The Star Wars Holiday Special
Performance & Direction: The Star Wars Holiday Special Review
Last updated: February 5, 2026
Quick Verdict: Hit or Flop?
Is The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978) worth watching? According to our cinematic analysis, the film stands as a FLOP with a verified audience rating of 3.4/10. Whether you're looking for the box office collection, ending explained, or parents guide, our review covers everything you need to know about this Adventure.
Cast Performances: A Masterclass
The success of any Adventure is often anchored by its ensemble, and The Star Wars Holiday Special features a noteworthy lineup led by Peter Mayhew . Supported by the likes of Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher , the performances bring a palpable realism to the scripted words.
Performance Analysis: While the cast delivers competent and professional performances, they are occasionally hampered by a script that leans into familiar archetypes.
Final Verdict: Is it Worth Watching?
Story & Plot Summary: The Star Wars Holiday Special
Quick Plot Summary: The Star Wars Holiday Special is a Adventure, Science Fiction, Family, TV Movie film that presents a compelling narrative that engages viewers from start to finish. This summary provides a scannable look at the movie's central conflict and narrative structure.
Ending Explained: The Star Wars Holiday Special
Ending Breakdown: The Star Wars Holiday Special attempts to tie together its various plot elements. The finale presents its approach to adventure resolution.
The conclusion addresses the core thematic questions, offering viewers material for post-viewing discussion.
Ending Analysis:
- Narrative Resolution: The story concludes by addressing its primary narrative threads, providing closure while maintaining some ambiguity.
- Character Arcs: Character journeys reach their narrative endpoints, reflecting the film's thematic priorities.
- Thematic Payoff: The ending reinforces the adventure themes established throughout the runtime.
The final moments of The Star Wars Holiday Special reflect the filmmakers' creative choices, offering an ending that aligns with the film's tone and style.
Who Should Watch The Star Wars Holiday Special?
Consider Watching If:
- You're a completist for Adventure films
- You're curious despite mixed reviews
- You have low expectations and want casual entertainment
Box Office Collection: The Star Wars Holiday Special
| Metric / Region | Collection (Approx) |
|---|---|
| Production Budget | $1.0M |
| Trade Verdict | FINANCIAL DISAPPOINTMENT |
The Star Wars Holiday Special Budget
The estimated production budget for The Star Wars Holiday Special is $1.0M. This figure covers principal photography, talent acquisitions, and visual effects. When accounting for global marketing and distribution, the break-even point is typically 2x the base production cost.
Top Cast: The Star Wars Holiday Special
All Cast & Crew →
The Star Wars Holiday Special Parents Guide & Age Rating
1978 AdvisoryWondering about The Star Wars Holiday Special age rating or if it's safe for kids? Here is our cinematic advisory:
⏱️ Runtime & Duration
The total runtime of The Star Wars Holiday Special is 97 minutes (1h 37m). Ensuring you have enough time for the full cinematic experience.
Verdict Summary
Analyzing the overall audience sentiment, verified rating of 3.4/10, and global performance metrics, The Star Wars Holiday Special is classified as a FLOP. It remains an essential part of the 1978 cinematic calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Star Wars Holiday Special worth watching?
The Star Wars Holiday Special is definitely worth watching if you enjoy Adventure movies. It has a verified rating of 3.4/10 and stands as a FLOP in our box office analysis.
Where can I find The Star Wars Holiday Special parents guide and age rating?
The official parents guide for The Star Wars Holiday Special identifies it as PG. Our detailed advisory section above covers all content warnings for families.
What is the total runtime of The Star Wars Holiday Special?
The total duration of The Star Wars Holiday Special is 97 minutes, which is approximately 1h 37m long.
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Critic Reviews for The Star Wars Holiday Special
I recently spoke about how, in my opinion at least, _Attack of the Clones_ is the worst theatrically released _Star Wars_ of all time. The reason I had to put that "theatrically released" qualifier in there, is because of _The Holiday Special_, because it absolutely **blitzes** _Clones_ when it comes to how low it sinks. _The Holiday Special_ isn't just a bad _Star Wars_ movie, it isn't just a bad movie full stop, it basically isn't a movie at all. _Final rating:½ - So bad it’s offensive. I may never fully recover._
What were they even thinking? Astonishingly bad, and not even in a humorous way either. After watching and, all in all, enjoying the main films from the 'Star Wars' franchise, I thought I'd check out the many spin-off films. 'The Star Wars Holiday Special' makes for quite the start! I had heard bits and pieces about this down the years and those bits and pieces were usually pretty derogatory and now I can see why; it's far worse than I was anticipating though. The worst thing is that it doesn't even try to be silly and stupid, if actually attempts to be sincere and meaningful. It's utterly dire, from start to finish. No idea how they roped Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher into this, you gotta especially feel for Fisher given that end scene... wow. I wish it was 'so bad it's good' so it could've been ironically fun to watch, but it's the furthest thing from that.
movieMx Verified
This review has been verified for accuracy and editorial quality by our senior cinematic analysts.
This analysis is compiled by our editorial experts using multi-source verification and audience sentiment data for maximum accuracy.
