And when I say event, I’m not exaggerating or dealing in extraneous hyperbole. This twenty minute or so slice of animated Star Wars action features a Bantha load of hilarity and memorable moments. It’s an absolute peach! You have to admit, the thought of C-3PO shouting, “Say hello to my metal friends!” as he blasts a Rancor, has your curiosity piqued. The little green one is babysitting some Padawans when he puts them on a tour of the Galactic Senate with everyone’s favourite droids C-3PO and R2-D2. This leads to an on-the-nose commentary about the, and I’m quoting here, “blah blah blah” nature of the Senate scenes (including delegates from the planet Beaurocrotis). After these moments there’s a parade of the greatest hits, if you like, of the Star Wars galaxy, such as the Cantina, featuring a hilarious Threepio (voiced by Anthony Daniels), Hoth (complete with ticklesome gag featuring Golden Rod unable to understand the LEGO instruction manual for his ship) and Jabba’s Palace, where the droids battle against one another. Technically, The Padawan Menace is spectacular and one wishes that this could have been released theatrically. It’s a joy to the eye, matching the laughs for the brain and heart in every frame. There’s also, as you would imagine, a plethora of Easter eggs and in-gags to look out for such as the Millennium Falcon, Slave-1, numerous advertising billboards and various other iconic Star Wars characters and imagery. It’s clearly made with love and an eye on the fans. Ultimately, it’s the humour that makes this special such a winner, something devoid in Lucasfilm’s The Star Wars Holiday Special (though it’s unintentionally funny). The range of laughs will please the young (Threepio throwing up into Artoo), the hip (there’s a TV show called Keeping up with the Calrissians) and the old (use of the actual Star Wars “Name Generator”). Without a shadow of a doubt, The Padawan Menace is one of the greatest additions to the saga and one sincerely hopes that this LEGO Star Wars special is not a one-off, but the start of a series. Follow Den Of Geek on Twitter right here. And be our Facebook chum here.
