Category Archives: LEGO

You’d probably expect a lot of the posts on a LEGO website like The Brothers Brick to be about LEGO, and you’d be right. If you’re browsing this page, you might want to consider narrowing what you’re looking for by checking out categories like “Space” and “Castle.” We’re sure there’s something here that’ll fascinate and amaze you.

A leg-endary burger

One of the first things I’m going to do when the lockdown comes to an end is head out for a decent burger. This LEGO model by Joe has got me in the mood for fast food. It was initially the “wooden” table which caught my eye in this creation — a nice combination of colours and parts evoking the feel of a cracked piece of timber. However, a closer look revealed something else notable — a plethora of minifigure leg parts used throughout the model. The burger patty, the lettuce, some of the fries, and the straw — all made with minifigure legs. Not sure leg meat is the best source of protein for a burger, but hey, if it tastes good, I’m in.

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Magnificent Minas Tirith in Microscale

Minas Tirith, the White City, capital of Gondor, is one of the most recognizable locations from the Lord of the Rings series. From its many levels to the distinctive knife-edged stone dividing the city into two halves, and the massive rock face it was carved from. While it may be easy to recognize, it is not so easy to build, and Mountain Hobbit has done a masterful job of bringing this iconic city to life in microscale.

One of my favorite features is the gently curving outer wall, which features random studs, and an assortment of plates and tiles with some great offsets to give the wall a truly weathered look. The many subtly tinted slopes for roofs are a nice touch.

A castle so moving it’ll have you howling

Okay, let me start with a confession: I’ve never watched a Studio Ghibli film. I know, I know, that makes me a bad person. Someday I hope to reform my ways. But before you throw your rotten eggs and moldering cabbages at me, let me show you a cool build that is inspired by one of the movies, Howl’s Moving Castle. Built by First Order Lego for both the Style it Up contest and the Iron Forge, it is a sight to behold. The complicated details are lovingly depicted here, from the houses embedded in the sides to the many, many complicated-looking mechanical apparatuses on the back. Is that a rat as smoke? Yes, it is. And beards and hair, too. There are too many other fabulous parts usages in this thing for me to list, so be sure to zoom in on it yourself, but if you notice that there are lots of minifigure legs and hips about, that’s because it is the seed part for the Iron Forge, the open-to-all-comers qualifying competition for the Iron Builder. Maybe this entry will “walk away” with the coveted prize. Ha. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some movies to go watch <ducks a rotten cabbage>.

Are you a better person than me and love Studio Ghibli? Console yourself for my ignorance and look through this Spirited Away series of builds, or a Princess Mononoke or My Neighbor Totoro figure. Just please stop throwing those rotten tomatoes at me!

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

Come along and sing the song and join the jamboree! Mickey Mouse may have already celebrated his 90th birthday (Steamboat Willie premiered in November 1928) but there’s always time for LEGO cake.

Mickey and his birthday cake were sculpted by Californian Bill Vollbrecht, a former Master Model Builder and LEGOLAND park designer who clearly still has the magic touch, as Mickey exhibits all the character and detail known the world over, down to the buttons on his pants and shape of his eyes. There’s even a really neat and appropriate inky splotch base.

Bill also shared with us that the cake was imagined as one Goofy might have baked for Micky in Toontown: lopsided, multicolored and with candles askew.

Want to have your own Mickey adventures? Read our reviews of the Disney Train and Station and Steamboat Willie, both featuring Mickey minifigures and for sale now. If minifigs are too small, get instructions or inspiration from Build Better Bricks or Alanboar Cheung!

Let Aladdin take you on a magic carpet ride

It’s a whole new world of LEGO building when MSIndustries uses the plastic bricks to create this spectacular Aladdin model. I will admit to being a hardcore Disney fan so of course, my scrolling stopped upon seeing this image. I was immediately drawn to the nicely rendered characters and that wonderfully fluid magic carpet that seems to float in the air by magic.

