It’s always great and inspiring to hear stories of “ascended” fans, people who have been ardent followers of a company or brand and have done extensive work using their products. Eventually they get called up by these same companies and offered their dream jobs, officially becoming part of their organization.
A lot of LEGO fans have enjoyed becoming ascended themselves, whether it’s as small as having their submissions to LEGO Ideas becoming official sets, or actually getting hired by The LEGO Group themselves. The latter has recently happened to Chris “PowerPig” McVeigh, one of the biggest online LEGO builders today.
His building guide website has plenty of nice tech-related brick construction projects, and he also sells some impressive MOCs in his own store. PowerPigs work is plenty spiffy enough to stand next to any official LEGO sets, which might explain why The LEGO Group has extended an invite to him.
McVeigh announced the good news on his official Facebook page this Tuesday, February 19. He will soon be moving to Denmark as a new addition to the design and development teams for the LEGO Creator Expert and Architecture product lines. It was accompanied by the cool minifigure vignette pictured above.
Of course, such a major change will have certain repercussions to PowerPig’s online activities. The most significant is that his online LEGO MOC store, PowerPig’s Builds, will be shutting down effective February 25, so interested customers better make their online purchases before this week’s out. We’re not sure what will happen to his building guides; perhaps they’ll remain on site.
But, Chris McVeigh is now part of the bigger picture with his ascension to the LEGO Creator Expert and Architecture teams. Who knows which future sets from these lines will be made with his input? It’ll be fun to guess.
If any location in the Middle East could be considered the center of the LEGO experience in that region, it would have to be the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). There’s a LEGOLAND Resort there for starters, and it’s the market that recorded the highest sales for the now-retired LEGO Architecture Burj Khalifa (21031) set, as the actual building’s located in the city itself after all.
Even recently, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority used LEGO bricks to both send a public message and earn a Guinness World Record. Now, to top all of Dubai’s LEGO-centrism, the company itself just opened a new Middle East office there.
UAE newspaper The National reports that The LEGO Group celebrated the launch of their new Middle East office, located at the Dubai Design District, on Thursday, February 14. LEGO GM – Middle East and Africa Jeroen Beijer remarked on the establishment of a Dubai-based LEGO office by describing the city as being very international, and thus a natural place to establish a presence for local partners.
The opening of the LEGO Dubai office certainly drew the presence of the local LEGO-building community, from child fans to AFOLs. The obvious attractions are the usual trappings of any LEGO Group-related workplace: the hundreds upon hundreds of brick constructions decorating halls, desktops and walls.
Fully-assembled official numbered sets and impressive MOCs were everywhere, and the occasion was also graced by the appearance of minifigure mascots of the “LEGO Movie” lead stars Emmet and Wyldstyle.
Dubai AFOLs were undoubtedly pleased at The LEGO Group setting up shop in the city as it could only mean bigger things for the brand’s future direction in the Middle East. In the words of local AFOL Manohar Raju, aged 47, LEGO in Dubai is potentially a better investment than gold, as collecting costs for the brand in the UAE is said to be bigger than other LEGO world markets.
When iconic global toy store chain Toys R Us was locking up all their locations in the US and elsewhere last year, we thought a piece of toy retail history was fading away forever. It felt like an ignoble end for what was one of the best sources for toys from brands like LEGO, a major partner of theirs.
Before 2018 ended however, there was a spark of hope when plans were announced to revive the chain in the US as store-within-a-store Geoffrey’s Toy Box. But that was only the beginning. With the owning company out of bankruptcy and under a new name, Toys R Us seems ready to return.
Toy World Mag has it that the parent company of the Toys R Us chain, now renamed to Tru Kids Inc., is now ready to follow through with its plans for a resurgence in its home market. This will be overseen by former Toys R Us Inc. chief merchandising officer, Richard Barry, now president and CEO for Tru Kids.
