the short film LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation of Disney + is as curious as it is fun. A very unusual combination in products that depend on major mythologies that they want to parody. Or in the best of cases, reinvent. The short film does all of the above and more. Dare to joke with the great ideas of one of the most beloved sagas in the world of cinema.
starwars leaves no one indifferent. And the Disney+ short film knows it. So much so that the cornerstone of his narrative is to move pieces — and it’s not just an analogy — in the untouchable canon imagined by George Lucas. But being a narrative prank, LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation moves in completely different spaces.
It is a full-fledged and carefully crafted tribute to the Space Opera. At the other extreme, retaining the essence of LEGO adaptations which, until now, have become a vehicle for witty satire.
LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation
LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation is a clever way to play with the idea of a short film as more than just a narrative curiosity. In fact, the second of what seems like a neat series of short stories, is not just a plot experiment. It is a playful celebration of the grand universe imagined by George Lucas. And as if that wasn’t enough, another one of LEGO’s bold parodies. All at once and with a script full of humor. Nothing is so innocent in this seemingly naïve parody of grand narratives from a galaxy far, far away.
LEGO and its mocking sense of humor
From its commercial blockbusters in the cinema to its experiments in television and streaming, LEGO reinventions are a play on symbols. The productions often take advantage of the fact that the space through which they move does not fit into the discourses of larger sagas or franchises. So they allow themselves the luxury of laughing, exaggerating, using derisive references, and creating the feeling of a larger homage. This is the case of LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation. The Disney + short is based on a rare mix between the obvious affection for the intergalactic saga and its parody capacity.
Between both things, the short film works as a reminder of the effectiveness of the LEGO formula. In 2020, The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special it showed just how irreverent the little specials can be at their highest point. In a teasing game that included characters from the so-called new trilogy, the short film became a good precedent for future experiments. And without a doubt, LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation, it is. With its light-hearted air, it’s an interesting addition to collectors of rarities related to the history of a galaxy far, far away.
Once upon a time, a vacation in the world of Star Wars
As a story outside the official canon, the short can allow itself all kinds of liberties. And one of them is to contradict, transpose and rearrange the best known narrative threads on the big and small screen. This time, it is a small story set at some point after what was told in Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. Of course, director Ken Cunningham and screenwriter David Shayne are aware of the problems that the production went through.
Also the way it divided the fans and the doubts it generated in the critics. So the story begins by acknowledging that “there were some recent inconveniences” with “events known to all.” For those who vacations are necessary. So Finn, still working up the courage to explain to Rey that he is Force-sensitive, proposes one last group trip.
It is a curious look at the fact of the usual question of “what happened next” of great epic narratives. And LEGO decides to answer it with a domestic adventure (apparently) that includes Rey, Poe, Rose, Chewbacca, R2-D2, C-3PO and BB-8. The premise is funny because of the specific question it raises: Can great heroes have a normal life?
LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacatio: serious topics between innocent jokes
No LEGO production is as innocent as it seems, even LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation seems to be ironic about a well-known plot. Actually, the big question about what to do after a major and potentially unforgettable event is a valid one. What is the next step after saving the universe? Nobody seems to know. But Finn, who has matters as earthly as analyzing what will happen to his life now that he doesn’t belong to the rebellion, questions him. He does, as he exchanges jokes — some very sharp — about Star Wars as a legacy. Also, between the visit of Force ghosts and some ill-intentioned advice.
In the end, this short film has an obvious intention: analyze unrealizable expectations and desires. Whose? The argument is ingenious enough not to give direct answers, but to let the viewer find their own. Does it make fun of the excessive pressure that the Star Wars franchise carries on its shoulders? Or on the contrary, do you laugh at the elemental seriousness with which the saga considers its stories?
The short film offers no answers. In fact, he prefers to do something much simpler and more elegant. Use humor to challenge seemingly trivial issues. Where do the heroes go on vacation? A special cruise? But of course, with LEGO nothing is easy and there are unanswered questions lurking in the quick exchange of derisive comments. Where is Star Wars headed, turned into a colossal heritage that all fans consider their own?
LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation, when naivety is deceptive
This is a story about vacations. And despite any deeper interpretation, it sticks to just that. In the end, Finn discovers that between spectral advice and target searches lies something more important. The need to conceive life as a fast transit to better places. “We can always smile, no matter what, even if something doesn’t make a lot of money,” says LEGO’s Finn, cheekily.
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A message that seems directed at more than one point, but that the short film encapsulates in its premise of being just simple fun. It is? Star Wars fans (and of course LEGO fans) will have to decide.