Star Chicken, or How Seth Green and Star Wars is a great combination

So instead of watching that overdramatic Sally Field vehicle I caught Robot Chicken: Star Wars Special on [adult swim] tonight, and it only cemented my idea that Seth Green is one of my favourite people out there - anyone who has a filmography that includes Austin Powers, Idle Hands, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, voice work in Family Guy, Batman Beyond, guestage work in Will and Grace, That 70s Show, The X-Files, Mad About You and Angel (among many others...) is an entertainer that deserves my praise and respect (you'll notice I also neglect to incorporate things like Without a Paddle, Party Monster and many other unfortunate work, but don't we always when we choose to respect someone?).

Sunday 10:30pm
Robot Chicken [adult swim] @ Cartoon Network
Star Wars is a phenomenon that is now so embedded in our popular culture I will be the first to consider you illiterate and uncultured if you have not seen the original trilogy (which includes one of the best movies ever: Empire Strikes Back). It is therefore not uncommon for a couple of projects every now and then to try and capture financial and pop cultural currency: whether it is in the form of Ewok movies, a 'new' prequel trilogy, extended editions, parody movies, or as we have seen this year two television specials that take the Star Wars tradition and flip it on its head: Family Guy's Star Wars season premiere (read my thoughts here) and Robot Chicken's Star Wars Special.
After seeing the Robot Chicken special I can safely say it is the more successful one of the two, in the sense that because of its sketch structure it is able to explore different territory (Star Wars the Ice Show, an awkward Leia-Luke aftersex conversation, a Bush the Jedi dream). Also, the in depth knowledge of the characters and the animators detail when replicating the characters we all know and love (or loathe: see for example a Jar Jar/airlock sketch that would have made President Roslin proud) is exciting and refreshing. The (re)imagined version of The Emperor is by far the best part of a gem in parody/veneration television. Clearly Seth and his Robot Chicken pals loove Star Wars and this is nothing short of a love-letter to Mr Lucas (guesting alongside other [albeit random] others: Conan O'Brien, James Van der Beek, Mark Hamill, Joey Fatone) and his work.

Needless to say I am tres excited for that /other/ love letter to Mr Lucas starring none other than the lovely Ms Veronica Mars Kristen Bell (now of infamous Heroes fame): Fanboys. I have already seen some footage from the exclusive preview shown at Comic-Con and I can safely say it is going to be A-Mazing! I mean, when Mr Lucas himself agrees to let you film at the Skywalker ranch, you know it's gonna be good. For those of you who aren't enlightened yet and have no idea what I'm talking about Fanboys follows a couple of friends on the eve of the unveiling of Episode One, way back when we all thought it could still be a good movie and it follows their adventures as they try and hijack the movie before it hits theatres.

But back to Robot Chicken...

Favourite Part(s) of the Show:

Bobba Fett and the homoerotics of having Solo on the Rocks.

Darth Vader:I am your father!
Luke: That's impossible!
Darth Vader: ...And Princess Leia is your sister!
Luke: That's improbable!
Darth Vader: ...And the Empire will be defeated by Ewoks! ...And as a child I built C3-P0!
Luke: Well if you're not gonna take this seriously...

"No speak-o minimum wage-o" - The Emperor's best line.