Category Archives: News

Stay current on the latest news and information about LEGO, from sales & deals to new set announcements. We also cover LEGO events and conventions all over the world.

LEGO Star Wars 20th Anniversary sets and minifigures revealed [News]

A long time ago… twenty years to be exact, The LEGO Group teamed up with Lucasfilm Ltd. to begin production of sets based on the Star Wars universe. It was the first time LEGO had ever created products based on someone else’s story and characters, translating those fantastic tales into the LEGO world. That partnership has since spawned more than 500 sets, a hit video game franchise, television shows, and countless minifigures that have inspired multiple generations. LEGO Star Wars not only helped save the company from the brink of bankruptcy, but has become one of the top-selling global themes every year since.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of LEGO Star Wars, the company is launching five special sets featuring iconic ships with exclusive throwback minifigures in tribute of the storied history of the franchise. The sets will be available later this year (likely in April), and we will bring you exact release information when it becomes available.

Click to take a closer look at the LEGO Star Wars 20th Anniversary sets

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LEGO DUPLO celebrates 50th birthday with a look into the past [News]

50 years ago in 1969, LEGO unveiled DUPLO, its larger-sized bricks made for younger children which were twice the length, height and width of traditional LEGO elements but still compatible within the larger LEGO system. To this day, DUPLO has provided an early entry point to younger builders as well as creative detail (and filler brick) for older builders too.

What follows is a treasure trove of history sent to us by LEGO to celebrate DUPLO’s 50th birthday, including a press release and massive gallery of international patents, early DUPLO products, a look behind the scenes of DUPLO’s production and more. So sit back and enjoy the journey through the last 50 years of DUPLO, starting with this new video showing DUPLO’s rigorous quality testing, then read on.

https://youtu.be/9etW56WtQdY

Click to read about the past, present and future of LEGO DUPLO

LEGO 40186 Year of the Pig gift with purchase available now [News]

LEGO is giving away a free 40186 Year of the Pig set with eligible purchases over 88 USD, 80 GBP, or 88 CAD. The set celebrates the 2019 Lunar New Year, and comes with a rotating head, movable ears, arms, and legs. Also enclosed is a red money envelope with traditional gold color prints.

The offer is only available through February 7th or while stocks last. Links for the various regional stores are as follows: LEGO US Shop Online | LEGO UK Shop Online |LEGO Canada Shop Online

Happy 61st International LEGO Day from The Brothers Brick! [News]

Sixty-one years ago today on January 28, 1958 Godtfred Kirk Christiansen submitted a patent application for a toy building brick which was approved six months later. Little did Godtfred know that his “highly sophisticated inter-locking brick system” would lead to LEGO becoming one of the largest toy companies on the globe.

So let’s celebrate our love of LEGO today however we can, by building a new set or seeing what LEGO was doing the decade we were born. Sort some parts, create something new and amazing, or re-build that one set you loved as a kid. Play well, everyone.

Want to know more about the history of LEGO and the fan community? Check out our LEGO History timeline!

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for January 27, 2019 [News]

In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best of LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the fourth week of January 2019.

Is it possible to make a LEGO set actually fly? Read on to find out more.

TBB NEWS & REVIEWS: The LEGO Movie 2 rules the week with a new blue set, minifigure reviews, and more. Only two more weeks until it hits theaters!

Review of The LEGO Movie 2 70840 Welcome To Apocalypseburg – The biggest set from The LEGO Movie 2 has over 3,000 pieces and is a dystopian future we enjoyed building.
Review of 71023 The LEGO Movie 2 Collectible Minifigures – The LEGO Movie 2’s Collectible Minifigures are here, and we’re opening all 20 for an in-depth review.
Review of The LEGO Movie 2 – No spoilers here, but what did we think of the highly anticipated sequel, new characters and sets?
70839 The Rexcelsior revealed as 21st set from The LEGO Movie 2 – The set has 1,826 pieces, micro-raptors, rapid-fire missiles and “Stubble Trouble Emmet” for $149.99.
Last eight finalists of LEGO and BrickLink’s AFOL Designer Program revealed – Crowdfunding begins February 1st, so which projects will you support?

OTHER NEWS: There were quite a few other interesting LEGO news articles from around the web this week. Here are the best of the rest:

Everyone’s childhood dream, flying their LEGO, YouTube – FliteTest pushes the boundaries of the LEGO 60193 City Arctic Air Transport set, but does it get airborne?
Full-scale LEGO Renault F1 car to be auctioned for charity, Motorsport Week – A full-scale Renault Formula 1 constructed from LEGO bricks will be auctioned in Paris next month with all proceeds going to charity UNICEF.
Ed Sheeran surprises Laxfield school Lego club with donation, BBC – A surprise gift from the singer means kids will be able to build their own LEGO House, inspired by the star’s hit.
A Look Inside Lego: How They Utilize Storytelling and The Power Of Play, Customer Think – Listen to this hour-long interview with LEGO Chief People Officer Loren Shuster about building the right culture and leadership st the company to reach more kids around the world.