With their restructuring complete and emergence from bankruptcy achieved, the new company hopes to further restore the goodwill of customers in all the properties they own: the Toys R Us brand, plus Babies R Us and mascot Geoffrey the Giraffe, whose name graces their pop-up store initiative during the 2018 holidays.
The Geoffrey’s Toy Box store-within-a-store strategy which launched towards the previous Holiday season, while well-noticed, still fell short of meeting the gap in consumer demand according to Barry.
“We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to write the next chapter of Toys“R”Us by launching a newly imagined omni channel retail experience for our beloved brands here in the US,” he said. “In addition, our strong global footprint is led by experienced and passionate operating teams that are 100% focused on growth.”
While the drive to reestablish itself in the US market is ongoing, Tru Kids will continue to strengthen its connections with its global business partners, especially in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, to make sure Toys R Us stores in those regional markets continue expanding.
Not everything has been smooth sailing for the Toys R Us renaissance under Tru Kids brands. Observers from the international toy industry voiced their misgivings to Toy World that the retail chain’s reinvention did not adequately resolve the masses of debts it had incurred on its original downward spiral to bankruptcy. The Tru Kids rebranding to them seems like an attempt to start with a clean slate under false pretenses while ignoring all TRU staff and employees that were affected.
Art instructor Jeanna Bassett from Concordia Elementary School in San Clemente, Orange County might fit the bill for cool teacher. She had amassed three decades’ worth of LEGO Star Wars sets, many of which were assembled by her sons. In a generous gesture she had donated some sets to her school’s library as exhibits over the years, becoming its own little attraction there.
Then on November last year she experienced a LEGO collector’s worst nightmare: vandalism of the sets on display. The destruction was so significant that Basset lost all hope of seeing her collection put together again. Thank goodness for her local building community, not to mention LEGO itself.
As told by the Orange County Register, over two months since Jeanna Bassett’s LEGO Star Wars set exhibit in the Concordia School in San Clemente was wrecked by still-unidentified suspects, some 90% of the total collection that had been on display has since been either repaired or given newly-built replacements.
With 125 individual LEGO Star Wars sets that were damaged in last year’s vandalism attack on Concordia, repair and replacement of them would have been too daunting. But the local community readily answered the call. Orange County’s Goodwill actually sprung for the fixit job on one of Bassett’s biggest ruined LEGO Star Wars sets, the UCS Millennium Falcon (75192) itself, which they then presented to her at school last December.
Other salvage work on the collection was performed by various LEGO Users Groups from Orange, Los Angeles and San Diego Counties, totaling 40 individual builders that joined hands to restore Bassett’s precious Star Wars sets.
Paul Lee of the LA LEGO User Group put it best for his fellows when he remarked, “To paraphrase Liam Neeson, as AFOLS we ‘do have a very particular set of skills’ that were perfectly suited for solving this problem. We have the building experience and expertise, and we have the resources in terms of replacing damaged or missing pieces.”
The LEGO Group itself also donated more Star Wars sets for assembly worth $2,000. Lastly, “The Last Jedi” director Rian Johnson presented Jeanna Bassett with a signed “Star Wars” poster to go with her mostly-restored library exhibit, as he himself lives in San Clemente and has nephews attending in Concordia.
While she and her husband Donald were reinstalling her LEGO collection in the library Sunday, February 10, Bassett said of her fortune, “It’s really the story of how the community came together. It’s sad it had to happen in the first place but it shows you people really do care.”
In the latter half of 2018, LEGO made quite the splash for Halloween with a lineup of brick and minifigure-themed costumes for children and adults. That was the most prominent push by LEGO into wearable apparel that we have recently covered here in The Brick Show.
But it looks like our favorite toy brand giant has even more in store where it comes to clothing, one that they are combining with, of all things, augmented reality tech with help from social media platform Snapchat. The result is a most unusual clothes store that opened in London before London Fashion Week.
