A Million Little Bricks

by Sarah Herman

  The timing of the 1999 license was crucial because it coincided with the much anticipated release of three prequel Star Wars films telling the backstory of the original trilogy released between 1977 and 1983. In May 1999 Star Wars mania (which had never really gone away) returned in full “force,” with the release of Episode I: The Phantom Menace. It was this same year that fans of LEGO toys and Star Wars (many of whom had been building “Star Wars” LEGO sets with their extensive Space collections since the late 1970s) were finally able to create sets that accurately depicted ships and events they knew from the films. Not only that, but they could also get their hands on their favorite Star Wars characters—in minifigure form, of course.

  This Jedi Starfighter and Vulture Droid set (7256) was released in 2005 to coincide with the release of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. © David Martin

  The first fourteen products from 1999 set the bar for what was to follow. While TLG focused predominantly on releasing sets related to the new film—the dramatic pod racing scene (7131 and 7171) and Darth Maul’s Sith Infiltrator (7151)—there were also some ships from the original trilogy including the TIE Fighter and Y-wing set (7150) and the X-wing Fighter (7140).

  This marketing pattern was repeated throughout the 2000s, as TLG continued to introduce interpretations of ships and scenes from the original movies while simultaneously releasing sets to coincide with the new movies released in 2002 and 2005. As designers developed a distinct style for the Star Wars sets, they evaluated past models from the first few waves and reinterpreted them, adding detail and new building methods. Results of this can be seen in 2006’s X-wing Fighter and 2007’s Ultimate Millennium Falcon (10179), a collector’s upgrade from set 7190 (although this set is slightly larger, and intended for display purposes). More characters and locales from the Star Wars universe were featured, such as the Ewoks (7139), Jabba the Hutt (made from an assembly of prefabricated green pieces), and the Wookiee (7258).

  2007’s Millennium Falcon was part of the Ultimate Collector’s series of sets and was built using over 5,000 LEGO elements. © Hamid (Katanaz)

  Distinctively, LEGO Star Wars sets are action-based, made up largely of ships and vehicles. Compared to other themes—licensed ones, in particular—Star Wars is noticeably void of chunky base plates and building structures, with a weighty focus on accurately capturing the many memorable scenes and spacecraft so beloved by Star Wars fans. Perhaps one of the sets most apt at this is 2008’s Death Star (10188). While the Ultimate Collector Series Death Star II (10143), a new battle station under construction during Return of the Jedi, focused on re-creating the half-built look of the structure, the new Death Star provided a detailed sneak peek inside the many rooms of the huge orb—and with twenty-five minifigures, you could re-create the final battle between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, rescue Princess Leia from the cells, and hang out with R2-D2 and C-3PO.

  The last Star Wars film was released in 2005, but despite this the LEGO theme has continued to grow in popularity. The Star Wars universe is always expanding through novels, comic books, and video games and while TLG has produced some “expanded universe” sets, in 2008 it took a pronounced leap beyond the original films when designs were derived from the animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars, a movie that introduced the TV series of the same name that began airing on Cartoon Network in 2008. This TV series, designed to introduce new, younger fans to the franchise, specifically targeted children, making LEGO Star Wars even more enticing to young eyes. With these most recent sets, the designers did not bite the adult hands that had fed them since 1999—while some sets were targeted toward less experienced building fingers, the designs were every bit as inventive, dynamic, and exciting as those based on the six movies. Lucas Licensing, who approves the models, are more than happy for designers to take some liberties with a ship’s inside details and their playability, as long as the external shell is accurate and faithful to the franchise.

  This Death Star set (10188) is highly prized by LEGO Star Wars fans for its multiscene depictions, details, and playability. © Hamid (Katanaz)

  Following in the footsteps of LEGO Island and LEGO Racers, 2005 saw the release of LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game. The multi-platform game developed by Traveller’s Tales covered action from the three new movies in the saga and was promoted for younger players. Despite the often violent nature of the film material, designers attempted to inject humor and lightness into the dark context of the game. This popularity was followed up with a second game covering the action of the original trilogy in 2006 and a compilation of the two games in 2007. In 2010 it was announced that a new game—LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars—was due for a release in 2011, incorporating the new characters and storylines introduced by the Clone Wars TV program.

