LEGO Star Wars has done it again. LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild The Galaxy- Pieces of the Past delivers all the irreverent snark, fun cameos, and even some crazy deep cuts for another awesome adventure
LEGO Star Wars Rebuild The Galaxy Pieces of the Past Review
In 2024, LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy brought a fun, What If…? type story to the galaxy far, far away. It was fun, entertaining for the whole family, and surprisingly heartfelt. After all, most LEGO spoofs are just meant to be breezy and a blast. Even though it featured plenty of familiar faces in some not-so-familiar outfits, the real draw were the new characters. Sig and Dev's journey didn't seem to be over, and as compelling as it was, I was hopeful we would be revisiting them at some point. Fortunately, it wasn't a long wait.
LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy- Pieces of the Past is not just a second season but also a spiritual successor to The LEGO Movie. Just like in that film, Pieces of the Past champions teamwork and creativity, two things that are hindered by crushing demands of the villain for everyone to conform to his image. Here, Solitus (Dan Stevens) plays a darker version of President Business, because instead of wielding the Kragle, he has Force powers and dual lightsabers. Although it packs in a solid lesson and heart, it also delivers irreverent snark, fun cameos, deep cuts, and jokes about pointless plot threads for another awesome trip around the alternate galaxy. Oh and Baby Yoda, can't forget that little guy.
Sig (Gaten Matarazzo) is still working to sharpen his Force Building abilities under the watchful eye of Jedi Bob (Bobby Moynihan). One day he has a vision about his older brother Dev (Tony Revolori), the newly minted Darth Devastator. Sig still believes he can turn Dev back to the light side so he sets out to find him. Bob isn't so sure this will work but Sig is determined. However, his reunion with Dev is cut short when the two unleash Solitus, a ruthless and mysterious Sith Breaker who is determined to unmake the galaxy, trapping everyone in Forcehold. The two brothers must work together, along with familiar faces, in order to stop Solitus.
Matarazzo and Revolori’s bond is still sweet. They have a great back-and-forth dynamic, bickering like true siblings but coming together when they need to the most. Moynihan is once again witty as the reluctant mentor/tired old Jedi man. Stevens is an excellent villain, something that shouldn't be surprising given his turn as Legion (someone tell Marvel to get him back ASAP). His voice is very much like his Beast, if Beast was the bad guy of the story instead of Gaston. His Solitus may be in a LEGO movie but he is as serious and sinister as any Sith Lord in the canon. In fact I would love to see him somehow appear in the live-action universe at some point (played by Stevens of course). Then there is the bevy of actors reprising their roles from across the various canon points of the galaxy. From Ashley Eckstein to Mark Hamill, it's always fun to hear them pop up and say some of the most unexpected things.
Despite its non-canon status which allows it to play fast and loose with all the storylines, Pieces of the Past does have its fair share of fan service. However, unlike a look and wink at the camera approach, they simply have the characters pop up, say the things, do other things, and then leave. Some surprises are iconic and expected, others are obscure enough the characters themselves make mention of it like “hey, I'm here for the extra big nerds.” One of the biggest laughs for me was when they pointedly mocked the Supreme Leader Snoke storyline and how pointless it ended up being in the end. I mean I liked The Last Jedi, unlike other people, but even I can admit that plot point was a mess.
Visually, Pieces of the Past maintains that slower frame-rate, stop-motion feel that the LEGO outings are known for. Even my least favorite LEGO pieces, the Brickheadz, get their time to shine in this and be made fun of, mostly by self-deprecation. The environments, the new builds courtesy of the brothers' teamwork are all bursting with creativity. It captures what makes LEGO and Star Wars so fascinating to kids and the kid inside all of us. The possibilities really seem limitless and it made my family excited to dig out all those extra pieces we have to see what kind of ships we could come up with.
Verdict
LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild The Galaxy – Pieces of the Past is funny, entertaining, heartwarming, and inspiring. It's simply one of the best things LEGO Star Wars has put out to date. It gives fans something new and exciting to experience, while still offering up the easter eggs and cameos we want without drowning out the original story it is trying to tell. This “What If…?” style universe has so much potential, I again hope we are not done exploring this corner of the galaxy. My only complaint, it is once again only 4 episodes. Next time, let's give Sig and Dev more time to shine and show-off their Force Building techniques.
LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild The Galaxy – Pieces of the Past is now streaming on Disney+.
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