Robot Chicken: Star Wars

Robot Chicken: Star Wars is a Star Wars-themed double-length special of the show Robot Chicken that first aired on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block on June 17, 2007. It features the voices of George Lucas, Mark Hamill, Ahmed Best, Tom Kane, Joey Fatone and Bob Bergen. it proved to be highly popular and spawned a sequel, which aired on November 16 2008.

In addition to new material, the special also features several Star Wars-themed sketches from previous episodes.

Sketches
The title sequence features a thematically altered version of the shows standard opening, in which a mad scientist turns a dead fowl into the titular "Robot Chicken"; the special parodies Anakin Skywalker's injuries on Mustafar in Revenge of the Sith, with the scientist wearing Emperor Palpatine robes and transforming the chicken into a Darth Vader-like being after it is burned in a stream of lava.

Luke Skywalker destroys an AT-AT by grappling onto it as in The Empire Strikes Back, but throws the bomb into a bathroom stall occupied by an unsuspecting AT-AT Driver, reading a magazine entitled Naboobies, who looks up at the last moment and dies.

Emperor Palpatine, while in a meeting with his aides, receives a call from a distressed Darth Vader two weeks after the destruction of the Death Star I.

A Jawa orders a drink at the Mos Eisley cantina by shouting "Martini!" in a high voice.

A janitor must clean up far more falling corpses than he would like: first on Naboo (Darth Maul) then wondering when he will get a transfer to Coruscant. Later in the show, it cuts to Coruscant and Mace Windu falls from Palpatine's office, the same janitor sweeps it up and wonders when he will get a transfer to the Death Star. Finally, even later in the show, on the Death Star II, Palpatine falls after Darth Vader throws him into the shaft to which the janitor wonders "What are they doing up there?"



A commercial for "Admiral Ackbar Cereal" has Admiral Ackbar saying "Your tongues can't repel flavor of that magnitude!" and dancing for two children.

Industrial designer, Ponda Baba's, conflict with Luke Skywalker in the Mos Eisley Cantina is shown to be the result of a failure to communicate excacerbated by an overly joking and intoxicated Evazan. After his arm is cut off by Obi-Wan Kenobi, he is fired from his job because he is unable to sketch.

C-3PO and R2-D2 encounter problems at the airport screening line as C-3PO forgot about the keys in his pocket.

Qui-Gon Jinn attempts to pass his ignited lightsaber to Obi-Wan and drops it through every floor of the Saak'ak, a Trade Federation flagship. It hits many people and things on the way down.

New officer recruits receive orientation on board the Death Star I explaining that Vader's Force Choke is all in his head and instructing the recruits in proper (and ultimately life-saving) behaviour; that when Vader holds his hand up, they are to hold their hands to their neck, make choking sounds, then fall to the floor where they will be dragged away by attendants and givin a new identity.

After destroying the Death Star I, Luke can't wait until he can tell his aunt and uncle, Owen Lars and Beru Whitesun Lars, only to remember that they were killed.

George Lucas visits a Star Wars convention, and is rescued from a mob of fans by a nerd, a recurring character on the show, dressed as a Tauntaun, who later refers to this as the greatest day of his life, the day his grandson was born was "not even close."

After Ben puts a helmet with the blast shield down over Luke's head. Luke asks him how he is supposed to fight with it over his eyes, to which Ben responds by checking if he can see and swiftly knees Luke's crotch. Luke recovers and blindly swings the lightsaber in the air in an attempt to hit Kenobi, who kicks his crotch a second time.

After a British-accented space slug loses the Millenium Falcon, he complains that he is never able to catch spaceships. To comfort, him his friend, a second space slug in the next hole over, asks him if he wants chinese food instead. He says yes, and his friend uses a headset phone to order five million pounds of cung-pow chicken, three million pot stickers, an order of scallion pancakes, and five million tons of fried rice. when asked cash or charge, the friend asks if they are just going to eat the delivery boy. After the first slug says yes, he tells the person that they will pay with cash.