  In 2010 LEGO released another version of Luke’s Landspeeder (first seen in 1999, and pictured earlier)—the design and detailing of this more recent set shows how the theme had developed and progressed. © Christopher Doyle

  This lineup of Clone Wars characters, including Cad Bain (center) and Shahan Alama (second from right), featured in 2010’s Speeder set (8182). © Christopher Doyle

  In a 2009 New York Times article, LEGO executive Soren Torp Laursen explained that the LEGO Group’s answer to the competition faced from more violence-oriented games has been to include non-explicit, humoristic violence. For example, when a minifigure is killed or dies in a LEGO game, it dissolves into a pile of bricks and then springs back to life, similar to cartoon characters’ multiple “deaths.” Laursen also said that there were many toy licenses TLG has turned down over the years because they represent a level of violence not suitable for the company, conflicting with the trust placed in the brand by parents. This fun approach to the dark territory of the Star Wars saga was a huge hit with the fans, and according to market researcher NPD Group, was the thirteenth best-selling game of 2005. This humor can also be seen in the short animated film LEGO Star Wars: The Quest for R2-D2, released in 2009 to mark ten years of the theme.

  Mickey Mouse (2000)

  Despite Disney and the LEGO Group both being market leaders targeting children of the same age, it wasn’t until 1999 that a business relationship was started between the two corporations. This occured when TLG acquired the rights to produce Winnie the Pooh DUPLO sets based on the 1970s–1980s animated films produced by Disney. Then, in 2000, the Disney name appeared on LEGO sets for the first time with the release of LEGO Mickey Mouse—based around the iconic character and his friends. While the sets included regular-size LEGO bricks and were marketed toward four- to nine-year-olds, they were not construction-based and featured Belville and FABULAND parts not otherwise seen in regular LEGO sets. The central focus were the FABULAND-scale figures of Mickey, Minnie, and Pluto that came with Minnie’s Birthday Party (4165), Mickey’s Garage (4166), and Mickey’s Mansion (4267). Mickey and Minnie could also be found as baby versions of themselves the same year with the LEGO Baby Mickey range. Although LEGO only produced these Disney sets for one year, its professional relationship with the company has continued, and can be seen most recently in LEGO and DUPLO Toy Story, LEGO Prince of Persia, and DUPLO Cars.

  Harry Potter (2001–2011)

  In the midst of the popularity of the Harry Potter books (published between 1997 and 2007) and the same year the first film was released, the LEGO Group obtained the license from Warner Bros. to re-create some of the movie’s iconic moments in trademark LEGO bricks. Over the theme’s run, sets have been produced in a timely fashion to coordinate with the release of the film series. Some of the most distinguished sets included two incarnations of the Hogwarts Express (4708 and 4758), four interpretations of Hogwarts Castle (4709, 4757, 5378, and 4842), the most recent of which, released after a three-year hiatus from the theme, was made up of 1,290 parts and included eleven minifigures. Between 2001 and 2002, Harry Potter minifigures had the customary yellow heads and hands; they were later changed to more natural skin tones in 2003. Other interesting sets included t
he giant Hagrid’s infamous hut (4707, 4754, and 4738), school sport Quidditch practice (4726), and triple-decker people-carrier, the Knight Bus (4755).

  In the face of financial loss in 2004, TLG announced that there would be a stronger focus on core products rather than movie-related platforms such as Harry Potter, and although the company was quick to point out they would still be producing the theme, the number of new sets gradually decreased—in 2007, only one new set appeared to mark the release of the fifth film. Evidently, though, this was not the last fans would see of LEGO Harry Potter. The year 2010 marked the release of LEGO Harry Potter: Year 1–4; a multi-platform game combining puzzle-solving and exploration of the Harry Potter universe with a light-hearted LEGO twist. Six new Harry Potter sets, many based on previous sets, were also released to launch the game.

