LEGO Star Wars: The Padawan Menace
The LEGO Star Wars: The Padawan Menace is a television special based on the Star Wars Theme, that aired on Cartoon Network on July 22, 2011. The special was released on DVD and Blu-ray on September 16, 2011. The Blu-Ray edition came with an exclusive Ian (Young Han Solo) minifigure.
Synopsis[edit | edit source]
Grand Master Yoda has just arrived back on Coruscant from the Outer Rim with a group of Jedi Younglings on a field trip. They arrive at the Senate Building to take a tour, but Yoda, sensing trouble, goes on ahead, leaving the tour group to be led by C-3PO and R2-D2. As they enter, a young child who had snuck away from an orphanage manages to get into the building and joins the group on their tour. Meanwhile, Asajj Ventress is in the Senate Building, having just stolen secret battle plans with the intention of delivering them to Palpatine and plan an attack on Coruscant.
While on the tour, the young child, now known as "Ian" stirs up trouble causing C-3PO, R2-D2, and the rest of the younglings to flee into space, where they find themselves in the middle of a space battle between Republic and CIS forces. While avoiding destruction, and with a quick check in on Anakin Skywalker and General Grievous fighting, they accidentally end up on Obi-wan's hyperspace ring sending them to Tatooine. During which time Yoda and Commander Cody battle with Ventress and a small group of battle droids.
On Tatooine, C-3PO, R2-D2, and the other younglings look for passage off planet and back to Coruscant after their ship is scavenged by jawas while 3PO had his back turned. After heading to Mos Eisley Cantina, C-3PO sneaks in, disguised in a cloak so he is not seen as a droid, in the hopes of finding a ride, meanwhile the younglings are mistaken for the cantina band. When C-3PO is seen to be a droid the group turns to run, but the two droids fall into a wall which Jabba the Hutt is behind! They are captured and sent to Jabba the Hutt where the younglings are caged and C-3PO has to fight R2-D2 for Jabba's amusement. After encouragement from the younglings, the two droids help free the children and escape custody of Jabba.
Ventress is captured by Yoda and Cody, but a battle droid escapes on Darth Maul's Sith Infiltrator with the plans, causing the two to go into pursuit in their T-6 Jedi Shuttle. While in space, the two discovered that Ian had sneaked aboard. The Sith Infiltrator was tracked to Hoth where Yoda and Ian go after the plans (Cody gets kicked far away by an AT-AT). In the cold they find a tauntaun for shelter, inside which they find the battle droid with the plans hiding. After recovering the plans, they are attacked by Destroyer Droids, and after a brief battle, (and quick rewiring/rebuilding of the droids) escape with the plans and head back to Coruscant, after picking up the others off of Tatooine.
They arrive back on Coruscant where they are rewarded for bravery by Chancellor Palpatine. In the end it is revealed that Ian's name is Han Solo and that the "H" on his name tag was sideways (forming an "I"), while Admiral Ackbar shouts, "IT'S A WRAP!".
Notes[edit | edit source]
- Anakin (also as Darth Vader) and Obi-Wan appear on the teaser poster, but they have very minor roles in the special.
- A book about the special was also made. The special featured many references to the Star Wars saga:
- The beginning has an opening crawl similar to the six Star Wars movies. However, the narrator from The Clone Wars is reading the opening crawl.
- The introduction also has a homage to the very first scene of the Tantive IV pursuit in A New Hope.
- Lobot is seen as the driver of the school bus.
- When Ventress and Yoda are fighting, their saber lock resembles the one between Luke Skywalker and Vader in the Return of the Jedi.
- Han saying "I have a bad feeling about this."
- When Yoda tells Han they have to go into the tauntaun for shelter Han says "And I thought they smelled bad on the outside," like he did in The Empire Strikes Back when putting Luke into the tauntaun for shelter.
- Yoda begins to make a speech to Han similar to the one he made to Luke about the Force in his hut on Dagobah.
- Darth Vader frequently makes appearances, causing George Lucas to have to go on set and escort him off, telling him he is not in this scene, and calling him "Darth" the same way Obi Wan did in A New Hope.