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

The LEGO Movie 2 Collectible Minifigures 71023 [Review]

With LEGO having just announced its 21st set for The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, it’s safe to say they’re betting big on the film franchise. And just like the first movie in the series, that means there’s also a tie-in wave of the infinitely popular Minifigures theme (commonly called Collectible Minifigures, or CMFs). 71023 LEGO Minifigures – The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part will be officially available beginning Feb. 1, though they’re already beginning to pop up in retail stores. They’ll be priced at US $3.99 | CAN $4.99. Remember to check out our Feel Guide if you’re on the hunt for these figures.

This series features the main movie crew of Emmet, Lucy, Benny, and Unikitty, along with newcomers like Rex and a newly happy President Business. There’s also a contingent of characters from Apocalypseburg and The Wizard of Oz, plus Lucy’s all-girl band is ready to rock with all four members in the series. Finally, a sprinkling of the ever-popular costume characters is present with a giraffe and crayon. Let’s take a look at these figures one by one.

Continue reading →

Last eight finalists of LEGO and BrickLink’s AFOL Designer Program revealed [News]

The second half of AFOL Designer Program finalists have been revealed, bringing the total and final number of designs to 16. (Take a look at the first eight finalists here.) The initiative was launched by LEGO in cooperation with BrickLink to bring fan designs to life.

Crowdfunding for finalists will begin on February 1st, and if a set reaches its pre-sales goal, it will then be produced and shipped by BrickLink. Voting will take place on BrickLink’s AFOL Designer Program homepage, which also features more photos of each of these finalists.

Click to see the AFOL Designer Program finalists

70839 The Rexcelsior revealed as 21st set from The LEGO Movie 2 [News]

LEGO revealed 70839 The Rexcelsior as the 21st set in its LEGO Movie 2 lineup today at the London Toy Fair. The set features Rex Dangervest’s ship, The Rexcelsior, and comes with 1,826 pieces, two minifigures, two microfigures, five micro-raptors, and a six-missile rapid blast functionality.

The Rexcelsior will retail for $149.99 US, 199.99 CA and £139.99 UK, with availability beginning May 1 after the movie hits theaters.

Edit: The Rexcelsior is now available in the US and Canada.

Click to get a closer look at The Rexcelsior

The Lego Movie 2’s biggest set: 70840 Welcome To Apocalypseburg [Review]

The LEGO Movie 2’s range of sets has got us excited, not least because of Classic LEGO Space astronauts in multiple colours. But what really set hearts aflutter and pulses racing here at Brothers Brick was the reveal of the massive 70840 Welcome To Apocalypseburg — a shanty town built around a fallen Statue of Liberty, apparently Emmet & Co.’s new home town in the forthcoming film.

70840 Welcome To Apocalypseburg includes 3,178 pieces and 12 minifigures. The set is available now for LEGO VIPs, and is on general release February 1st, 2019 from the LEGO Shop (US $299.99 | CA $399.99 | UK £279.99).

Read our hands-on review of 70840 Welcome To Apocalypseburg

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for January 20, 2019 [News]

Eighteen builders spent more than 2,000 hours hand-selecting and placing each of the 334,544 pieces in this LEGO Chevy Silverado. Read on to find out more.

TBB NEWS & REVIEWS: The LEGO Movie 2 is storming into theaters soon, and we have some Star Wars and BrickLink news for you too.

Review of LEGO Star Wars 75225 Elite Praetorian Guard Battle Pack – Read to find out how these figures differ from their previous iterations and why is there a stormtrooper.
First eight finalists of LEGO and BrickLink’s AFOL Designer Program revealed – Which of these projects from the AFOL Designer Program are you most interested in?
The LEGO Movie 2 Collectible Minifigures series unveiled, available Feb. 1 – The collectible minifigure series from The LEGO Movie 2 has been unveiled in detail. including a trip down the yellow brick road.
70840 Welcome to Apocalypseburg from The LEGO Movie 2 is now available – This 3,000-piece post apocalyptic product is an impressive motion picture mammoth of a set, and is available for purchase today.

OTHER NEWS: There were quite a few other interesting LEGO news articles from around the web this week. Here are the best of the rest:

Chevy uses 300,000 LEGO pieces to construct full-size pickup truck, GeekWire – What was the most common brick used in making this 3,307-pound vehicle? The red 2×8 brick.
The Hot New Asset Class Is LEGO Sets, Bloomberg – In a paper titled “LEGO — The Toy of Smart Investors,” 2,300 sets sold from 1987 to 2015 are analyzed to measure their price-return.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg makes star appearance in Lego Movie 2, USA Today – DC Super Heroes will be making cameos in the film, but now the US Supreme Court is in da’ house.
The People From The LEGO Movie 2 Really, Desperately Want You To Like Their New Song, Gizmodo – Good luck not getting this song stuck in your head.

Crazy city living

These two beautifully built urban houses appear unassuming at first glance, but don’t be fooled. Builder Koala Yummies has sprinkled them with all manner of imaginative ideas. Let’s take the tour and see what’s hidden behind the façade.

Around the back there are luscious climbing plants, bee’s nests and a birdhouse attached to the wall. Continue reading →