Featured, Movie Reviews

‘Lego Star Wars Terrifying Tales’ Review – More Exciting Than Eerie

Synopsis:

After the events of “The Rise of Skywalker,” Poe and BB-8 must make an emergency landing on the volcanic planet Mustafar where they meet the greedy and conniving Graballa the Hutt who has purchased Darth Vader’s castle and is renovating it into the galaxy’s first all-inclusive Sith-inspired luxury hotel. While waiting for his XWing to be repaired, Poe, BB-8, Graballa, and Dean (a plucky and courageous young boy who works as Graballa’s mechanic) venture deep into the mysterious castle with Vader’s loyal servant, Vaneé. Along the way, Vaneé shares three creepy stories linked to ancient artifacts and iconic villains from across all eras of Star Wars. As Vaneé spins his tales and lures our heroes deeper into the shadowy underbelly of the castle, a sinister plan emerges. With the help of Dean, Poe and BB-8 will have to face their fears, stop an ancient evil from rising, and escape to make it back to their friends

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. Those that know me, know my whole aesthetic screams, I love anything horror-related. That said, October easily became my favorite month as everything transforms leading up to the 31st. The spirit of most people takes an exciting turn, houses become spooky, themed stores pop up, it’s no longer weird to dress up and wear creepy contacts daily, and we all carve pumpkins. However, growing up, the part I had a real affinity for was when almost every television show would do a Halloween episode. I couldn’t wait to see what frightfully fun ideas they would come up with each year. Whether it was an episode where the school was haunted, thinking someone is an actual vampire, or reanimated corpses being spotted, it was always such a great time. Sadly, those times dissipated for a while and tv became a little less fun. Fortunately, it seems that the spirit of Halloween lives and those times are returning like the living dead, I’m excited.

“Because without fear, you can’t have courage.”

It would seem that the spirit of Halloween is not only near but is Force-sensitive as well. Lego Star Wars Terrifying Tales is kicking off the start of the spooky season on Disney+ with some outrageous stories. This Halloween Special is not actually terrifying in any way, however, it is a great blend of action, comedy, and Star Wars lore. In typical Lego fashion, this is not a movie that takes itself too seriously but does have positive messaging that children and adults alike can learn from. While it’s not ghastly enough to elicit scares, there are plenty of horror aspects and references that the film uses that give it that haunting spirit. When it comes to lore, we are told stories, some familiar some not, by a strange and unusual disciple of Darth Vader.

We see Luke flying a TIE fighter, Ben Solo facing off against Ren, zombie battle droids, and a special lightsaber. It all culminates in a way that I didn’t see coming but it’s up to Poe and BB-8 and a new friend to save the universe. The animation is great, there are more laughs than I expected, and it’s a lot of fun. With a treacherous journey that falls perfectly in line with other Star Wars stories, callbacks to the past, and a huge action sequence, this outing is definitely more exciting than eerie. Star Wars Terrifying Tales is an easy watch that’s fun for the whole family. Its rewatchability is high.

Pacing & Pop

The pacing of this Halloween special was a bit slow early on. However, it eventually gets on track and doesn’t look back. What popped for me was getting to see some Knight of Ren content. I think we all wanted to see more of them in the films and now we get a look at what they are about and how Ben Solo joined in comical Lego fashion.

Characters & Chemistry

With this lively voice cast, this Special is a lot of fun. Tony Hale is easily the standout as Vaneé. He leads down a treacherous trail with his strange demeanor and creepy voice. However, the whole is great.

Lego Star Wars Terrifying Tales premieres on Disney+ on October 1, 2021. Stay safe and enjoy.