About David Pickett

Dave Pickett is interested in the intersections of LEGO, pop culture, digital media, and LGBTQIA+ representation. Dave is the creator of YouTube channel BRICK 101 and co-author of The LEGO Animation Book. When he’s not building with LEGO bricks, Dave enjoys playing video games, reading comic books, watching nerdy TV shows, and exploring Chicago with his husband Bert and their dog Sophie.

Posts by David Pickett

The LEGO Movie 2 is a fun, familiar celebration of play [Spoiler-free Review]

As the fourth entry in the LEGO cinematic universe, The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part has the tricky task of following the established formula for LEGO movies while also trying to stand apart as a unique experience. It passes the first test with flying colors. The movie is full of the requisite witty gags, clever animation, unexpected cameos, heartwarming lessons about family, and those awe-inspiring builds that translate into wallet-draining products. However, the film strains under the weight of expectations and an abundance of characters that doesn’t quite reach the heights of The LEGO Movie.

If you’ve enjoyed previous installments in this franchise, I definitely recommend seeing this movie without reading any further. The less you know, the more delightful and unexpected this movie will be. But if you want to know more, then read on, my friend.

Click to continue reading our review of The LEGO Movie 2

A truck that puts the “up” in pickup

This fanciful LEGO creation by Martin Redfern was inspired by the concept art of Ian McQue. I like how the front hook seems to be holding the truck aloft (although the delightful greebles in the back are more likely culprits for the vehicle’s propulsion system). The grays and browns give this build a lived-in vibe, but they are nicely balanced by the vibrant red.

Flying Pick Up ( Inspired by Ian McQue )

Originally built in 2016, this model was one of the inaugural models displayed in the Masterpiece Gallery of the LEGO House. We’re glad to see it back together again after a rough return flight.

Set sail on a tiny sea of nostalgia

The original wave of LEGO Pirates sets from 1989 have a special place in my heart. They are some of the earliest LEGO sets I remember, so this microscale scene by Corvus Auriac fills me with a warm glow. These miniature renditions of the classic sets Eldorado Fortress, Caribbean Clipper, and Black Seas Barracuda are notable not only for the way they evoke memories of my childhood, but also for some great building techniques.

Eldorado Battle

My absolute favorite detail is the use of red flippers as the cannon bases. I learned of the existence of this modified 1×2 plate with three claws / rock fingers piece when inspecting the details of the miniature “ramp and pit” baseplate. The 1×2 curved wedge slopes also work great on the sails of the ships.

Want more retro goodness from Corvus Auriac? Don’t miss the re-imagined Guarded Inn we recently featured.

This classic video game enemy is even less threatening when made of LEGO

The folks at Build Better Bricks have continued their series of LEGO designs based on Super Mario characters with this adorable Goomba. This build looks pretty simple at first glance, but there are some clever techniques used to create the simple shapes of the classic video game foe. The eyebrows were the first thing to catch my attention, the key piece attaching them to the body seems to be the relatively new bar 1L with 1×1 round plate with hollow stud. I’m not sure how they achieved the half-stud offset for the mouth, but I guess I could buy the instructions if I really wanted to find out.

Goomba

This Goomba would look perfect alongside the Mario, Luigi, and Bowser models by Build Better Bricks we previously featured.

LEGO Minecraft series expands in 2019 with BigFigs [News]

From humble beginnings as a single microscale set, the LEGO Minecraft series has grown into a cornerstone of the LEGO product line. In addition to two new minifigure-scale sets, the January 2019 wave includes a new concept — buildable “BigFigs” of Minecraft characters.

The initial series of BigFigs includes playable characters Steve and Alex as well as a Skeleton enemy character (or “hostile mob” in Minecraft parlance). Each BigFig set also comes with a smaller secondary character — Alex comes with a chicken, Steve comes with a parrot, and the Skeleton comes with a Magma Cube. We’ll be bringing you hands-on reviews of these sets very soon, but for now you can take a look at the official images below.

