Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales

by Al Kessel

A Long Time Ago....ok, NOT so long ago, on the Disney XD channel, Disney brought the saga of Star Wars to a new generation of viewers....a YOUNGER generation of viewers, as retold in a most interesting way: by recreating the tales using Lego's! And animation. Well, animated Lego's. 

The fun begins following the victory celebration in the lovable Ewok village on Endor (you know, after the defeat of the Empire in Return of the Jedi?). R2-D2 and C-3PO have gathered all the little Ewoks, Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca, and pretty much anyone else who'll listen, to regale them with the tales of their adventures that lead to Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Of course, this version, though it does present a lot of the events from the actual movie, is presented in a more child friendly way (of course, they ARE Lego's after all) but faithful enough to the original for most fans to be entertained. 

Of course, if you've read any of our reviews in the past, you know we're not about revealing spoilers, and this review is no different. But I will say that throughout 3PO's telling of the prequel movies, there is an underlying plot happening that makes the stories more fun. And don't forget, they ARE Lego's. So, that's always fun. 

The voice cast is truly amazing. The very talented Eric Bauza (Spongebob Squarepants Movie, Ben 10, Batman: Assault on Arkham) voices Luke, Michael Daingerfield (Ace Ventura Pet Detective, Catwoman) voices Han Solo/Admiral Ozzel/Biggs and none other than Anthony Daniels himself reprises his role as C-3PO!  

There are a total of 5 episodes on the DVD (which was released March 1, 2016):
 * Exit From Endor
 * Crisis on Coruscant
 * Mission to Mos Eisley
 * Flight of the Falcon
 * Gambit on Geonosis
Each episode runs about 22 minutes, so they're not too long that you risk getting bored (although they are quite fun). Great gags for both adults and kids, and some 'inside jokes' that only true Star Wars fans will get. The DVD also comes with a special FREE Exclusive Trading Card Set. So, that's cool!

Being a true fan of Star Wars, Lego's, animation and FUN, I really enjoyed Lego Star Wars Droid Tales. It reminded me of playing the Lego Star Wars video game, and brought back memories of the Prequel Trilogy (and trust me, it helps replace some of the BAD memories of the Prequel Trilogy!)

On a scale of 1-5 Deathstars, I give Lego Star Wars Droid Tales a 4! 

Lego Star Wars: The New Yoda Chronicles

by Al Kessel

A Long Time Ago...

How COOL?! Legos AND Star Wars? This four episode DVD chronicles the events surrounding the original trilogy of Star Wars movies, and starts with how Yoda, Obi Wan and their band of 'warriors' rescue the HOLOCRONS, the sacred crystals needed to complete Luke Skywalker's Jedi training. Years later, at the direction of Jedi Master Yoda, Luke searches Tatooine for the mystical crystals. But of course, where there's good guys, can the bad guys be far behind? NOPE, cuz the mean old nasty Darth Vader wants those crystals for himself! Through the four 22 minute episodes, Luke and company search for the crystals while battling Darth and his group of nefarious characters. (Of course, I'm not going to spoil anything here, so, get the DVD and find out for yourself who wins! Hint: the good guys always win. Right?)

Although created for kids, with LOTS of corny type gags and jokes, fans of the Star Wars franchise, and fans of the Lego Star Wars franchise, will love this, corn and all. They take pokes at the original Star Wars trilogy, the second trilogy, and even other movies like Spaceballs, Terminator and Taken! 

Originally broadcast on Disney XD in 2014, Lego Star Wars: The New Yoda Chronicles takes up where the Lego Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles left off, and brings us up to speed with the entire Star Wars Universe - well, from the Lego perspective anyway!

Of course, the only original voice cast member that shows up for this from the Star Wars Universe is Anthony Daniels as C3PO, but the rest of the voice cast does an awesome job of making you believe that Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine have been transformed into Legos! Lego Star Wars: The New Yoda Chronicles is chock full of familiar sights and sounds that make the Star Wars Universe come to life once again, and gives kids (and adults!) something to laugh at, while providing long time adult fans of the franchise with some great stories that help fill in some 'gaps'. The animation is very well done, and there's just enough campiness to make these episodes worth watching again and again. 

Episodes:

1 - Escape From The Jedi Temple

2 - Race For The Holocrons

3 - Raid On Coruscant

4 - Clash Of The Skywalkers

And, there is a special bonus feature on this DVD: Clash Of The Skywalkers has an alternate ending!

With a total run time of about 88 minutes and rated TV-Y7, Lego Star Wars: The New Yoda Chronicles is a must have for kids and adults who love Star Wars or Legos! OR, just plain good fun. Available now everywhere.