The characters are full of life and interesting parts usage. The construction of Aladdin’s turban and Jasmine’s hair is particularly well done as well as their outfits. The Genie’s expression and pose are perfect and really give him a lot of personality. But for once, Genie isn’t the center of attention here. Its’ the magic carpet’s turn to shine. The patterning is beautiful and the undulation in its’ form is achieved using a combination of 10 x 10 LEGO nets, round 2×2 plates and bars. And that floating look? It’s not Photoshop trickery but in fact a practical effect.

Check out the magic that helps keep the carpet afloat

LEGO and Universal Pictures strike deal for new LEGO movies [News]

LEGO and Universal Pictures have announced a five-year exclusive agreement to develop, produce and distribute more movies based on LEGO licenses. This pact includes all the film rights for previously released titles, so we could see the next installment of franchises like The LEGO Movie as well as new additions to the LEGO film universe.

Previously, Warner Bros. via the Warner Animated Group had produced a total of four movies over a span of 6 years but made the decision by the end of December 2019 not to renew the license agreement with LEGO to make more big-screens titles. While the first LEGO movie was considered a box-office hit, and the total takings from the four movies combined grossed over $1.1 billion globally, individually the later titles (The LEGO Batman Movie, The LEGO Ninjago Movie, and The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part) did not bring in the same box office expectations. There was interest from Universal pictures with involvement in LEGO films following their work on the Jurassic Park LEGO miniseries, and now the two companies have finally closed on the agreement.

Here’s the press release from LEGO in full:

UNIVERSAL CITY, CA—April 23, 2020— Universal Pictures today announced that the studio has entered into a five-year exclusive agreement with the LEGO Group to develop, produce and distribute theatrical releases based on its intellectual property and original ideas. The announcement was made by Donna Langley, Chairman, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, and Jill Wilfert, Head of Entertainment, the LEGO Group.

Capitalizing on its timeless brand, the LEGO Group’s expansion into content creation with titles including The LEGO Movie, The LEGO Batman Movie, The LEGO Ninjago Movie and The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, has grossed nearly $1.1 billion at the worldwide box office. Universal and LEGO have previously collaborated on the television special, Jurassic World: The Secret Exhibit and the 13-episode mini-series LEGO Jurassic World: Legend of Isla Nublar.

“The LEGO System in Play gives people the ability to build worlds and create stories that they carry throughout every phase of their lives,” said Langley. “To partner with such an iconic brand that remains relevant and is constantly evolving allows for creativity in storytelling. We’re thrilled to start building out the next chapter of LEGO movies together with Jill and the LEGO team as they continue to inspire curiosity and innovation.”

“Universal’s commitment to unique storytelling from diverse voices makes the Studio the perfect partner as the LEGO Group enters this new phase of filmmaking,” said Wilfert. “Donna and the entire Universal team bring a sense of wonder and imagination we share, and we can’t wait to execute on our shared vision.”

Wilfert will serve as producer on all LEGO projects developed and released by Universal. Rideback’s Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich will produce alongside Wilfert on the next LEGO-inspired feature. Lin produced all previous LEGO features.

The LEGO Group was represented in the deal by Ken Kleinberg and Jill Smith from Kleinberg, Lange, Cuddy and Carlo.

Frightful floaters are fluent in fear

When it comes to things that inspire nightmares, balloons don’t usually make the list, unless there’s a murderous clown attached to them. This wonderfully crafted balloon cart by #1 Nomad may not have the scariest balloons you ever saw, but they are definitely one of the most unusual.

The inside-out tires make amazing eyes. And those teeth! I love the random yellow fangs mixed in. Oh, and let’s not forget to mention… is that a person in that cage? Maybe I need to reevaluate this scary balloon list. At least the builder didn’t include the balloon vendor.

