Lego Movie

[STL]

I appreciated all the nods to Lego fans. Like the cracked helmet, references to old sets and pieces that were sprinkled out. Obvious to the Lego fan it's a nice Easter Egg but to the common viewer they don't have to know it to enjoy it.

Loved the creativity of building different things from pieces lying around through the movie. Really shines with the core value of Lego.

Really looking forward to the cool looking sets that are coming out of the Movie too like the Police Dropship later this year and the Retro Space Ship too.

The movie to me was fine for a kids movie. But that's about as far as I'd take it. To an adult, it feels patronising, forced and childish.

The whole "everybody is special even if they seem ordinary" is complete BS. Stupid message to kids. I'm sure that kid in Africa who hauls 10 litres of water instead of going to school everyday feels special. I can understand the purpose of that feel-good message to kids but to an adult audience? It's pathetically corny and childish. Just no. It took a lot of enjoyment out of the movie for me.

The whole thing with the glue and the real-life sequence was plain stupid. I get the point. But the problem is the kid builds grade A models in his dad's city. That is not what happens IRL. Majority of kids build grade F models. Which is fine. But again, it just makes me feel the whole messaging of the movie is so pretentious and forced. It's so much easier to say creativity is great when the models are high quality. No one though some of those ugly mishmashes of Lego MOCs you see in the Lego magazines.

Not every movie can be a Toy Story but at least with Toy Story the messaging isn't heavy handed and forced. The Lego Movie could learn a lot from the Toy Story movie. A lot of thought provoking ideas but with the pretentiousness that the Lego movie got caught up in.

[Paulbot]

Here's another take on what they were doing: if everyone is special than no one is

[kup]

Here's another take on what they were doing: if everyone is special than no one is

Reds under the bed.

With the whole 'New Cold War' vibe the media is spinning to the Ukraine situation, seems suitable to start up again that sort of old school scare mongering

[Lint]

The whole thing with the glue and the real-life sequence was plain stupid. I get the point. But the problem is the kid builds grade A models in his dad's city. That is not what happens IRL. Majority of kids build grade F models.

I actually loved this bit, it has a good dig at the 'collector' type of AFOL many of which would have been keen to see this film because they love Lego only to have it force them to take a good hard look at themselves

I'd say the majority of people build grade F models. Mostly because they simply don't have the pieces (type & colour) to build beautiful A grade models. I reckon if you supplied most kids any of the pieces they wanted they would eventually build something spectacular. I would also bet that in these circumstances it would be more likely that a regular kid would build something far more impressive than a regular adult.

Not every movie can be a Toy Story but at least with Toy Story the messaging isn't heavy handed and forced. The Lego Movie could learn a lot from the Toy Story movie. A lot of thought provoking ideas but with the pretentiousness that the Lego movie got caught up in.

Toy Story 3's message was very much enforcing the status quo, "give up your toys you're too old for them now, give them to a kid who will take better care of them because you will be too busy getting wasted at frat parties like you should be at your age and girls won't like you if you have toys in your room"

Okay it wasn't that explicit in the film but its still a pretty poor message.

Here's another take on what they were doing: if everyone is special than no one is

My reading of the 'message' is completely opposite to this article. Lord Business values equality, order (following instructions), control and segregation which is traditionally the 'communist' vibe. 'Everyone is special and is free to reach their full potential', 'freedom/anarchy' and 'revolution' are very much 'capitalist' values. I think where the confusion may be is that 'revolution' is something the western world has not experienced in a very very long time and most revolutions have been associated with the developing world, usually resulting in a popular totalitarian regime gaining power.

That said, this movie is pure fantasy. In the real world the 'distribution of pieces' is very unequal and even if everyone is special they don't have the means to 'build their dreams' without tearing down vehicles and buildings around them and most people aren't willing to go that far because they are sane and have morals.

[Paulbot]

I linked that article for it's point that they parodied the movie cliche of the nobody becoming the hero that saves the day by having the hero actually not be that special at all and just as skilled as the average minifig.

[sideswipes brother]

Spaceship! Spaceship! SPACESHIP!!!!!

[CBratron]

Spaceship! Spaceship! SPACESHIP!!!!!

Yeah, Benny was the best.

[STL]

I actually loved this bit, it has a good dig at the 'collector' type of AFOL many of which would have been keen to see this film because they love Lego only to have it force them to take a good hard look at themselves

Totally got that but the execution was forced and patronising.

I'm curious to how much of the 'collector' AFOLs it got too. Most of them see themselves as the lifeblood and biggest ambassadors of the brand.

I'd say the majority of people build grade F models. Mostly because they simply don't have the pieces (type & colour) to build beautiful A grade models. I reckon if you supplied most kids any of the pieces they wanted they would eventually build something spectacular. I would also bet that in these circumstances it would be more likely that a regular kid would build something far more impressive than a regular adult.

I agree a lot of kids could build better than regular adult. Regular adults are fixed in their way of thinking and if they have no creative spark at that stage, they're better off watching AFL/Rugby then trying.

However, even if all parts are supplied, I don't think a kid (or many of us) have the ingenuity to change an official Grade A model to another Grade A model. I've tried it before and it's not easy. I've seen some MOC guys do great things with this constraint but even some of their ideas push the boundaries.

I'm not against the whole notion of being creative. I just found it poorly executed and patronising. I think creativity should be encouraged but the way the movie presented it, I had a tough time buying it.

Toy Story 3's message was very much enforcing the status quo, "give up your toys you're too old for them now, give them to a kid who will take better care of them because you will be too busy getting wasted at frat parties like you should be at your age and girls won't like you if you have toys in your room"

Okay it wasn't that explicit in the film but its still a pretty poor message.

I think the idea is more that we all grow up and things change and we move on. It's accepting that, appreciating the memories and trying to pass them on.

Even in my TF collecting these days there are things that have passed their usefulness/utility to me IE G1. Toys. I don't think it's wrong I want to get rid of them now. It doesn't diminish that I enjoyed them for a long time and there's nostalgic value to them even if I want to part with them. No point hoarding for the sake of hoarding. Rather give them to a new home where they're wanted and someone will get appreciation of them

My problem is in the offloading them to a new home part. Just a tedious process. But I certainly don't think Toy Story was saying "you're too cool for toys'". I saw it as more you outgrow things and you do.

Using G1 as an example. I've just outgrown them with the abundance of Classics/Masterpiece toys that are available these days. The citybots, the combiners were all treasured b/c I didn't think I'd get another representation of them. Doesn't detract from the nostalgic and "character" value I used to get out of them.

Yeah, Benny was the best.

+2

Can't wait for the Spaceship!

[Lint]

+2

Can't wait for the Spaceship!

+3!!!

I don't think a TV/Movie has made me want a toy this bad since like, Batman Returns. It's an extremely weird feeling to experience again

[BruiseLee]

TRU has 20% off Lego. For those getting the movie sets you may already have most of these given the myer and target sales but there is the Rescue Reinforcements (fire engine mecha) set which seems to be TRU exclusive. Doesn't seem available online but finally had some luck tracking this down for the missus at Knox TRU today!