As reported by CNBC, the strange LEGO pop-up shop that was launched this Wednesday, February 13, is actually an empty white room in London. The only feature is a pedestal with a physical icon familiar to Snapchat users: a Snapcode. Scanning that code takes users to an AR platform on their devices where they can buy online a selection of LEGO-themed street wear by the company’s latest garments partner, KABOOKI.
Here we have a sample of the new LEGO casual fashion line from KABOOKI, designed as scaled-up versions of LEGO Wear clothes for kids. This was confirmed by KABOOKI’s Birgitte Holgaard Langer, who added that they also wanted to experiment with an AR platform provided by Snapchat to make their clothing available for purchase online.
Why have Snapchat as a partner for hosting the digital AR LEGO Store? Snap Inc. Director EMEA Creative Strategy Will Scougal says that it’s because the users of their social media platform are among the most frequent users of augmented reality around.
“Snapchatters engage with AR naturally, on average 70% of them play with an AR lens every day,” Scougal explains. Adding an e-commerce element to create the LEGO-KABOOKI online store seems the logical conclusion.
The best part about this LEGO clothing store on Snapchat is that prospective customers don’t even need to go to that empty shop in London. Snap Inc. has saved us the trouble with this photo of the AR store’s Snapcode. Snapchat-using LEGO fans have nothing to lose and perhaps some sweet new LEGO-wear to gain just by checking this out.
Before LEGO fired up the global building community with their life-sized fully-functional replica of the Bugatti Chiron using, Technic pieces akin to their official LEGO Technic set version (42083), the one prominent case of a life-sized car made out of LEGO bricks was a (non-running) Renault R.S.17 racecar.
This one was created in 2017 as part of promotion for both that year’s F1 season and Renault Sport’s 40th anniversary event. After over a year from its time in the spotlight, this full-scale LEGO Renault F1 racecar found itself in the news again, after it was sold in auction for charity.
Said auction took place just this past Sunday, February 10, and it was part of a larger selection of motorsports memorabilia that went under the hammer that day on behalf of UNICEF. Made by a LEGO Certified Pro from some 300,000 LEGO pieces, its estimated sale price was around $35,000-$55,000.
Nobody could have imagined, according to NBC affiliate WTHR 13, that the 1:1 LEGO Renault R.S.17 would go for $108,000 which was almost double its maximum ESP. That is indeed remarkable considering its being a static model compared to the “new hotness” that is the working life-sized Technic Bugatti Chiron.
With that, one piece of LEGO cross-promotion history now belongs to a well-off motorsports aficionado, with the proceeds going to UNICEF charities. The LEGO Renault is a hybrid build like the later Bugatti Chiron: LEGO bricks over a metal frame, with genuine Pirelli racing tires and a movable steering wheel.
LEGO has just released a designer video that focuses on its next big set: the LEGO Movie 2 Welcome to Apocalypseburg! (70840). Designers James Ramsden (Senior LEGO Designer), Mike Patton (Graphic Designer), and Ruth Kelly (Element Designer) shared their thoughts as they collaborated in making this awesome set. Watch this.
One of the things that Ramsden highlighted are the multiple rooms in the Welcome to Apocalypseburg! set that showcases how life drastically changed for the citizens of Bricksburg after the invasion of the Duplons. It was a bit of a challenge for them on how to convey this tough, wasteland life while at the same time keeping things more or less familiar to LEGO fans. There’s still the same iconic Coffee Unchained coffee shop where overpriced coffee is still served, though by the less friendly and more tough-looking Larry the Barrista. You also have Surfer Dave and his camper van which is now used as a prop to help the statue stand up on its own. Batman and his daily workout routine at the gym which is actually an old, worn out train, and other locations that are all nicely included in this mammoth-sized set. Needless to say, it’s a carefully planned set where designers thoughtfully planted as many surprises as they can. They even managed to hide a reference that alludes to their favorite chicken parmesan dish.
