Drama
Tempest
Tempest raises some relevant questions about faith, but strong violence may make this Korean thriller a tough watch.
Welcome back to a familiar galaxy far, far away. Well…mostly familiar.
You see, a while ago, a young nerf herder (not the scruffy-looking kind) named Sig Greebling accidentally unleashed an ancient artifact that reconstructed the galaxy. Some things stayed the same, but now the galaxy feels a bit…backwards.
Well-known ships like the Millennium Falcon have new looks. Luke Skywalker is waaay more laid back. Good guys have become bad guys: Rey is a Sith Lord, for instance. And bad guys have become good guys. That’s right, Darth Vader is now Jedi Vader.
Oh, and did I mention everything’s made out of LEGO bricks, too?
In the original series, LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy, Sig Greebling attempts to restore the galaxy to its normal order. Under the guidance of Jedi Bob, Sig learns to tap into his Force Builder powers, which allow him to construct anything out of the LEGO bricks around him. But despite the efforts of Sig and Jedi Bob, along with their Rebel friend, Yesi, and droid, Servo, the changes to the galaxy appear permanent.
Luckily, Sig likes his new galaxy…except for one pesky detail: His brother, Dev, is a Sith Lord known as Darth Devastator.
Sig is determined to bring Dev back to the Light Side—and maybe bond as brothers, too. But then a new villain named Solitus enters the fray.
Solitus has one goal: Destroy the galaxy.
Using an alternate dimension known as the Forcehold, Solitus has the power to “unmake the galaxy,” causing it to collapse into the Forcehold dimension.
With his very existence on the line (and, really, the existence of everything), Dev reluctantly teams up with Sig and the Rebel Alliance. Using their combined powers, Sig and Dev must defeat Solitus and save the galaxy.
If you frequent Plugged In, you know we’ve covered our share of Star Wars content. And you also likely know the potential concerns that accompany the franchise.
The concept of the Force—or the mystical power that connects all living things—is central in Pieces of the Past. Force-using characters use their powers to fight foes and manipulate matter (or in this case, LEGO bricks). During these fights Jedi duel with lightsabers, blaster shots explode the occasional spaceship and minifigs verbally threaten their adversaries.
Additionally, Solitus sends cryptic visions to coerce some people into doing his bidding, and characters discuss a “Light Side” and “Dark Side,” which are concepts reminiscent of a dualistic worldview.
But I’m guessing if you’re two seasons deep into a LEGO spinoff of the Star Wars franchise, your family has probably navigated those concerns many times before.
And ultimately, this iteration of LEGO Star Wars—with its goofy gags and self-referential humor—is built for such mega fans.
(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)
After experiencing cryptic dreams, Sig is convinced of one thing: He must save his brother, Dev. But first, Sig and his friends Jedi Bob, Yesi and Servo take a slight detour when they’re kidnapped by a bounty hunter known as the Landolorian.
Characters use Force powers to battle foes and destroy things around them. Other people shoot blasters. A character deploys a weapon called a “sub-thermal detonator,” which freezes people in carbonite. This character then kidnaps his frozen victims. A Sith threatens to rip her prisoners apart, piece by piece. Solitus says that he wants to treat Jedi Bob to “new ways of torment.” A monster in a trash compactor pulls a Sith beneath the water.
Both Dev and Sig have visions. Dev claims that his visions are calling him to tap into a power source located in mysterious location. There are brief discussions about the “Dark Side” and “Light Side.” Servo the droid claims that he’s on a “spiritual journey” of discovering the pleasures of life. Jedi Bob goes to mediate so that he can become “one with the Force.
Characters can briefly be seen playing a card game.
Tempest raises some relevant questions about faith, but strong violence may make this Korean thriller a tough watch.
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