Review: Colorful ‘Lego Brickumentary’ is shaded by green
Not everything is awesome about “A Lego Brickumentary,” a colorfully constructed film surveying the vastness of the Lego universe that can’t help but come across as corporate horn-tooting.
Although it had been a hit practically right out of the box, the interlocking plastic brick system introduced by Danish toymaker Ole Kirk Christiansen in 1949 hit a stumbling block half a century later when new product lines failed to click with their usually rabid customer base.
Unthinkably, by 2003 the company was hovering on the brink of bankruptcy.
SIGN UP for the free Indie Focus movies newsletter >>
A key factor in Lego’s dramatic comeback was to actively engage those legions of fans in helping determine its creative direction, and a generous sampling of visual artists, architects, educators and card-carrying geeks — along with celeb endorsements from the likes of Ed Sheeran, Trey Parker and Dwight Howard — drive the documentary.
But where last year’s masterful “The Lego Movie” achieved the remarkable feat of transcending the wall-to-wall product placement to inspired effect, “A Lego Brickumentary” ultimately feels more like an extended infomercial.
Even with an energetic approach by co-directors Kief Davidson and Daniel Junge and fittingly playful narration by Jason Bateman, you can’t help but hear a little “ka-ching!” every time images of a shiny new creation fill the screen.
-------------------------
“A Lego Brickumentary.”
MPAA rating: G.
Running time: 1 hour, 35 minutes.
Playing: At Arclight Hollywood.
MORE MOVIE REVIEWS:
Review: Once again, Tom Cruise accomplishes the near-impossible in ‘Rogue Nation’
Review: ‘Listen to Me Marlon’ presents a candid, introspective Brando
Only good movies
Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
