The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

It is Lifeday on the Wookie home planet of Kashyyyk, and Chewbacca is heading home for the holidays with his friend Han Solo. Meanwhile his family, including his wife, Malla, his Son, Lumpy, and his father, Itchy are preparing for the holidays. Well... Malla is anyhow. Lumpy spends his time being obnoxious, while Itchy mostly grumbles about things and spends some time using a virtual reality fantasy machine given to him by a his friend, Saundan (Art Carney), in what is undoubtedly the most disturbing Star Wars scene to date.

After several minutes of Wookie's talking to each other in their own language without English subtitles, interspersed with scenes, which include substantial recycled footage, of Han and Chewbacca fighting through an imperial blockade of Kashyyyk, the film really starts to break down.

First some storm troopers and imperial guards bust in on Chewbacca's family and cause a nuisance. Eventually they take off, leaving one storm trooper to wait for Chewbacca's return. Meanwhile we get all manner of weird, out of context scenes including a gymnastics performance, a song by Jefferson Starship, and a bar scene on Tatooine featuring Bea Arthur.

In due course Han and Chewbacca make it home for the holidays and throw the storm trooper over the balcony to his death. Then they sing a song about love and good will which at that point sounds a bit cynical. C3PO, R2D2, Luke, and Leia also turn up at this point. Who knows how they got through the imperial blockade so easily...but some questions aren't worth asking.

The Star Wars Holiday Special is a discombobulated mess of scenes that largely make no sense and feel very forced together. Puzzling, troubling, and boring at the worst of times, hilarious at its best, this film distinctly appears to be the result of George Lucas developing the (probably accurate) belief that anything with "Star Wars" written on it would sell like hot cakes in the late 70's.

If possible, it makes The Phantom Menace appear to be a cinematic triumph, and therefore should not really be watched by anyone other than perhaps to quench the undeniable curiosity that surrounds this rare film. Rare, that is to say, because Lucasfilm seems to been helping to make sure you don't have to see this awful movie... by never releasing it on DVD or Blueray. Still, like everything else imaginable, it can be found easily for free online.

0.5 out of 5 Devaronians.
Unrated.