The choice of minifigures that were included is as excellent as the build itself. The set boasts of 12 minifigures, all new for 2019: we have Emmet, Lucy, Batman, Scribble Cop, Suicide Squad-inspired Harley Quinn (which is unique only this set), Green Lantern, Where Are My Pants Guy, Larry the Barista, Chainsaw Dave, Mohawk, Roxxi and Fuse. One of the more interesting detail about this minifigures has something to do with Larry the Barista’s tattoos. According to Mike, Larry’s tattoos are the same as that of actor Chris McKay who voiced Larry in the first LEGO Movie. Now that’s one cool shout out for an actor.
James also described how the LEGO Movie 2 Welcome to Apocalypseburg! set offers plenty of LEGO pieces that LEGO fans would love to have. He underscored the set’s generous use of sand green and sun blue elements which are kind pretty cool actually to be used in LEGO MOCs. The set also features new pieces such Batman’s armor made of tire wheels, Lucy’s new goggles, a Mohawk hair accessory, and a barbed wire element just to name a few. The Welcome to Apocalypseburg! set also has plenty of easter eggs, or hidden references to watch out for. One of which is Scribble Cop’s chair-kicking play feature which is a cool reference to the first LEGO film. The set also features plenty of references to the LEGO Batman and LEGO Ninjago movies as well.
Lastly, I couldn’t help but notice this nagging feeling every time I see this particular set displayed in the background. I know that this might as well be one of the designer’s early concept models for the Welcome to Apocalypseburg! set (which is anywhere between 30 to 40 iterations as disclosed by James), but it is a good candidate to be a follow-up set, very much the same as how LEGO did it with the LEGO Ninjago City (70620) and the LEGO Ninjago City Docks (70657). I know that this might be a long shot, but it’s a cool thing to have this nice Mad Max-styled diner alongside the Welcome to Apocalypseburg! set. What do you think?
We’re just three days away before the LEGO Movie 2 hits theaters worldwide this Friday, and adding this set to your LEGO collection is a great way to add some LEGO Movie fun to them. The LEGO Movie 2 Welcome to Apocalypseburg! set is now available at shop.LEGO.com together with the rest of the TLM2 sets, with more sets to be revealed later in the second half of the year.
Towards the last quarter of 2018, LEGO and Bricklink collaborated to launch the AFOL Designer Program. Similar to the LEGO Ideas Project, Bricklink’s first crowd project seeks to the encourage AFOLs, or Adult Fans of LEGO, to come up with their most original MOC (My Own Creation) to vie to become an exclusive LEGO set, in celebration of the LEGO brick’s 60th anniversary. The Design Review is finally over, and here are 16 AFOL Designer Program finalists that you can support with the hope of becoming the next LEGO set.
Starting next month, fans of these brick creations can pre-order up to 3 sets of each design during the pre-order phase which will end on March. Once the pre-order mark has been achieved, then production will begin until April when the first AFOL Designer Program sets will be shipped to their crowd backers and supporters.
This is a great way to encourage original work and creativity among the LEGO fan community. And in case you see something that you like among these 16 finalists, just click on the links below and come back on February 1 to place your pre-order. Which one do you like from these 16 AFOL Designer Program finalists, and which will you most likely pre-order? Share your comments below.
Give your horse a break from dodging tumbleweeds, and stop by the Wild West Saloon for a much needed drink. Just look for the cactus out front with a longhorn skull over the door! After settling in, order something from the Saloon’s beverage selection then hang out with other cowboys in the lantern light. If it suits you, walk up to the balcony to bathe in the setting sun while the pianist plays your favorite tunes. Now that you and your horse are well-rested, get back on the road and continue your adventure into the Wild West.
Experience modern living using a flexible space for your minifigs with Eight Studs. One housing unit can easily attach or stack with another unit, so you can either create a 2×8 space or a two-story unit for your minifigs. The minimal design allows you organize and decorate rooms for activities such as hanging out or playing with LEGO bricks. Feel free to move things around until you find that perfect balance. Eight Studs is about making connections with LEGO, and life is too.
