The beloved Danish company, known to everyone simply as Lego, has long been the go-to toy for building and imagination. I personally don't know anyone who has never picked up on of the many colored bricks and used it to put something together. And so, just like putting together a Lego house or plane, A LEGO Brickumentary uses charm, humor, and its most vital asset, its customers, to bring to life a fun and enlightening docu--sorry, brickumentary.
A LEGO Brickumentary isn't like any other documentary you'll see this year. Sure, does it give us a brief history of the company (the original factory in Denmark burned down a whopping three times), some information about its founder Ole Kirk Christiansen, and then a coming back to life story about the time when Lego hit a bump in the road and was on the verge of going belly up? Yes to all three. But its value as a film doesn't come from giving us a stale, play-by-play about the company itself. The film's strengths come from Lego turning its focus toward its creative aspects, the impact it's had on its consumers, and its global influence.
With humble boast, A LEGO Brickumentary follows the stories of different people, all active participants in the world of Lego. Much like various comic cons highlighting artists, writers, and talent, Lego hosts its own Brickworld Con for people to get together and show off their talents, their designs and to share their Lego enthusiasm with fellow fans--be it an AFOL (adult fan of Lego) or a KFOL (kid fan of Lego).
The film is more of an homage to the fans and isn't afraid to admit that the company used some of their consumer's ideas and feedback when they needed to keep the company going. From an AFOL making a movie using stop motion with Legos to another fan winning the coveted people's choice award at Brickworld Con for her Lego model of Rivendell, the fictional city from The Lord of the Rings, Lego fills the film with the bricks' effects on everyone and how Lego is not just a toy.
To sum it all up, A LEGO Brickumentary is a well-made documentary. Narrated by Jason Bateman in Lego form and directed by Kief Davidson and Daniel Junge, the film evokes a bit of nostalgia for the kid inside you (and perhaps the adult too), but keeps to its premise and central focus, which are its customers. Imagination will overflow as soon as you see it and you'll be surprised to find that it is an eccentric look at the Lego company that informs, is as layered as its bricks, and entertaining without ever becoming boring.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