See more details about all five new LEGO Minecraft sets

Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boldly Go Where No Princess Has Gone Before

Patty Rau has launched Cinderella into space aboard the FGP When You Wish Upon A Star. There’s a lot to love about this LEGO spaceship. The bulbous midsection is a great nod to the vehicle’s origin as a pumpkin. The ship also contains elements from all three minidoll-scale versions of Cinderella’s carriage: printed inverse slopes from Cinderella’s Carriage (2016), printed curved slopes from Cinderella’s Dream Carriage (2014), and gold filagrees from Cinderella’s Enchanted Evening.

FGP When You Wish Upon A Star

It seems like Patty is doing a series of Disney Princess spaceships, as she has also created one for Aurora from Sleeping Beauty. Apparently Sweet Mayhem isn’t the only minidoll with a spaceship.

FGS Once Upon A Dream

Creature from the Brick Lagoon

Logey Bear’s latest LEGO build was inspired by the Creature from the Black Lagoon and includes a number of scary-good part choices. Front and center is an alien clinger from the Alien Conquest theme bringing fun curvy details to the face. It pairs exceptionally well with the minifigure arms that surround the eyes. A pair of bigfig arms are cleverly used as upper legs and several pairs of flippers are used for the webbed feet and gills.

Gill Man

I am Guybrush Threepwood, mighty pirate

Not all LEGO creations begin with a brilliant flash of inspiration. For instance, earlier this week SuckMyBrick was stumped. An attempt at building a famous celebrity using LEGO bricks didn’t turn out quite as planned, so the builder turned to their flickr followers for suggestions of how to salvage the build. Lucky for us, a couple commenters suggested that the character might work as Guybrush Threepwood, the protagonist of the Monkey Island video game series.

Guybrush Threepwood

The BrickHeadz eye tiles make fantastic pupils when paired with the 2×2 and 3×3 radar dishes. A variety of curved slopes and curved arches are used to recreate Guybrush’s signature pompadour.

This just leaves us with one question: why is his head mounted on a plaque? I don’t know, but if this was an adventure game, I would definitely check behind it for secrets.

Simon’s sinuous psychedelic sea serpent

Can you count all the different LEGO colors used in this psychedelic sea serpent by Simon NH? We counted at least 20, but we may have missed some. What’s incredible about this creation is that it uses so many different colors, but still manages to feel coherent and striking. That’s because sets of related colors are grouped strategically: greens are used for the underbelly; lavenders and purples are used for the sides; and reds and pinks are on the top.

Well, here I am, my little one

There’s a lot to love in terms of parts usage too. The use of spring legs on the nose singlehandedly justifies the existence of the oft-maligned LEGO NBA sets for me. Using flags for the spines accentuates the sinuous nature of the whole build. I would love to see an Ultimate Collector’s Series-style set with this level of detail in the LEGO Elves theme.

The eyes have it

I am mesmerized by Djokson’s latest build, Mask of the Spirit Caller. The bold colors and intricate design of the Orient Expedition shields make the eyes really pop. After recovering from the trance induced by staring deep into those eyes, I noticed the rest of the build is quite wonderful as well.

Mask of the Spirit Caller

In addition to some clever parts usage, particularly the Hero Factory armor plates that ring the neck, this model also has great color blocking. The dynamic pose chosen for this photograph also brings the character to life. Rather than simply showing us a greqt build, Djorkson shows us a moment of a story and invites us to imagine the rest.

A super airship Odyssey

Daniel Church must love airships. The latest addition to his oeuvre, The Odyssey from Super Mario Odyssey, is the result of a well-documented 3-month building and planning process. It is also a result of Daniel’s exploration of the form over the past nine years—not least of which is the Fortnite Battle Bus we recently highlighted.

The Odyssey from Super Mario Odyssey

There are many subtle details to admire in this build: the slight flare of the upper panels, the use of nearly 50 LEGO rubber bands for ribbing, the Zamor sphere used as a globe, and so many elegant curves.

Odyssey Airship from Super Mario Odyssey by Daniel Church

The Dragon King reigns supreme: this amazing LEGO model of Final Fantasy X’s Bahamut uses over 10,000 pieces

Marius Herrmann used over 10,000 LEGO elements to create this massive model of Bahamut from Final Fantasy X. The so-called dragon king has a wingspan of almost a meter. But most impressively, this stunning creation makes great use of underrepresented colors in the LEGO palette.

Bahamut (from "Final Fantasy X")

Click to see more of Bahamut