watching this series is better with the home video release since it’s easy to know what the episodic order is. Even then, the die-hard fan may find the characterization of Yoda grating. But when considering where Jek fits in this Star Wars LEGOverse, he’s an original creation that deserves to be in the mainstream canon!
LEGO Star Wars: The Resistance Rises
Available to watch on YouTube
This five-part series is a prequel to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and while they don’t add to what’s to come, there’s one standout episode since Lando Calrissian is born to be a LEGO character! I love it because of “Hunting for Han.”
POSTSCRIPT: Star Wars Day can’t be considered complete without watching the film that started it all at least. That’s all one really needs.
