A LEGO Brickumentary

The documentary describes what Lego has become. It starts with the company's history: a carpenter's workshop in Denmark, wooden toys and then the plastic brick. The company comes close to bankruptcy in the early two thousands and the recovery is described. The real subject is what comes after: adult users. The film shows the fan communities around the world, the exhibitions, the competitions and the relationship the company has built with them. It also enters subjects such as its use in therapy and in architectural modelling. Daniel Junge and Kief Davidson direct. Jason Bateman narrates. It is an American production. Some sections are told in brick animation, a technique that comes from how the fan community produces its own work. Its most interesting side is the relation between company and fans; designs made by users are put on sale by the company and that arrangement is shown in detail. The company itself contributed to the production, and that limits the critical distance. The film touches on the company's difficult period but does not enter production conditions, licensing agreements or marketing. The narrative touches many subjects briefly. Its limit is independence; the documentary comes close at times to the register of corporate promotion. Who it is for: Lego users and viewers who like documentaries about design communities. Who it is not for: the critical view is weak, the structure scattered, and the content shallow.