Journey to the Art Deco era in your very own Vintage Roadster, which has enough room for you and a friend to experience elegance on wheels. With its classic sweeping shape, side doors, and monochromatic color scheme, no one will question your timeless sense of style. Even the sleek engine inside can be revealed simply by removing the front hood. No matter where you go with this Vintage Roadster, you will be the star of the show.
Go exploring on the island of Poseidonia after anchoring your yacht next to the small boathouse with a light blue roof. Then trek through the mountainous island and follow the staircase to the top where centuries-old buildings can be found. The main attraction here is the ancient statue of a deity who still guards the island to this day. Finally, hop back on your yacht and discover the cave that goes right through the island of Poseidonia.
Every castle is home to someone, and in this Löwenstein Castle lives a knight, his family, and his animals. The animals have their own housing that can be found right behind the outermost of the two main gatehouses – the outer bailey. The inner bailey has a roofed defensive corridor to offer protection from outside threats with an overhanging toilette bay, or “thunderbox.” Cross the drawbridge to get to the Great Hall and join the family for festivities after keeping watch over the castle. End the day with hiking up the centrepiece and highest point of the complex, the donjon or keep, to absorb panoramic views of the entire Löwenstein Castle.
Make your way to a bike stand where both tourists and locals alike can ride a bike to explore the city and then set it aside just about anywhere after they are done exploring. A truck driver will pick up the bikes using GPS antennas that communicate the bikes’ location to the truck’s tracking system. Furthermore, it includes a carrier tricycle, which minifigures can use to transport groceries or, of course, their children. With LEGO cities being focused mainly on motorized vehicles, add another method of transportation with Bikes!
So much creative potential lies within the iconic LEGO® brick, and this design gives the builder a taste of the limitless ideas just waiting to burst out. At the center of the design is a poseable anime character with your choice of heads. Micro models of different themes that surround the character include a: quaint castle, cargo ship with lighthouse, futuristic skyscraper, a cute parrot, and many more! Display this design with your favorite LEGO sets in your collection to inspire creativity. If you can imagine it, you can build it!
Become the next grandmaster with the Steampunk Mini Chess set! But first, you must learn the basics, starting with identifying the chess pieces. Take it anywhere around the world so that you can have impromptu matches to improve your chess game. Once you’re done challenging a friend or foe, you can tuck away the pieces into the built-in drawer so that they will not get lost. Even if you’re not interested in becoming a grandmaster, this Steampunk Mini Chess set will be the topic of any conversation.
There are some things you cannot escape (like your desk), but you can escape a sea monster that has vicious means of destroying your Viking ship. Don’t let the blue skies fool you! Armor up and prepare for battle against not just the sea monster, but the raging waters your Viking ship sails on. Be brave and soldier on! Lead your ship to safety, and your fellow citizens will reward you with priceless treasures.
Join two minifigures as they explore the ruins of Clovershire Castle! It’s a perfect day for a picnic, so they bring along a loaded picnic basket, a telescope, and a candle for exploring. What could be hiding in the castle ruins? Follow the stairway behind the ruins and over the bridge to find the hidden crystal, but beware of the snake down by the stream! Once you’ve finished exploring Clovershire Castle, head to the Festival of Lanterns to add your lantern to the ones floating in the water.
Cross a small bridge over a stream and underneath an apple tree to get into the Science Tower, a multi-colored, four-level building. A pair of scientists and their trusty hound work here and are up to new discoveries! Shadow them around the tower to learn more about their experiments, or do your own research in the library. As day becomes night, climb up to the top floor to test out the astronomical telescope in the observatory. Challenge yourself to identify all scientific experiments and inventions!
