Enjoyable even if you don’t love Lego.
by Martin Hafer
A LEGO Brickumentary is a very good and very well crafted documentary–whether you are a Lego lover or not. While I enjoyed The Lego Movie, I never bought my kids Lego and don’t collect the toy…and I enjoyed it quite a bit, as did my non-Lego loving wife.
When the film begins, you see the narrator…and it’s a walking talking Lego man (actually, it’s the voice of Jason Bateman set to the movements of a cute Lego character). He begins with talking about the history of the Lego company, which was started by a wood carver, Ole Kistiansen, in Billund, Denmark. With very humble beginnings, it managed to grow the second highest grossing toy company in the world!
- A LEGO Brickumentary
- Directed by
Kief Davidson & Daniel Junge - Cast
Jason Bateman, Jamie Berard, Alice Finch - Release Date
31 July 2015 - Martin’s Grade: A-
*****
But the film is much more than just the history of the company. What follows is discussion of the love of the toy…often by adults. Among the many topics covered are the work of the Master Builders who make huge creations for the company, the creation of a full-size X-wing fighter made of Lego blocks, Lego conventions, AFOLs (adult fans of Lego), the use of Legos as a therapy tool for autistic children and much, much more. I was very surprised, as this really doesn’t sound very interesting as I write it, but it really was a very interesting and occasionally moving documentary. A few scenes even brought tears to my eyes (but don’t tell my wife)…it was amazingly interesting considering it’s just a toy.
The bottom line is that although Legos seem like a rather mundane topic, the film is extremely well made and never left me bored. Plus, you’ve got to love a film with wonderful ending credits like you see in this movie. If you are interested (and everyone probably would be if they give the film a chance), it’s out this week on Netflix and is well worth your time. And, if you are an AFOL, you will absolutely adore this film.