  Galidor (2002)

  When asked what the worst selling LEGO theme was in a 2006 interview with Gizmodo.com, a LEGO spokesperson said, “A few years back, we strayed too far from our core product line when we entered into an action figure line called Galidor.” Unfortunately, the one-year obscurity of Galidor was a fairly large investment for TLG and the production of unusual nonstandard LEGO parts and packaging were one of many bad management decisions that led to significant financial losses in 2003 and 2004.

  The toys were based on characters from a Fox Kids TV show (Galidor: Defenders of the Outer Dimension) that aired for twenty-six episodes in 2002 before being canceled. The show was about Nick, a fifteen-year-old boy who finds an alien map and a dimensional transport vehicle and travels with his best friend to Galidor, a realm in the Outer Dimension that is under attack from sinister forces. The toys were buildable action figures of the main characters and Nick’s transport module, each made from a small number of pieces not compatible with LEGO, Technic, or BIONICLE sets—one of the reason for fans’ dislike of the range. As the LEGO Group told Gizmodo: “With no traditional LEGO construction elements, it proved to be unfamiliar to LEGO fans who expect a certain kind of play experience from the LEGO brand.” There was also a video game that tied in with the toys, which unfortunately didn’t fare too well either.

  Discovery Channel (2003)

  Sandwiched between the 2001 Life on Mars sets and 2007’s Mars Mission was another Space-centered flash-in-the-pan license. Six sets were released, inspired by the 2003 Mars Exploration Rover Mission, covered by the Discovery Channel. The non-minifigure scale sets included a model replica of the space shuttle Discovery (7470), the International Space Station (7467), and one of the Mars exploration rovers (7471), made largely of Technic parts. While not as playful as other lines, the Discovery Channel toys, produced accurately and in realistic colors, made the recent sci-fi imaginings of LEGO Space seem absurd by comparison.

  Spider-Man (2003–2004)

  The licensed Spider-Man sets of 2003 were not the first time the web-slinger had appeared in shiny LEGO plastic. The previous year LEGO Studios—the Steven Spielberg–endorsed movie-making theme—had produced a few Spider-Man sets to tie in with the release of the Sam Raimi movie starring Tobey Maguire. While the Studios sets were slanted toward the filmmaking side of the Marvel superhero, the two incarnations were very similar in style—TLG did not change the appearance of the Spider-Man minifigure or that of his evil nemesis Green Goblin. The sets centered on notable scenes from the movie, including the moment both Peter Parker and Norman Osborn get their super powers in the Origins (4851) and the film’s dramatic climax when Spider-Man must save his friend Mary Jane Watson in the Final Showdown (4852). The theme was continued in 2004 to coincide with the release of box office blockbuster Spider-Man 2; this time Spider-Man’s suit was a darker blue. The new sets included Spidey’s new enemy Dr. Octopus, and Peter Parker’s elderly Aunt May. The sets brought to life scenes such as the evil doctor’s bank robbery (4854), his fusion lab (4857), and the remarkable Train Rescue (4855), which came with a LEGO copy of the Daily Bugle, the newspaper Parker works for. In 2010 the LEGO Group also put out two “4+” sets to attract younger fans. The Junior figurines were larger and the construction of the sets, which saw Doc Ock go on a crime spree and attack a café, were simpler and used more prefabricated parts.

  The two incarnations of Spider-Man: the lighter blue suit featured in the LEGO Studios and original Spider-Man sets, while the darker blue appeared for the release of the Spider-Man 2 sets. © Ruben Saldana

  This SpongeBob SquarePants magnet set was released in 2009 and features minifigures of SpongeBob and his friends, Sandy and Patrick. © Kent Quon

  Nickelodeon: Avatar (2006) and SpongeBob SquarePants (2006–2011)

  In North America two sets were released to tie in with the Emmy Award–winning animated TV series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, which was aired by children’s broadcaster Nickelodeon between 2005 and 2008. The American series was set in a world of Asian influences and drew heavily on Japanese cartoons for its look. While fairly simple, the LEGO sets, especially Air Temple (3828), reflected the show’s style with muted colors and artistic patterns. The minifigures were of the wide-eyed variety, with natural skin tones and clothes reminiscent of those worn by the characters in the show. These 2006 sets were part of a licensing deal with the cable channel Nickelodeon who also licensed out one of their most iconic characters of recent times to TLG.