When there’s a fire, you can count on the firefighters arriving ASAP and being well-prepared to protect the community. While in the Antique Fire Truck, firefighters will ring the built-in bell to alert nearby citizens that the firefighters need to hustle to the scene. While some are readying the hose to contain the fire, the others can use the ladder to save citizens on a higher floor. An extra fire extinguisher is located on the side of the truck in case one malfunctions. After a long day of fighting fires, don’t forget to thank and celebrate these heroes for rescuing your fellow citizens!
Opt for a night out at the carnival and stop by the Hot Shot, a shooting gallery where you can get some target practice! From afar, you can spot the billboard for “Hot Shot” with a large rifle and bullseye attached. When you get inside the carnival, take a walk around and treat yourself to an ice-cold popsicle. Then when you are ready for a little friendly competition, look for the booth with the red wavy walls and yellow and orange overhang. If luck is on your side, you can win prizes like a life-sized teddy bear, special edition guitar, and a few other surprises!
The Skyline Express is the ultimate solution for the minifig commute. With room for up to six passengers, panoramic windows and sleek Scandinavian design, this modern light rail is the perfect balance between comfort and style. The split-level station provides travelers with the latest schedule information and convenient smart ticketing machines. Have some time to spare before departure? Get fresh juice at Jüs, the organic juice bar located on the ground floor, where it can satisfy even the thirstiest passenger! After getting your train ticket and refreshments, make your way up the stairs to take in the breathtaking views.
Since it’s the 60th anniversary of LEGO Brick, what’s a better way to celebrate than taking a look back at how it all started? Build an individual vignette for 4 different eras of LEGO’s history starting from 1937. Ole Kirk Kristiansen bought his first milling machine, and the company only made wooden toys (have you spotted the wooden duck?). In the second vignette, LEGO started molding plastic bricks in 1946. The third vignette is of a designer’s office to represent designers working on the amazing LEGO sets that we all are familiar with. Finally, in the fourth vignette, you can see a modern molding machine with a complicated tubing system in the background. That’s where the raw materials “travel” to the big molding machines that make LEGO bricks. Display all the vignettes together, or put them in different places, to share the story of LEGO!
What exactly are the various dangers on the Isle of Peril? Just in case you, or any member of your crew, are too curious to stay on the marked path, we’ll tell you just a few things of what you’ll face! Just above the steep beach, in the rocky entrance into the canyon is “The Cave of No Return.” The backside opens into a small ledge overhanging “The Lake of Doom,” where one can a plunge into the lake if one isn’t careful. Look out for “Laudably Large Land Lobsters” and the “four-tentacled six-snake-headed one-eyed colossal-clam-beast.” After passing through the waterfall, travel downward toward the lowlands to a dangerously dilapidated wooden bridge over inordinately large spikes. Follow the path marked in red on this 3D treasure map, and if you’re lucky, you may find the buried treasure.
The LEGO Movie 2 was slated for early screenings yesterday, and as such, we now have critics and movie goers sharing their two cents whether or not the sequel lived up to its expectations. It was quite a surprise that Warner Bros opted for an early screening in some select locations ahead of the film’s general release on February 8. My bet is that WB is somehow banking on the positive reviews and buzz that the sequel’s early screening will generate. So did it really earn the accolades of critics? Let’s find out with this collection of LEGO Movie 2 spoiler-free reviews coming from across the internet.
Just to be sure, I steered away from spoilers so you can guarantee that the links I included here will not lead you into spoiler land. Nevertheless, knowing how the audience and critics saw the film provides us with insight on how this sequel is related to its predecessor.
First off, we have Germain Lussier writing for io9. He says “The LEGO Movie 2 is a hilarious, clever, emotional sequel – though it takes a little bit to get there.” Perhaps this is due to the fact that after five years since the release of the first LEGO Movie, audiences are now accustomed to the unique style of story-telling spearheaded by the first film. Other LEGO inspired films such as the LEGO Batman Movie and the LEGO Ninjago Movie may have somehow given audiences a feeling that this is just ‘another’ LEGO movie. But then again, seeing how the narrative of the real-world characters of Finn (who is now older, with a slightly different approach in playing with LEGO pieces) and his younger sister, Bianca ‘should’ play with LEGO bricks is an interesting plot to see.
