Have you ever wondered what happened between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi? Wonder no more with a new TV series, Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures. All thirteen episodes of season one have been assembled into this 2-disc set, now available on Blu-Ray and DVD.
With two previous Lego Star Wars parody series, Disney XD’s The Freemaker Adventures sets itself apart by telling an original story while still putting a comedic spin on the saga and incorporating favorite characters. Among the galactic guest stars are Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Lando Calrissian, Boba Fett, Jaba the Hutt, Chewbacca, Maz Kanada and Admiral Ackbar. Plus the coolest thing about the series is that Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine are often involved.
Rowan, Kordi and Zander Freemaker are siblings who have made a living by salvaging junk ships to make new ones. When Rowan discovers a piece of the Kyber Saber, the trio find themselves caught between the Empire and the Rebellion as Rowan discovers his own Jedi abilities. But a Sith named Naare is hot on their trail and attempting to steal the Kyber Saber crystals from them at every turn.
Because the Freemakers travel all over the galaxy, their travels take them to locations from all seven Star Wars films, including Takodana from The Force Awakens. While it takes place during the original trilogy, it doesn’t ignore the prequels. The trio even have a salvaged R0-GR droid in their company.
While the main focus of Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures is on setting up gags, there is a rather decent storyline to get caught up in. By the last episode, you feel compelled to ask if there will be a second season. While this release says “Complete Season One” on the top, a second season has yet to be announced. Fans hoping for more are encouraged to support this release to send a message to Disney that they do indeed want more.
Video
Previous Lego Star Wars releases were limited to DVD and I questioned whether this level of animation where everything is intended to look like plastic would see any improvement in HD. With The Freemaker Adventures, I can say yes, it definitely does. That may be because this series, while using Lego characters and props, also uses realistic backgrounds, such as the sand planet of Tatooine.
Audio
The 5.1 audio mix is a bit of a conundrum. The audio levels are so light on the episodes that you have to turn the volume higher than normal, but the menu music and bonus features are at normal levels. As a 5.1 mix, it also rarely uses the rear speakers. Other audio options include Spanish 5.1 and French 2.0.
Bonus Features
- The Freemaker Adventures: Meet the Freemaker Family (2:21) – The voice cast of The Freemaker Adventures talk about their characters.
- Freemaker Salvage and Repair (1:02) – A fake commercial for the Freemakers’ business.
There is a physical bonus with this release as well, a pack of 6 bubble magnets. The images on them include Zander, Rowan, Naare, Kordi, Roger, and the gang’s ship.
Packaging & Design
The 2-discs are housed in a standard Blu-Ray case with disc holders on both sides of the interior. This case is housed in a cardboard box that makes the packaging much bigger than it needs to be. A tiny window in the box reveals one of the six magnets, which are so small that they could have easily been stored inside the Blu-Ray case to reduce shelf space. Inserts include a code for 150 points from Disney Movie Rewards and a flier for Disney Movie Club. There aren’t any trailers on either disc.
Final Thoughts
Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adentures is a perfect way for the whole family to enjoy Star Wars together. It has enough in-jokes for adult fans and a fun story to keep everyone engaged, but also plays to kids sensibilities with this Lego world. The first Lego Star Wars Blu-Ray release offers improved video quality over previous DVD releases.