"A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away ..."
Hello everyone!
Let's just come out and say it, shall we?
I slept on this one. Like, there hasn't really been anything I've slept on quite as much as this particular movie.
In my defense I was GOING to work it into my review schedule. Honest! Then I'm not entirely sure what happened, but I never did, and here we are.
Back in August, Disney+ released what was basically a movie to teach us how to let go, couched as a vacation movie, and dressed in the swimmies and flip-flops, too.
And to top it off, it was happening in a galaxy we all know and love, at that.
How do you miss that opportunity? No clue.
So let's have our last look at summer, shall we? LEGO Star Wars: Summer Vacation, is here to take us all away from the cold and the upcoming snow.
After all the heroics our characters have gone through and done, they kinda need a break, right? Well, Finn plots a surprise galactic cruise for the lot of them, and so they board The Halcyon to have a good time.
If I could go on a cruise like that, you bet I'd be there first thing!
Except, Finn is then left to his own devices as everyone scatters to do what they prefer, and he goes to mope at the bar to bemoan his bad luck at being left alone.
Now because this is Star Wars after all, and because of all the other happenings prior to this, is it any surprise that Obi-Wan's Force ghost pops up to offer him some advice?
None whatsoever. Also, you have not LIVED until you've seen the fabled Jedi Master wear a Hawaiian print shirt and sing karaoke to Jabba on Tatooine, helping a fledgling rebel in the process completely by accident (and pretending to be her husband at that).
There are very few things that top that, but the lesson for Finn here is that he has to learn to live in the moment, not overthink things!
So Finn does just that, accidentally gets sent on an excursion while the cruiser pauses at a planet, and of course lands all alone on a beach on said excursion since his buddies are still doing their own thing and enjoying themselves.
That's where Anakin's ghost pops in.
He tells Finn all about this one time as Darth Vader when he and Palpatine went on vacation together (because the big guy in charge NEVER got time off, so Vader wanted to do him a solid), which eventually turned into the Emperor wanting to win every single beach competition and zapping everyone with lightning.
The point here being: you gotta find what makes YOU happy, not do what you think others expect you to do.
Totally ready to share this lesson with the rest of the crew, Finn returns to the cruiser, finds exactly no one, and gets another visit, this time by Leia because, well, he needs a mother figure at this moment in time.
She tells him about the last family vacation she went on with her own family, taking Ben to Endor to a resort that turned out to be less than that, during which some of the stupid kids there (whom Ben wanted desperately to befriend) took the Falcon on a joyride. This prompted Han to finally realize it was time to let his son grow up, coaching him to fly his baby so that everyone could land safely.
Morale of the story? Don't be afraid of change, but embrace it, let go, and see what the future holds for you.
Turns out, no one of the friend group - who finally circle round Finn again - is actually ready to say goodbye, and they've all just been trying to take their mind off it. Everyone apologises, and they spend the rest of the time reminiscing about how they all first met, while the Force ghosts (Hawaiian shirt included) watch.
To conclude, a holovid of Lando Calrissian reminds everyone that, even though every trip must end, the memories never do.
Which is a really good note to finish this blog post on! Especially as I didn't actually enjoy this special episode as much as I did the previous two - probably because the way Finn was written got on my nerves. He was presented as very dependent and incapable of functioning on his own or doing ANYTHING on his own, and I'm not a big fan of those.
It's a VACATION, my guy. Just kick back and relax, you'll circle the wagons again soon.
Listen, I get what they were trying to do, and the message itself is heartfelt and beautiful, but the presentation definitely had some ways to go. So all in all, not my favourite, but it DOES do the job and takes you to some nice, sandy beaches and fun in the sun.
Given current weather predictions, I'd say that's kind of the nicest thing you can watch.
Until next time, everyone, may the Force be with you!
xx
*images and video not mine
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