This particular strain on how one should play with LEGO was perfectly illustrated in the first LEGO Movie, especially between that of an adult collector and builder who is adamant in following building instructions (portrayed by the character of the father, aka the Man Upstairs), and that of an imaginative child (as portrayed by the younger Finn) that would explore all possibilities of play using the LEGO brick. However, the LEGO Movie 2 now shifts the conflict on a whole different level: with Finn’s more ‘modern’ and ‘mature’ treatment over his LEGO collection, and that of Bianca’s more avant-garde approach in building. The only question is: which approach to LEGO play is better? According to Variety’s Peter Debruge, begging the question makes the LEGO Movie 2 a bit shaky. “The Lego Movie 2 ought to have raised the bar, and while it’s faster, denser, and jam-packed with all sorts of catchy new songs (including one, ‘Catchy Song,’ that’s insidiously engineered to get stuck inside your head), all that energy only goes so far to cover for the wobblier foundation on which this film is built. At the most basic level, it was a bad call to treat li’l Bianca as a villain when what she really represents is an extreme case of Finn’s own approach”. The complex question of how one should play with LEGO is perhaps something that was too difficult to tackle for the sequel. There is no prescribed formula on how one should creatively play with LEGO pieces, and this is something that the LEGO Movie 2 is expected to have explored more.
William Bibbiani from IGN also shares his verdict on the LEGO Movie 2, giving it a score of 7.5 out of 10. “The LEGO Movie 2 isn’t quite as funny or as brilliantly executed as the original, but it’s an ambitious, likable sequel. Kids will enjoy it and adults will appreciate that the filmmakers took it seriously, and tried to say something meaningful. Just don’t think about it too much, because the LEGO universe is often weird and confusing.”
Writing for Vox, Todd VanDerWeff gave the film a 3 out of 5 rating sharing that, “Unfortunately, ‘pointless, despite some solid moments’ describes too much of The Lego Movie 2, a film with its heart in the right place, some great gags in its head, and an inability to make anything connect beyond individual jokes or plot points. I had a good time watching it, but I could always see the filmmakers just offscreen, holding up the big table the Legos were scattered across, sweating and straining to keep the whole thing from toppling over.”
Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 92% on its Tomatometer, an average of 7.2/10, with a critics consensus saying that “While it isn’t quite as much fun as its predecessor, The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part fits neatly into an animated all-ages franchise with heart and humor to spare.”
As I mentioned earlier, I think this is a common problem with sequels: its predecessor is sometimes so good that it’s a bit difficult to have a sequel overshadow its success. Just to be clear and fair, I haven’t seen the LEGO Movie 2 yet so I will put a brake on my personal comments. Just like with the first film, I’m sure that Warner Bros and the LEGO Group have children in mind when they came up with the LEGO Movie 2. For sure, all the gags and comedic scenes all have their usual endearing LEGO brand of humor, but it seems that the overall theme of the story did not have the same appeal as that of the first film.
So what do you think about these LEGO Movie 2 spoiler-free reviews? Do you think the critics are right with their assessment? Share us your spoiler-free comments below (in case you have seen the film the already).
The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part will arrive in most theaters in the US and rest of the world on February 8, 2019. For more information about the LEGO Movie 2 tie-in sets, please visit shop.LEGO.com.
LEGOLAND Florida Resort is adding another attraction that will make everything in the theme park more awesome. It will be dedicating a significant portion of the park to what is call as The LEGO Movie World, featuring new attractions based on the first LEGO Movie and its sequel, the LEGO Movie 2. Furthermore, the wait will not be that long since Merlin Entertainment Group has announced a March 27 opening just roughly two months from now.
