LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out

The comic Force is very much with this animated sequel that picks up where its predecessor, LEGO Star Wars: The Padawan Menace, left off, as victorious rebels—led by LEGO incarnations of Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, and Han Solo—prepare to face a new threat from the Emperor. More family friendly than similar Family Guy and Robot Chicken parodies, the equally compact Empire Strikes Out knows its way around the Star Wars universe and should appeal to fans at all levels, delivering jokes both broadly funny and inside. Adding to its galaxy cred (in addition to the blessing and direction of Lucasfilm), the voice cast features veterans from the original films and The Clone Wars series, including Anthony Daniels as C-3PO and Sam Witwer as Darth Maul, who is locked in a one-upmanship rivalry with Darth Vader for the Emperor's approval. To be honest, I would sooner watch this again than any one of the official Star Wars prequels. Recommended. Aud: P. (D. Liebenson)