- When Yoda is talking to the Jedi Council, Han changes the channel to a show called "Keeping up with the Calrissians." Bib Fortuna is also seen singing in a performance much like American Idol.
- Mos Eisley Cantina is visited and the same policy of "We don't serve their kind in here" for the droids.
- If you look closely at the hologram that R2-D2 shows C-3PO before they enter the cantina, it is the scene when Luke Skywalker walks into the cantina in Episode IV. C-3PO says he remembers it, which is impossible since the story takes place during the Clone Wars era.
- The ending features a medal ceremony similar to the one seen at the end of A New Hope.
- Han shows a lack of respect for C-3PO during the medal ceremony much the way he does in the Original Trilogy.
- Admiral Ackbar says "It's a wrap!" at the end, referencing his line "It's a trap!" from Return of the Jedi.
- The spaceships that were passing by the school ship in the battle over Coruscant, were similar to the ones in Episode VI when the Millenium Falcon was passing by TIE Fighters.
- The way C-3PO and R2-D2 were looking at the sky is a reference to the end of Revenge of the Sith.
- C-3PO talking to a Duros is a reference to Ben Kenobi talking to Han Solo during A New Hope.
- When C-3PO tries to fool the Cantina bartender by pretending to be a "non-droid", he used a device that looks suspiciously similar to an iPod to come up with a name.
- An instruction booklet to build the Jedi Temple School District starfighter can be seen.
- The name is a play on Episode I of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.
- When the ship heads to the landing pad on Coruscant, the Falcon and the Slave 1 can be seen.
- R2 does not have his middle leg.
- When Asajj Ventress forces the droid pieces together, you can see a manual with the 2010 Clone Wars logo.
Characters[edit | edit source]
- Yoda
- Han Solo (Young)
- Ashla
- Liam
- Mari
- Jempa
- Bobby
- C-3PO
- R2-D2
- Asajj Ventress
- Palpatine
- Royal Guard
- Pit Droid
- Lobot (cameo)
- Mouse Droid
- Commander Cody (went missing after being kicked by an AT-AT)
- Battle Droid
- Savage Opress
- General Grievous (cameo)
- Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader (cameo)
- Obi-Wan Kenobi (cameo)
- Tusken Raider
- Jawa
- Ki-Adi-Mundi
- Shaak Ti
- Kit Fisto
- Plo Koon
- Mace Windu
- Yarael Poof
- Admiral Ackbar
- Clone Trooper
- Dewback
- Wuher
- Tonnika Sisters (cameo)
- Jango Fett
- Padmé Naberrie
- Ponda Baba
- Greedo
- Gamorrean Guard
- Tauntaun
- Droideka
- Jabba the Hutt
- Mandalorian
- Bib Fortuna
- Rancor
- Chewbacca
- Bail Organa
- George Lucas
- Senator Yorn
- Cad Bane (billboard only)
- Sebulba
- IG-88 (billboard only)
- Lando Calrissian (mentioned only)
- Darth Maul (billboard only)
- Malakili (unleashed the Rancor)
Sets[edit | edit source]
- 7663 Sith Infiltrator
- 7931 T-6 Jedi Shuttle
- 7252 Droid Tri-Fighter
- 7959 Geonosian Starfighter
- 7915 Imperial V-wing Starfighter
- 7661 Jedi Starfighter with Hyperdrive Booster Ring
- 8039 Venator-class Republic Attack Cruiser
- 7962 Anakin Skywalker and Sebulba's Podracers (Sebulba's podracer only)
- 7964 Republic Frigate
- 7965 Millennium Falcon
- 9492 TIE Fighter
- 8097 Slave I
- 10198 Tantive IV
- 10178 Motorized Walking AT-AT
Minifigure Included[edit | edit source]
Home media[edit | edit source]
The special was released on Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack on September 13, 2011. Both the Blu-Ray and the DVD featured The Padawan Menace, and the bonus features The Quest for R2-D2, Bombad Bounty, Both parts of "Star Wars in 2 minutes", and some of the Online Clone Wars Comics.