Read on for the official press release of the opening of the LEGO Movie World, followed by a video announcement from Merlin Entertainment courtesy of BricksFanz.
The LEGO Movie 2 is set to open in theaters next week, February 8, 2019. Just be sure not to get caught with the LSS-inducing effects of its Catchy Song.
WINTER HAVEN, Fla, Jan. 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Opening March 27, LEGOLAND Florida Resort is taking guests from the theater to the theme park with the launch of THE LEGO MOVIE WORLD. Created in partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, this impressive expansion features three new rides and numerous attractions, all inspired by the characters and themes of the worldwide blockbuster THE LEGO MOVIE™ and the exciting new big-screen animated adventure sequel THE LEGO MOVIE™ 2: The Second Part.
The creative masterminds from Merlin Magic Making, the global creative and delivery division of parent company Merlin Entertainments Group, re-created Bricksburg with its lovable characters, creative eating spaces and authentic city scape where guests can experience Emmet’s Super Suite.
“THE LEGO MOVIE WORLD is our largest addition to date and will provide guests around the world with the ultimate movie-to-theme park experience,” said Keith Carr, project director of Merlin Magic Making. “The park just screams fun everywhere you look; kids and families alike can interact with various characters, enjoy ride technology that’s the first of its kind and dine on tasty tacos at Taco Tuesday Everyday. Not to mention, we have a spaceship playground!”
While the Park’s theming and immersion of THE LEGO MOVIE universe will captivate guests of all ages, the three brand-new rides stay true to LEGOLAND Florida’s kid-friendly experience.
“The rides truly capture the whimsical fun and quirky nature of the popular LEGO movies,” said Rex Jackson, general manager of LEGOLAND Florida. “The Masters of Flight ride will be iconic to our park, Unikitty’s ride sings and spins with her ever-changing emotions and the Battle of Bricksburg is themed around huge LEGO DUPLO® aliens. With great partners in Warner Bros. we’ve developed a park that will bring a lot of smiles to children and their families. We’re thrilled to be the only location for fans to experience THE LEGO MOVIE WORLD.”
THE LEGO MOVIE Masters of Flight takes guests on a suspended ride aboard Emmet’s Triple Decker Couch surrounded by a full-dome virtual screen, giving the sensational feeling of flying through a world created completely from LEGO® bricks. The attraction is the first in the world at a major theme park that embeds a 180-degree turn in the ride experience. The ride animation will feature a humorous and magical adventure as guests soar through Cloud Cuckoo Land, dive to Middle Zealand and splash down on the waters of Pirate’s Cove.
Unikitty’s Disco Drop takes guests through a rainbow-filled journey based on Unikitty and her many moods. Once on the ride, guests will swoop to the tiptop of Cloud Cuckoo Land, then drop, spin and bounce back down to earth, creating a thrilling and frenzied experience.
At Battle of Bricksburg, the only water ride in THE LEGO MOVIE WORLD, riders are challenged to stop DUPLO aliens from invading and stealing LEGO bricks by spraying water at targets from their boats. The riders aren’t the only ones who can enjoy playing in the water, outside of the ride will be water cannons for guests to spray and help the riders save the day.
THE LEGO MOVIE WORLD will also feature Taco Tuesday Everyday eatery, The Awesome Shop, filled with take-home collectables and a space-themed playground structure inspired by Benny’s spaceship which will include special photo opportunities and character interactions.
To continue the fun, guests can enjoy the ultimate vacation (or slumber party) just steps away at LEGOLAND® Hotel in the new THE LEGO MOVIE themed rooms. Designed with familiar scenery and beloved characters from the movie, no detail is left untouched. Adults can relax in their own room inspired by Emmet’s apartment, while kids dream of spaceship adventures in a separate children’s room themed after Benny’s Spaceship.
No matter where you stay or how you choose to spend your adventure, awesome awaits at THE LEGO MOVIE WORLD!
