Well before many of us were even born, Lego had already cemented itself (or was that snapped on?) as the utilitarian solution in every kid's toy collection. Limited only by the imagination of its owner, a collection of these addictive and colorful interlocking blocks from Denmark could not only hold a tyke's attention but was a great platform for creative display as well.
Perhaps what was most endearing about these bricks was that the engineers behind them seemed to have only the purest intentions in mind, creatively forging worlds not inspired by the latest summer blockbuster or cartoon craze, but by their own imaginations.
By the time the late '90s rolled around though, a new era of Legomania began: licensed themes! While some purists were outraged and concerned (including some within the company) on the outset, Lego Star Wars got the ball rolling on what would become a beautiful friendship between the little blocks that could and good old American capitalism. The marriage helped the beloved toy company survive its well-publicized hardships, enabling it to continue to create new worlds for us to play in while reimagining preexisting ones in perfect, blocky harmony. Which leads us to this list: join us now as we countdown our favorite of Lego's licensed toylines -- so far.
10) Speed Racer
The Speed Racer Lego series didn't set the world on fire with its minifigs - Lego's Chim Chim could easily be mistaken for your local zoo chimp - but there was no mistaking the sweetness of having a Lego-ized Mach 5 in all its glory at one's disposal for a little brick-fueled racing. Speed Racer's humanoid figures didn't turn out half badly either: check out that detail on the figs of Speed, Trixie and Pops!
9) Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
While the film adaptation's theatrical run was one of the great disappearing acts during this summer's movie season (at least in the U.S.), one can't blame its Lego tie-ins for the film's domestic results. Featuring nicely realized set pieces from the flick - especially Battle of Alamut and Quest Against Time - these collections pack in a lot of fun, including such awesomeness as light-up bricks, trap doors and spinnable blades. And yes, a refreshingly bearded and rugged Jake Gyllenhaal Dastan minifig is included in each set, so get to buyin', lady Lego nerds!
8) Avatar: The Last Airbender
Because it was part of the same Nickelodeon series that included SpongeBob SquarePants, Avatar only got two sets in its Lego treatment: renditions of the Fire Nation ship and Air Temple. A:tLA's Legos got the most out of the space they were afforded though, doing a nice job of recreating the aforementioned items from the show, and its minifigs, especially Aang's, captured the personality of the characters nicely.
7) Harry Potter
Like most things associated with the Harry Potter license, Lego's take on the world of J.K. Rowling's boy wizard is pretty immersive, featuring nods to some of the series' most famous magical objects, scenes and locales, including the Sorting Hat, Hogwarts Express & Castle, Quidditch Practice, Gryffindor, and the Chamber of Secrets. We're still waiting on that Lego build of a life-sized and fully-functioning Nimbus 2000. It would go together nicely with the regular working Nimbus 2000 that we'll also never get.
6) Spider-Man
Spider-Man and Lego might not seem like the most ideal match, considering Spider-Man's moves and webbing aren't the least bit blocky. But then you see a Lego minifig with Spidey's detailing and exclusive web fluid accessories and can't help but fall in love. And don't get us started on that Doc Ock minifig or Green Goblin on his Lego glider! Sweet! We'd rank this one higher but the license was pretty much limited to the movies and the corresponding environments (read: what you get to build) are kinda vanilla (with a few exceptions) since Spidey tends to hang out in Anyblock, New York City, most of the time. Oh yeah, that and apparently even Lego Spider-Man needs a helicopter. Where will it end, fetishists of unnecessary superhero vehicles?!
By the time the late '90s rolled around though, a new era of Legomania began: licensed themes! While some purists were outraged and concerned (including some within the company) on the outset, Lego Star Wars got the ball rolling on what would become a beautiful friendship between the little blocks that could and good old American capitalism. The marriage helped the beloved toy company survive its well-publicized hardships, enabling it to continue to create new worlds for us to play in while reimagining preexisting ones in perfect, blocky harmony. Which leads us to this list: join us now as we countdown our favorite of Lego's licensed toylines -- so far.
10) Speed Racer
The Speed Racer Lego series didn't set the world on fire with its minifigs - Lego's Chim Chim could easily be mistaken for your local zoo chimp - but there was no mistaking the sweetness of having a Lego-ized Mach 5 in all its glory at one's disposal for a little brick-fueled racing. Speed Racer's humanoid figures didn't turn out half badly either: check out that detail on the figs of Speed, Trixie and Pops!
9) Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
While the film adaptation's theatrical run was one of the great disappearing acts during this summer's movie season (at least in the U.S.), one can't blame its Lego tie-ins for the film's domestic results. Featuring nicely realized set pieces from the flick - especially Battle of Alamut and Quest Against Time - these collections pack in a lot of fun, including such awesomeness as light-up bricks, trap doors and spinnable blades. And yes, a refreshingly bearded and rugged Jake Gyllenhaal Dastan minifig is included in each set, so get to buyin', lady Lego nerds!
8) Avatar: The Last Airbender
Because it was part of the same Nickelodeon series that included SpongeBob SquarePants, Avatar only got two sets in its Lego treatment: renditions of the Fire Nation ship and Air Temple. A:tLA's Legos got the most out of the space they were afforded though, doing a nice job of recreating the aforementioned items from the show, and its minifigs, especially Aang's, captured the personality of the characters nicely.
7) Harry Potter
Like most things associated with the Harry Potter license, Lego's take on the world of J.K. Rowling's boy wizard is pretty immersive, featuring nods to some of the series' most famous magical objects, scenes and locales, including the Sorting Hat, Hogwarts Express & Castle, Quidditch Practice, Gryffindor, and the Chamber of Secrets. We're still waiting on that Lego build of a life-sized and fully-functioning Nimbus 2000. It would go together nicely with the regular working Nimbus 2000 that we'll also never get.
6) Spider-Man
Spider-Man and Lego might not seem like the most ideal match, considering Spider-Man's moves and webbing aren't the least bit blocky. But then you see a Lego minifig with Spidey's detailing and exclusive web fluid accessories and can't help but fall in love. And don't get us started on that Doc Ock minifig or Green Goblin on his Lego glider! Sweet! We'd rank this one higher but the license was pretty much limited to the movies and the corresponding environments (read: what you get to build) are kinda vanilla (with a few exceptions) since Spidey tends to hang out in Anyblock, New York City, most of the time. Oh yeah, that and apparently even Lego Spider-Man needs a helicopter. Where will it end, fetishists of unnecessary superhero vehicles?!
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