A Lego Brickumentary

Who doesn't like Lego's? The classic plastic interlocking building blocks are the go-to toy for every holiday and birthday presents. As the second largest toy company and the only one that specializes in one product, the Danish company has become a global phenomena. Directors Kief Davidson and Daniel Judge who also wrote the documentary with Davis Coombe, traces the history of the origins of how Lego came into being. Narrated by Jason Bateman in the form of a Lego minifigure, quick facts and interviews with Lego designers and Lego aficionados make this film easy and immensely interesting.

Lego was started by a toy carpenter Ole Kirt Christiansen whose forays into making wooden toys was stymied a few times by factory fires. One year he bought a plastic mold machine and on the suggestion of his son to make a building block. They named the toy and company Lego, which means “play well”. The blocks have a patented “clutch power” design that helps keep the Legos in place. Later the grandson came up with the idea of mini-figures which gives Lego's a story when one is building with the pieces. The Lego design team use that concept, the story, to come up with the various Lego kits.

Considering how popular Legos are today, it's hard to believe the company almost went bankrupt. They were mired in a creative rut. That is until they decided to listen to their customer base. People who grew up with Lego's and have become AFOL or Adult Fan of Lego who have group meetings sharing ideas and builds. There was soon conventions like Brick Con in Seattle, Bricks by the Bay, Brick Fiesta, Brickfete, Brick World and Brick Fair. It was at some of these conventions that the Lego design team has recruited some of their staff. It's that willingness to open up the concept to everyone that the idea of the website Cuusoo came into being. Where people can submit their designs, the public votes on them, and the winner gets their design developed into the next Lego kit.

Although a lot of AFOL's are nerdy men, there are plenty of talented women builders who are just as obsessed with Lego's. It was interesting listening to the various builders in their studios with buckets of color sorted pieces on very organized shelving. They buy huge bags of pieces at a time and create massive scenarios to compete at conventions. The Lego movement has also allowed for others to create pieces that Lego will not manufacture like BrickArms, little plastic Lego-type guns for people creating war pieces. Artists have also used Lego's to create 3-D art pieces and some have created stop animated movies. The recent popularity of the Lego movie has brought a new resurgence to Lego.

So many quick fun facts are thrown at the audience like the number of Lego's produced in 2014 would reach more than 24 times around the world. Most of all you may be inspired by the life sized Star War's Two Wing Starfighter made completely by Legos. Brick by brick. The movie opens at the Angelika and some members of the local AFOL's will be on hand with a demonstration of their builds this Saturday morning.
(Review by reesa)