Note: LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures premieres Monday, June 20th on Disney XD, and will continue to release one new episode each day until June 23rd. The first episode will also be available on VOD and the Disney XD app starting June 20th. No major spoilers follow. I wasn't exactly thrilled when Disney XD announced that its second Star Wars TV show would be a LEGO comedy series. To me, it sounded like a project that might have come before the Disney/Lucasfilm buyout, not after. Still, I remained optimistic, and now, after watching the premiere at a recent press event, I'm happy to report that not only is LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures worthy of the Star Wars name, but it delivers all the fun and playfulness you've come to expect from LEGO -- which is about all you could ask for. Set in between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, the series follows the Freemakers, a family of scavengers who run their own shop and scour the galaxy for useful debris they can use to build ships.
But when the trio's youngest sibling Rowan discovers part of the ancient Kyber Saber, the three siblings become a prime target for Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader. From there, it's up to the Freemakers to find the rest of the Kyber crystals to assemble the weapon before the Sith get their hands on it. Not surprisingly, The Freemaker Adventures is far and away the most lighthearted Star Wars series to come out in years. Almost all the action and drama is couched in some sort of humor, and the show occasionally goes for cheap laughs rather than embracing emotional beats. However, the new animated series isn't just for kids. While most LEGO Star Wars shows are parody-focused, Freemakers is decidedly character-driven. There's even a bit of Jedi lore in the first episode. Once Rowan discovers the Kyber hilt, he runs into a mysterious Jedi named Naare who tells him the story of the very first lightsaber (the Kyber Saber) and how its pieces are now scattered across the galaxy. In addition to revealing some pretty cool info about the Jedi Order, this gives you a good idea of what the first season will be about: Rowan and his friends collecting Kyber crystals in a race against the Empire.
In that way, it's a bit serialized. Also, in case you're wondering, Freemakers isn't technically canon, but it does, as the creators put it, "paraphrase" canon, as if it were "reenacted by a kid playing with his toys." So take that as you will. In terms of characters, each of the Freemaker siblings brings something new and different to the usual Star Wars archetypes. The eldest sibling Zander (Eugene Byrd) fancies himself a gear-head, while younger sister Kordi (Vanessa Lengies) runs the family business. Then there's Rowan (Nicolas Cantu), who's actually the least interesting of the three. Not only is he the "Force-sensitive one" (seriously, when is there not one of those?), but he also has the attention span of a gnat, which... yeah, can be a little irritating -- but he has his charms too. All around, the voice cast is spot-on. Meanwhile, Freemakers includes some Star Wars veterans as well. Matthew Wood returns to voice R0-GR (aka "Roger"), a reprogrammed battle droid from the Clone Wars who's now the Freemakers' butler.
(I predict he'll be a favorite on this show.) Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine also pop up in the first episode, much to good effect. And since this is LEGO Star Wars we're talking about, any and all cameos are on the table. (Luke, Leia, Wedge and Dengar have already been confirmed, and the new trailer shows Lando, Chewbacca and Maz Kanata.) The Freemaker Adventures' animation is also great, especially for CG LEGO. Featuring both epic space battles and shootouts, the premiere's camerawork, lighting and environments are all remarkably cinematic. If you saw the recent LEGO The Force Awakens shorts on Disney XD, then you know what I'm talking about. Granted, Freemakers doesn't quite match The Clone Wars in scope (what cartoon does?), but it certainly comes close to Rebels in terms of production values. More so than even Clone Wars and Rebels, LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures is clearly targeted at a younger audience, but that doesn't mean longtime Star Wars fans can't enjoy it too.
Despite its juvenile tendencies, Disney XD's animated series packs a surprising punch, and the characters and stories, for their part, are well-drawn. Also, without spoiling anything, the first episode does include a big twist at the end -- and it's pretty cool if I do say so myself!This week The Casino is loaded down with topics as Michael and Bruce discuss all the exciting Star Wars videogame news as well as some Toy Fair reveals.This Thanksgiving weekend, the Force will be strong…with savings! ’s guide to some Star Wars sales for Black Friday and Cyber Monday below — but remember to channel your inner Watto (or Lando) and look for even more deals!The crew is coming to “,” with an all-new installment of the best-selling video game franchise that its creators promise will deliver new storylines and epic gameplay mechanics. “Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens” will be released June 28. The title is developed by TT Games and published by . The game will let players build, battle and fly through the galaxy and include story arcs exploring the time between “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
The Lego Star Wars video games, which first debuted in 2005, have sold more than 33 million copies worldwide. “‘Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ allows players to experience the new film in a unique way that only TT Games can provide, combining signature humor with epic Star Wars action,” said Ada Duan, VP of digital business and franchise management for Disney’s Lucasfilm. The game will be available for Sony PlayStation 4 and PS3, the PlayStation Vita handheld entertainment system, Microsoft Xbox One and Xbox 360, the Nintendo Wii U system and 3DS family, and Windows PCs. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment did not announce pricing for the title. As fans would expect, “Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens” will feature all the characters from the blockbuster movie, including Rey, Finn, Poe Dameron, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO and BB-8, as well as Kylo Ren, General Hux and Captain Phasma. The game also explores such locales as Jakku and Starkiller Base. New features in the game include an enhanced “Multi-Builds” system, offering players multiple building options to advance the game.