Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy – Putting things Back Together

Arguably, the greatest battle for Star Wars today is keeping it fresh. Having locked into the iconic Skywalker saga for over 40 years, their desire to tell fresh stories seems to be hampered by a legacy that they can’t fully escape.

That is, unless they pull it down brick by brick.

It’s that spirit that undergirds Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy, the latest mini-series from the building brand on Disney+. Over the course of four episodes, Rebuild makes every conscious effort to break the rules that George Lucas set up over multiple decades. It’s ridiculous, unhinged and silly.

And it’s easily the best thing that Lego Star Wars has ever done.

In Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy, we are introduced to Sig Greebling (Gaten Matarazzo), a simple nerf-herder who has untapped Jedi powers. When he and his brother stumble across a hidden Jedi temple, they are tempted to take a mysterious, glowing artifact. But the removal of the piece has deeper consquences than they could have ever known and the galaxy is completely thrust into a twisted version of itself. Suddenly, good and evil are switched and everything they once knew is disassembled. Now, the fate of everything (and everyone) lies at Sig’s feet as he fights tirelessly to fix what was broken.

Structurally, the series fits very neatly into the Star Wars canon, especially with Sig’s quest for redemption and heroism. But Rebuild manages to take the same heroes journey we’ve seen before and spins itself so wildly out of control that it genuinely works. Even the series’ most wild twists seem to work, especially given the fact that there are no rules. 

After all, if Jar Jar Binks can be a Sith Lord and every Clone Troopers is Admiral Ackbar, all bets are truly off.

Interestingly, Rebuild even changes the animation style that has been primarily used for their animated fare. Unlike the more fluid CGI style of other series or ‘specials’, Rebuild seems to use a style that feels more stop-motion. In doing so, the series seems to feel closer to the Lego Movie franchise than it does the television product. While this never changes their storytelling, it does somehow give the new episodes a more tangible feel.

But, underneath the insanity, Rebuild does tap into the notion of moving forward after we’ve done wrong. For Sig, the removal of the artifact causes chaos all around the galaxy. No matter what he does, he can’t seem to fix his error. In this, there’s genuine accountability for his recklessness. But Rebuild doesn’t leave him there. Without giving any spoilers, these characters understand that what matters most is how you work to make it right. In this world, what happens next is as important as what came before, offering kids a lesson in how to make changes and do the next right thing.

A cynical heart will likely point out that Rebuild the Galaxy also clearly wants to create a new line of building sets for the global toy brand. (II admit it. Even I want a Darth Jar Jar figurine.) But the series is so well crafted that one can’t help but look past this blatant merchandising opportunity. There’s a genuine spirit of creativity behind Rebuild that fuels the fun, while feeling like its taking steps to put the energy within the Star Wars universe back together.

Piece by piece.

Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy is available on Disney+ on Friday, September 13^th, 2024.