Blu-ray Review: Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures (Season 1)

Blu-ray Reviews, Reviews, Top Story

If there’s two things that are hot right now it’s Star Wars and Lego. Even hotter is Lego sets featuring Star Wars characters, playsets and vehicals. Ever drop by a Lego Store and watch people drool at the Lego Death Star? This is a natural pairing of connective bricks and iconic science fiction. Now that Star Wars is back theatrically, it’s just natural to bring these two together to create an alternate universe of adventures that go beyond the original movies. Both Lego Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles and Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales involved major characters from the films. During the summer, the universe was expanded when Disney XD introduced Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures. The series was a hit as it introduced us to a family that salvaged spacecraft in a galaxy far, far away. Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures: Complete Season One has all 13 episodes want all the action.

The Freemakers are three siblings that zip around the galaxy looking for abandoned or damaged spaceships to salvage, fix or rebuild into their own creations called Z-Wings. Zander (Eugene Byrd) is the eldest who is the designer of the modified transports. Kordi (Vaness Lengies) is the middle sister who is a tomboy and protective of her younger brother. Rowan (Nicolas Cantu) is the little one who has a touch of the Force. The trio are fearless. Although their hacked battledroid RO-GR (Matthew Wood) is a bit of a mess up. The action takes place in a time between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi so the Empire hasn’t been defeated by Ewoks. Like early Han Solo, the siblings don’t care about either the Empire or the Rebels. They are just trying to earn a living as they scavenge and create. But their ability to stay under the radar goes bad when Rowan gets part of the Kyber Saber. His force grows and his desire to uncover the missing crystals is overwhelming. This was the first lightsaber and has power that no Jedi could handle. It was busted up and scattered across the known universe. His brother and sister aren’t happy about this since it puts them in the middle of the battle as familiar Empire faces pop up hunting for the Freemakers.

The show is exciting with the animated Lego figures battling all over the place. There’s a bit of zip in the spaceships presented in Lego brick form. This also gives kids an idea of how to transform their own Star Wars Lego boxsets to match the show’s ingenuity. The show had me when with the wise casting of two character voices. Billy Dee Williams returns as Lando Calrissian. He’s now a big wig in the Rebels after semi-turning baddie and having Han Solo frozen by Vader. He’s got Chewbacca and the Millenium Falcon. Good to see him back as Lando since he didn’t get into Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Even more exciting is Dana Snyder as Graballa the Hutt. Mastershake from Aqua Teen Hunger Force is now Jabba the Hutt’s cousin who wants to get out from the giant slug shadow. Dana Snyder is a Star Wars character is enough for me to recommend this series.

The videos is 1.78:1 anamorphic. The resolution on the 1080p transfer will allow you to figure out how certain ships can be constructed using your own Legos. The audio is 5.1 Dolby Digital that gives the swoosh all around the speakers during space battles. There’s also French and Spanish 2.0 Dolby Digital tracks. The subtitles are in English, Spanish and French.

The Freemaker Adventures: Meet the Freemaker Family (2:21) lets you meet the voices behind the sisters. They describe the characters. Always fun to see the real faces that before they’ve been animated.

Freemaker Salvage and Repair (1:02) is a promo for the Freemaker’s business using their characters.

6 Exclusive Lego Star Wars Magnets look great on the fridge.

Disney & Buena Vista Home Entertainment present Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures: Complete Season One. Starring: Eugene Byrd, Billy Dee Williams, Dana Snyder & French Stewart. Boxset Contents: 13 episodes on 2 Blu-ray discs. Released: December 6, 2016.

Joe Corey is the writer and director of "Danger! Health Films" currently streaming on Night Flight and Amazon Prime. He's the author of "The Seven Secrets of Great Walmart People Greeters." This is the last how to get a job book you'll ever need. He was Associate Producer of the documentary "Moving Midway." He's worked as local crew on several reality shows including Candid Camera, American's Most Wanted, Extreme Makeover Home Edition and ESPN's Gaters. He's been featured on The Today Show and CBS's 48 Hours. Dom DeLuise once said, "Joe, you look like an axe murderer." He was in charge of research and programming at the Moving Image Archive.