President George W. Bush visits a doctor who tells him that his midi-chlorian count is abnormally high, Bush wonders if this means he is a Jedi and uses the Force to pull down. Later, while in bed with his wife, Laura Bush, she rebuffs his attempts to have sex with her saying that she is tired. The president uses the Jedi mind trick to convince her that she is not tired and wants to have a threesome. After she repeats his words, he picks up the phone by his bedside and says "Get me Condi." The president drives to a fast food restaurant and his parking space is stolen by former president Bill Clinton who says that he is having a "Big Mac attack]]." President Bush then uses the Force to lift Clinton's car into the air, drops it in a lake, and takes the space. While wearing one of Luke's outfits from Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (The one he wore during the early stages of the Battle of Endor, Bush vandalizes the Lincoln Memorial by carving "W wuz hear" on the side of Lincoln's statue. The stature raises itself off the ground and a top hat descends upon the the head of Abraham Lincoln, just as Darth Vader's helmet does in his meditation chamber, and asks who has disturbed him only to be interrupted by Bush who challenges the late president to a lightsaber duel. Lincoln responds by igniting a red colored lightsaber The two fought their way to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial where Lincoln is disarmed. Lincoln attempts to quote Obi-Wan Kenobi's line from just before he was killed by Darth Vader but is interrupted and silenced by the then incumbent president. Lincoln becomes one with the Force and all that is left is his clothes, which Bush kicks mirroring Darth Vader. In the next scene, in Cloud City, is a parody of the scene where Darth Vader reveals to Luke Skywalker that he is his father. His daughter, Jenna Bush, is acting out, after Bush quote's Darth Vader's famous line, she says "That's not true. That's impossible! My real father would let me go clubbing as late I want!" She flips him off and he uses his lightsaber to cut off her middle finger. He quickly apologizes but she still falls off the platform, Bush yells in despair. The president wakes up in a meeting with one of his advisors who tells him that the US has still not discovered any Weapons of Mass Destruction. He attempts to use the Jedi mind trick on the man but, as he did not actually have Force powers, it does not work and the man waves back warily saying "Hi." He again says they have not found any WMDs and Bush tries again, to no avail. He again tells the president that no WMDs have been found. While his advisor is in mid-sentence, Bush again waves his hand and says "Bring me a taco." The man immediately leaves to perform the task the president assigned him. Bush procedes to say that "Tacos rule."

A weather report for Cloud City predicts more clouds.

A vagrant has already taken up residence in the tauntaun Han Solo sliced open to save Luke.

Luke and the Emperor engage in a "Yo Momma" fight with Darth Vader as the judge.

Han's radio conversation about reactors in the detention level becomes even more complicated when it necessitates a call to Vader's office and an examination of the schematics.

Darth Vader is paid a visit by Jar Jar Binks who insists on calling him "Ani." Darth Vader, who has less patience for Jar Jar than he used to, throws him out of an airlock only to turn Binks him into an annoying Force Ghost.

Boba Fett celebrates the capture of Han first by bragging and then by having an intimate moment with the statue.

Luke Skywalker lays out money for an adult dancers group called the Power Converters at the gentlemen's club called Toshi Station.

Chewbacca re-enacts Fonz's hair-combing gag from the intro to Happy Days.

Darth Vader tries to win Luke over to the dark side by revealing some secrets to Star Wars. These include that he is Luke's father, Leia is his sister, the Empire would be destroyed by ewoks, that he had built C-3PO, and finally that the Force is not mystical, it is a bacteria in the blood called midi-chlorians. Luke, fed up with his unprofessional behavior, leaves. The Emperor's taunting of Luke is interrupted by ongoing construction of the second Death Star and an uncooperative construction worker refuses to stop working or quiet down.

Lobot dances to the Imperial March in Cloud City's halls.

A commercial for Max Rebo's new album containing his greatest hits, all of which reiterate that he is absolutely not an elephant.

Mid-Nite with Zuckuss (voiced by Conan O'Brien features a guest appearance by Palpatine on a screen that resembles the one used on Space Ghost Coast to Coast. Zuckuss insults Palpatine and cuts him off. The show continues until a Death Star appears in the background, charges up, and fires a bolt into the studio, ending the show.

Luke and Princess Leia are in bed together, Luke with his hands behind his head looks triumphant while Leia looks distressed. Leia proceeds to say, "That was so wrong."

An ice show version of Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is shown with many songs from the movies such as the Imperial March.

After the end credits, there is an extra scene with Jar Jar Binks continuing to annoy Darth Vader while he futilely tries to sleep in his Star Wars merchandise filled room.

