A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY – The Review

Few things are as exhilarating to witness as the unbridled passion and joy that builders put into their Lego creations, and the same can be said of watching children play with these toys as well. That’s right. Lego building blocks are a popular toy for the imaginations of both the young and the old. Having been around since the 1950s, this timeless toy has a fascinating history and a seemingly unstoppable appeal for generation after generation. But, how did it all start and what makes it such a juggernaut?

Directors Kief Davidson and Daniel Junge have taken it upon themselves to explore and reveal the very essence of those questions and, as a result, have created what must be the most comprehensive and thorough detailing of one of the greatest toy inventions… ever! A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY is narrated by comedic actor Jason Bateman, whose voice is recognizable, but played as familiar in place of being funny.

This documentary provides the audience with an awe-inspiring level of history, anecdotes and curious knowledge of the second largest toy company in the world, despite the fact that they produce just a single category of toys… Legos. At its core, when you really consider the immensity of that accomplishment, its rather incredible. Knowledge nerds and trivia junkies will find this film irresistible, as will anyone with an honest passion for toys or even popular culture in general, as Legos have definitely entered into that broader realm of our society.

A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY, on the other hand, is not a fully realized perfect experience. The filmmakers did a fantastic job of avoiding the mass marketed, feature-length advertisement trap that would have meant disaster. At no point as a viewer did I feel I was being sold something, not did I feel I was being brainwashed into loving Lego (partially because I already do), but there still exists an unavoidable element of self-promotion that is tolerable, even acceptable. However, in doing so, there is a personalized touch that is lost, or at least minimized.

Despite all the wonderful facts and stories that go into forming the overall Lego story, the film ultimately feels a bit dry. Lacking any personality of its own, or of the filmmakers’ involved, nor any true stylistic uniqueness, A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY often feels bland and unemotional. Don’t get me wrong, the film has some funny moments, especially when the narrator, shown on screen as an animator mini figure, certainly brings out the inner child and the heart-felt chuckle. Even this, however, is borrowed from the LEGO MOVIE.

A great deal of the interesting information available in the film is presented as just that, interesting information not unlike what you may read in an article on the Internet, but in movie form with audio and video. This may appeal to the droves of Lego fans whose interest lies within meticulously constructing Lego sets into the carefully planned out builds pre-determined by the Lego designers. That’s all fine and dandy for those content with following instructions and recreating others’ visions, but what the film lacks is a more freely flowing, artistically minded approach to the many Lego fans who say “screw the instructions” and want nothing more than to allow their creative minds to run free amidst the three-dimensional universe of plastic geometric shapes.

In all fairness, A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY does focus on a few relatively prominent artists. One of which being Alice Finch, a self-taught Lego master builder who has won multiple awards and whose massive recreation of Rivendale from The Lord of the Rings is anything but boring… in fact, its quite jaw dropping. As amazing as her work is to see, this is a short segment and the only creation of hers we see on film. Secondly, the Lego artist Nathan Sawaya is featured a bit more prominently, and for this I am grateful. Sawaya’s work is impressive and inspiring, ranging from large sculptures to small simple Lego men strategically placed in public, sort of like what Shephard Fairey and Banksy do with stencils, Sawaya does on a smaller, less political scale with Lego brinks. He also recreates masterpiece paintings, but with Legos and that is really cool.

There are a couple other names in the Lego art world that are touched upon, but I feel the balance between historical information and artistic interpretation leave the film feeling a little too much like a PBS documentary directed by Ken Burns and not enough like a contemporary, socially relevant film about a corporate powerhouse that has consequently evolved into something much more. I still very much enjoyed A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY, and I certainly recommend the film highly to be seen by children and adults alike, but continue to believe the film had the potential to be even more. Much like the subject matter itself, the film has great imaginative potential but limits itself too much to remaining loyal to the instructions.

A LEGO BRICKUMENTARY opens in theaters on July 31st, 2015.

Overall rating: 3 out of 5 stars