The LEGOStar Warspartnership, which began in 1999 and was really solidified in 2005 (with the release ofLEGO Star Wars: The Videogame), has been defined not only by elaborate LEGO sets that allow you to faithfully recreate your favoriteStar Warsspaceship while stopping every few minutes to make sure the cat didn’t eat any pieces, but by a multimedia that now includes television shows, TV specials, and even more videogames. And all of the things in the LEGOStar Warsumbrella share a playfully irreverent sense of humor and a willingness to do deep dives into the labyrinthineStar Warscanon and occasionally poke fun at sillier aspects of the franchise. This week’sLEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, now streaming on Disney+, is no exception. Steeped inStar Warslore, the special is an absolute delight. And the moments where it truly transcends are not when it’s simply recreating iconic moments from the franchise in recognizable, brick-y LEGO style, but when it subverts or upends the established mythology. Here are our 9 favorite Easter Eggs from the special:
Addition to the New Star Wars Logo
WhenThe Mandaloriandebuted a year ago, it introduced a new corporate logo: Following the twinkly Lucasfilm logo, there was now aStar Warslogo (seemingly to differentiate the Disney+ series from non-Star Warstitles coming down the pike, including theWillowreboot andChildren of Blood and Bone). That logo returns forLEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, but with a couple of twists – the chrome-y, color-blocked characters now end with a LEGO version of sequel trilogy heroine Rey andStar Warshas been replaced withLEGO Star Wars. It’s very cool and funny and shows you how up-to-the-minute LEGO is in its lampooning. Consider this special the children’s building-brick version ofLaugh-In. And, yes, there’s a more explicitMandaloriannod in the special proper, complete with a chintzy version of that series’ beloved score. And another reference we’ll get to in a minute …
A runner in the special is Poe attempting to cook a mysterious meat called “tip yip” (including by heating it using the Millennium Falcon’s engine). If you are wondering what in the wide world of sports Poe is talking about, canonically tip yip is a meat found on the forest moon of Endor (whereReturn of the Jeditook place). It was introduced into the Star Wars lexicon via Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the 14-acreStar Wars-themed land at both Disneyland in California and Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. In that land’s mythology, you can buy tip yip in Batuu, an outer rim planet and the location of Black Spire Outpost, where the “story” of Galaxy’s Edge takes place. (And, if you were wondering what tip yip really is; it’s unnecessarily immersiveStar Warsspeak for “chicken.”) There’s an additional, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it reference to looking for presents on Batuu elsewhere in the special, but this one was the one that really made us smile (and also miss Disneyland).
Chewbacca’s Family
Of course,LEGO Star Wars Holiday Specialis a reference to the infamous 1978 holiday special that everyone involved has publicly disowned andGeorge Lucasnever allowed to be released. And had the special been more like itsLEGO Movietheatrical cousins, it is conceivable that this special would have included references toBea Arthur, clunky musical numbers. and questionable VR experiences. But this being Disney+, keeper of theStar Warsflame and defender of its reputation, we have to be thankful for what we got – namely a reference to the original special’s Christmas-y celebration of Life Day and also Chewbacca’s family. In the original special, Chewbacca had a wife (named Malla), a father (Itchy), and a son (Lumpy). In the LEGO special, we see three other Wookiees, but they are never explicitly identified. They did keep one otherStar Wars Holiday Specialtradition — whenever the Wookiees speak (or growl orwhatever) there are no subtitles.
Moving Rocks
There aren’t a ton of references toThe Last Jedi, arguably the greatest accomplishment in this new Star Wars era (although we do get a LEGO-y version of Snoke’s death, which is a scream, and there’s another bit where Rey has to lift a bunch of rocks using the Force). InThe Last Jedi, she naively says that being a Jedi means lifting rocks with her mind. Grumpy old man Luke says she’s wrong and then, in a pivotal moment towards the end of the movie, she’s forced to move rocks with her mind to save her friends. It was great. And she gets to do the same thing here, lifting a whole quarry’s worth of boulders and hurling them towards Darth Vader (it’s a wholetime travelthing). It’s a fun moment and a great callback to the highpoint of the recent sequel trilogy.
The Emperor Returns
Speaking of the sequel trilogy, some of the very best jokes are aimed squarely at the boneheaded move inThe Rise of Skywalkerto resurrect the Emperor for no discernable reason. Since this is a time travel saga, the Emperor fromReturn of the Jeditravels back in time to prevent his death in that film. When Kylo Ren, circaLast Jedi, asks how the Emperor has returned, he says, “Life Day miracle!” And later in the episode, when referencing Darth Vader throwing the Emperor down that shaft, Kylo Ren remarks, “And there’s no coming back from that.” Part of why the jokes work so well is because it really is so genial and good-natured. Yes, the Emperor returning from the dead is dumb as hell. But in the hands ofLEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, it’s also very cute.
“Maclunkey!”
So this is a really odd one and incredibly inside baseball: when theStar Warssaga debuted on Disney+ last November, there were yet more changes to the originalStar Wars(now known asStar Wars: A New Hope). Supposedly these changes were made by George Lucas himself before selling his company to Disney, one of the more oddball alterations happened in the endlessly futzed-with confrontation between Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and alien Greedo in the Mos Eisley Cantina. In this even-stupider version, Greedo shoots first (ugh) but before he does it, he says “Maclunkey!” No reason is given and unlike other Greedo dialogue, it isn’t subtitled, which is even more befuddling. InLEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, we see Greedo and what does he yell? “Maclunkey” of course.
Off-World Jawas
This is anotherMandalorianriff so you are legally required to love it. During the big Life Day Celebration, Lando (once again voiced byBilly Dee Williams) notices some Jawas waddling by. He sees that their eyes are red instead of yellow, so he remarks that they are “off-world Jawas.” These are the Jawas introduced inThe Mandalorianwhen he travels to desert planet Arvala-7 (where he first finds the Child): They’re the ones who strip his ship and send him on the mission to retrieve the egg from the Mudhorn in the first season’s simplest and most fun episode. (They are off-world because they are away from their homeworld of Tatooine.) It’s worth noting too that they were a key part of the pre-season merchandising blitz, with the characters being turned into action figures and Funko Pops. So it’s fun that their existence is commented on in the context of another treasured toy line. (There has yet to be an official off-world Jawa LEGO figure.)
“It’s a wrap!”
This is one of the easier nods and one of the best. When an unnamed Mon Calamari (the race of squid-headed creatures made famous by fan favorite Rebel leader Admiral Ackbar and most recently seen in last week’s episode ofThe Mandalorian) gives Lando a gift, as Lando opens the box, the Mon Calamari exclaims, “It’s a wrap!” The gift, of course, is a new cape, and the reference is to Ackbar’s famous line inReturn of the Jediwhen he realizes the Rebels are being drawn into a trap. Sure, it’s a cinch to spot, but that doesn’t make it any less hilarious.
LEGO Star Wars Holiday Specialis now streaming on Disney+.