Individuals

 * Qui-Gon Jinn
 * Obi-Wan Kenobi
 * Darth Vader
 * Palpatine
 * Jar Jar Binks
 * Boba Fett
 * Ackbar
 * Ponda Baba
 * Leia Organa
 * Luke Skywalker
 * Han Solo
 * Cornelius Evazan
 * Owen Lars
 * Beru Whitesun Lars
 * Darth Maul
 * Mace Windu
 * Lobot
 * Chewbacca
 * C-3PO
 * R2-D2
 * Max Rebo
 * Zuckuss
 * George Lucas

Droid models

 * 3PO-series protocol droid
 * R2-series astromech droid

Events

 * Invasion of Naboo
 * Sieges on Naboo
 * Second Battle of Theed
 * Great Jedi Purge
 * Duel in the Chancellor's Office
 * Duel on Mustafar
 * Galactic Civil War
 * Battle of Yavin
 * Battle of Hoth
 * Duel on Bespin
 * Battle of Endor
 * Duel on Death Star II

Locations

 * Bespin
 * Cloud City
 * Coruscant
 * Death Star I
 * Death Star II
 * Hoth
 * Kamino
 * Mustafar
 * Naboo
 * Theed Generator Complex
 * Tatooine
 * Anchorhead
 * Chalmun's Cantina
 * Tosche Station

Languages

 * Aqualish language
 * Galactic Basic Standard
 * Shyriiwook

Behind the Scenes
At the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the creators have immortalized themselves by inserting their names in the place of some of the veterans, including Seth Green (quite clearly) and Matthew Senreich (partially obstructed). Green is also seen in a portrait hanging over the fireplace in the Oval Office, replacing the portrait of George Washington.

In the segment where a ghostly Jar Jar Binks haunts Darth Vader while he sleeps, four Star Wars Miniatures (a stormtrooper commander, a scout trooper, a Stormtrooper and an R2-D2) can be seen on Vader's nightstand. Vader is also sleeping under "Star Wars" sheets and the bed frame is probably based on his Meditation chamber.

During the sketch featuring then president Bush and former president Clinton, the restaurant is denoted by a single yellow arch on a red bar. This is an obvious reference to the double arches of McDonald's.

The Power Converters seem to be the dancers in the Max Rebo Band.

Over its four airings, the special received 5.7 million viewers ages 12+. It helped Adult Swim regain the status as the #1 cable network for total day delivery of young adults ages 18-34 and 18-24.

In the sketch with Ponda Baba, a few objects are what seems to be IG-88's head: the water cooler in Ponda's office and some machines in the cantina seen behind the counter. These are in reference to the pieces used in A New Hope from which IG-88's head was later made. Also, in Ponda's bedroom there is a picture of Ponda on his left wall.

During the sketch with Mid-Nite with Zuckuss, a mug in the shape of Boushh's helmet is visible on the desk as a reference to Conan O' Brian's Eisenhower mug.

In the very beginning when the Doctor picks up the chicken from Mustafar, the fully constructed Death Star is in the upper left corner.

There is no skit based on Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, although Kamino is mentioned.

This is one of the few times that Anthony Daniels didn't voice Threepio.

During the conference George Lucas quotes Han Solo's Tauntaun remark from Episode V.

The show contains at least half a dozen censorings of the word "fuck," most of them from the second sketch.

The second sketch "Vader Calls the Emperor" was featured in a regular episode of Robot Chicken, which had the voice of Darth Vader with an uncharacteristically deep voice. It has been redone in the Star Wars special so the voice of Vader sounds to the liking of James Earl Jones.

In the space slugs sketch, the Millennium Falcon's cockpit is on the left side, instead of right.

This special was alluded to at the end of the Family Guy Star Wars special, Blue Harvest, as an in-joke as Seth Green, one of the creators of Robot Chicken also plays Chris Griffin on Family Guy. Chris breaks the fourth wall by saying "But, didn't Robot Chicken do this a few months ago?" His father, Peter Griffin, then starts saying how bad Robot Chicken is and that no one knows about the show. Angered by this, Chris runs from the room.

DVD release
On July 22, 2008, Warner Home Video released Robot Chicken: Star Wars on DVD. The single-disc release includes the special itself plus many special features:


 * Seven different audio commentaries, including actors, writers, production crew and Jett and Katie Lucas.
 * "Chicken Nuggets" sketch by sketch video commentary - previously available on adultswim.com
 * Animation Meeting
 * On-Air Bumps
 * Trailers
 * Behind-the-Scenes Featurette
 * Deleted Scenes
 * Alternate Audio
 * Time Lapse Sequences
 * Photo Gallery
 * STAR WARS Celebration IV Convention Panel Presentation
 * Production Design Featurette
 * a hidden Easter Egg in the language selection which features a short film about the crew's trouble in composing proper musical scores for the Empire On Ice sketch

Notes and references

 * Star Wars Insider 94