LEGO Creator Summer 2020 wave features a pirate ship, space rover and camper van [News]

LEGO’s Summer 2020 wave of sets is starting to take shape with new product reveals on their way. First up, we are getting a look at the LEGO Creator 3-in-1 sets that feature a huge pirate ship with brick-built sails (following even more pirates from Barracuda Bay), a lunar explorer and a family camper van.

The sets were revealed by Portuguese retailer JB Net, and though we do not know their exact release date, they should start becoming available starting aroundJune. Pricing and piece counts remain unknown at this time, though we will update this article when more information becomes available.

Click to check out images of the three new LEGO Creator sets

LEGO Metroid: My past is not a memory, it’s a force at my back

Samus Aran is one of Nintendo’s most iconic characters through a decades-long successful series of Metroid platformers and first-person shooters. Thanks to Spanish builder L-Di-Ego, the famed female bounty hunter’s personal spacecraft has made the jump to digital LEGO and has never looked better.

I’m so impressed with how loaded the ship is–this thing is absolutely packed with play features. The ship is ready to take on the dreaded Space Pirates with firing projectiles, adjustable engine intakes, a removable canopy allowing access to the spacious cockpit plus room for the Metroid containment pod, and my favorite, a functioning loading lift for the Samus Aran minifigure.

If you’re feeling nostalgic we’ve shared a couple of excellent takes on Samus in the past from builders like Eero Okkenen and Logey Bear.

Who says paintings have to be 2D?

Up next from TBB Auctionhouse, we have this magnificent piece, “Canvas Warrior”, ABS on canvas, by the brilliant artist Markus Rollbühler, circa 2020. Bidding will start at $1M. Do I hear one? You, with the itchy nose. Please note the American Western style, with the Native American astride a horse, riding out of the picturesque Rocky Mountains. Do I hear two? Ah, you, scratching your eyebrow. Note the rippling pectorals, made from a LEGO minifigure torso. This could be the cover of the latest Nora Roberts novel. Do I see a hand for three? You there, lady with the cough, yes. Three million. This is a fine example of stereotypical Wild West art, folks. There’s buckskin fringe, a rifle, even some scrub bushes. Four million, from you, Mr. Itchy Nose. Wonderful. Five? Do I hear five? The impressionistic landscape even includes some plesiosaur flippers. And that horse! It will leap out and impress all your guests? Five! Yes, you on your smartphone. Five million! Going once, going twice, sold!

Italy-stay home, stay strong

We are living in truly strange and uncertain times. There is a silver lining amid this global pandemic lockdown though. Most nations are reporting cleaner air, cleaner water, and nature sort of healing itself. I, for one, am enjoying hearing more birds and frogs and seeing stars in the night sky for the first time in quite a while. And I don’t know about you but my car is getting a solid four weeks to the gallon! However, First Order Lego also sees a glimmer of hope, as do most of us, in a return back to normalcy.

A plane in the sky is becoming an increasingly rarer sight these days and it looks rather awe-inspiring in this composition. The low-angle view is well-suited here and I really enjoy the colors and textures of these balconies. Italy has been hard hit with the pandemic so this builder was inspired to build balconies with a Mediterranean feel complete with numerous plants. Italy, and the rest of the world, let’s stay home, stay strong and, if we listen to our healthcare officials, we should be back to normalcy in due time.

One of them there Tetrahedral Planetoids we’ve heard so much about

What you’re looking at is one of them there Tetrahedral Planetoids we’ve heard so much about in the sci-fi funny pages. Leave it to Simon Liu to wrap his noggin around a thing most of us can’t even pronounce much less think about. But Simon has one of those creative noggins and a knack to put it to use in LEGO. Math is beautiful, he tells us. I’ll take his word for it as my own mathematical results vary from “that just about makes sense” to…”now what in tarnation were you thinking, boy?” This piece is an exercise in both symmetry and monochromic applications. It was inspired by M.C. Escher who also has one of them creative noggins that can make math look beautiful.