While watching programs on Disney XD like Star Wars Rebels and Gravity Falls, I have come across ads for Lego Star Wars: The New Yoda Chronicles. Even though I like Star Wars and have an affinity for Legos, the promos made it look like it was exclusively kiddy fare and I mistakenly dismissed it as not worth my time. Bantha fodder, was I wrong!
The second season of Lego Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles takes place during/between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. The first season aired on Cartoon Network in 2013 and was set in the prequel universe, but the plot device here allows characters from those films and Star Wars: The Clone Wars to be brought into the mix in a hilarious way.
Yoda uses the force to watch Luke Skywalker’s progress as a young Jedi along with his pal, ghost Obi-Wan. This is clearly not cannon and exists solely to make you laugh, which it succeeds at many times. The humor is varied, with many jokes that will be more hilarious to kids while others are only funny to true Star Wars fans. All of the classic characters are here: Darth Vader, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Princess Leia, etc… And a few not-so-classic ones pop up here and there for jokes, such as two hilarious cameos from Jar Jar Binks and Qui-Gon Gin.
All four episodes from season two are available on DVD on Septembe 15th. There is a convenient “Play All” feature that gives it a feature-length runtime of 92 minutes. If you’re a Star Wars fan, you’ll really enjoy this season. I know I did.
Video
Lego Star Wars surprisingly has a few impressive visual moments and the DVD transfer handles them well. I didn’t notice any flaws in the transfer that took me out of enjoying the episodes.
Audio
The DVD offers English and Spanish language tracks in 5.1 surround sound as well as a French stereo track. Score and sound effects utilize all of the speakers surprisingly well.
Bonus Feature
Alternate Ending: Clash of the Skywalkers (1:51) – In this alternate ending, the Empire wins instead of the Rebels.
Packaging & Design
Lego Star Wars: The New Yoda Chronicles is housed in a standard black DVD case. Inserts include a custom Disney Movies Anywhere code and a flier for Disney Movie Club. The disc doesn’t open with any ads, but selecting “Sneak Peaks” from the menu plays ads for Tomorrowland, Aladdin Diamond Edition, and Inside Out.
Final Thoughts
Lego Star Wars really surprised me. It features genuine laughs for both adults and kids while never offending either group. And it has a ton of fun with one of the best franchises of all time. I’m excited to see what their next endeavor will be like.