  SpongeBob SquarePants LEGO toys, based on the popular cartoon series of the same name, focused on the titular sea sponge and his band of underwater friends. The sets centered on recognized locations from the show such as restaurants the Krusty Krab (3825) and Chum Bucket (4981) and SpongeBob’s pineapple house (3834), as well as a Build-A-Bob set (3826) to make a larger-scale LEGO SpongeBob. The minifigure version of the famous yellow sea creature was created using shorter legs and a separate outer layer that slipped over the minifigure torso to create SpongeBob’s square head.

  Batman (2006)

  After the success of Warner Bros. Batman reboot movie Batman Begins in 2005, the LEGO Group, on license from DC Comics, produced a series of Batman sets. Although these were not directly connected to any of the films featuring the comic book hero, there are some noticeable similarities between the design of specific sets and particular movies. The original yellow and black Batman logo was used, and no photographic images of Batman from other media were included on the packaging. Sets are known for their use of black bricks with all vehicles and most structures appearing in the Dark Knight’s favored color. One of the most complex and popular sets was the Batcave (7783) with three vehicles, spiral staircase, information screen, and a number of clever mechanisms; it also included villains Mr. Freeze and the Penguin. High-octane vehicles such as the Batmobile, the Batwing, and the Bat Tank added to the range. The 2008 sets, released the same year as popular Batman film The Dark Knight and LEGO Batman: The Videogame, were more playful and colorful than their predecessors. Robin’s bright red and green scuba jet (7885) was attacked in this set by the Penguin and two of his penguin soldiers, while Batman’s Tumbler (7888) has to face a disguised ice cream truck owned by the Joker. Despite Batman’s continuing popularity and the 2008 game selling over four million copies worldwide, the 2006 sets were the last new LEGO Batman toys to be released.

  The Joker’s ice cream truck, as found in set 7888, with its colorful sticker details and secret missile weapon. © Ruben Saldana

  Robin from set 7885 and Nightwing from Arkham Asylum set 7785 were just some of the colorful minifigures introduced by LEGO Batman. © Ruben Saldana

  Speed Racer (2008)

  The LEGO Group released four Speed Racer toys to coincide with the 2008 release of the film of the same name, based on the original Japanese manga and anime, Mach Go Go Go. The story focuses on the eponymous hero who wants to be a racing driver, despite his father’s objections. Taking the film’s depiction of the story and characters, the LEGO toys included three sets with two competing drivers in each. There was also Grand Prix Race (8161) with its futuristic commentator box, big-screen TV, and three racing cars, including
Speed Racer’s Mach 6, as well as a monkey (more commonly seen in LEGO Pirates sets) standing in for pet chimp Chim-Chim.

  Indiana Jones (2008–2009)

  When Indiana Jones appeared in LEGO form for the first time in 2008, some fans may have had a sense of déjà vu. It’s fair to say that LEGO Indy and his wilderness escapades closely resembled those of popular Adventurers character Johnny Thunder. But while the two heroes both donned a fedora, enjoyed wearing khaki colors and often had company in the form of a pretty lady and wise older gentleman, the sets they appeared in were very different. The LEGO Group secured the rights to produce construction toys of Indiana Jones’s movie adventures from LucasFilm, who also own Star Wars.

  While it would’ve been easy for TLG to simply capitalize on the publicity machine of the new film, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, with play sets devoted only to that movie as they had done with Star Wars, the LEGO Group released four sets based on two of the three original Indy movies earlier in 2008, and then six sets designed around the fourth installment became available to coincide with the film’s May release that same year. These original sets were some of the most popular (especially with adult fans) as they captured iconic movie scenes such as Dr. Jones’s brush with death and a giant rolling boulder in the temple scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark (7623), and the motorcycle chase with his father riding in the side car in Last Crusade (7620). LEGO designers also paid homage to the second film Temple of Doom with the infamous mining car chase sequence (7199), which came with cult leader and villain Mola Ram. The Crystal Skull sets drew heavily on the vehicle sequences from the movie such as airport set Peril in Peru (7628), the Jungle Cutter (7626), and the river chase scene (7625).