Disney+ Review: 'LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special' a nod to the classic, disastrous 1978 special

Who could forget the classic "Star Wars Holiday Special" that aired on CBS during the Christmas holiday of 1978? The answer is, even if you were lucky enough to have seen it when it originally aired, you would have tried forgetting about it almost immediately. The special is famously BAD, despite starring the cast from the films, including Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher. It was so terrible that it never aired again, and has never, ever seen an official release, making it all the more of a cult-favorite item when VHS recordings of it would pop up at conventions years later.

Knowing full-well how legendary that special has become, to commemorate the 42nd anniversary of its airing, Disney+ is releasing an all-new "LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special." This new version features the recent Star Wars heroes like Rey, Finn and Poe in their own "Life Day" adventure. as it honors the entire saga new and old, poking fun at the famous special in which it is based all the while.

Grade: B

The "Life Day" holiday of course, is a reference back to the original Holiday Special, and my-oh-my if you happened to be one of the 20 people that remember watching it 42 years ago, has this new special got some Easter eggs for you. It is a basic adventure that has Rey bouncing through time and space as she tries to become a better Jedi master to Finn, whom she is trying to train (the B-story has Poe and the others readying the Millenium Falcon in preparation for "Life Day" and a visit from Chewbacca's family).

The conceit of this story allows Rey - and the viewer - to visit iconic moments from all 9 main canon films, as well as the spin-offs, and even "The Mandalorian" (current favorite Star Wars character Baby Yoda even makes a cameo). It also allows for characters that would normally not have had a chance to interact, to share the screen, working together, or fighting against one another.

Just like "The LEGO Movie" or any of the various LEGO Star Wars animated episodes, the tone of this "Holiday Special" constantly teeters on ridiculous, never taking itself too seriously and always maintaining self-awareness when it comes to the Star Wars Universe and its inhabitants. There's nothing ground-breaking in "LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special." It's just a fun excuse to spend some time with all of our favorite characters, and to celebrate the fact that at least Disney/LucasFilm is acknowledging - after all these years - just how God-awful the original "Holiday Special" really was.

That alone may be enough for many Star Wars fans to add this to their holiday watch list.

"LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special" will be available on Disney+ as of Tuesday, November 17th, 2020.