The Movies of 2014

How many have you seen?  I reviewed a selection, and you can find all my raves and rants under the movie reviews tag!

Nerd Fun: Decorated Mortarboards for Graduation

Here are 31 examples of sass, creativity, and humor from the Class of 2014.  The LEGO one is my favorite!

Movie Review: The LEGO Movie

Block Party.

I just realized that I forgot to write up a movie review for this flick, and I've already seen it 3 times with 3 different sets of friends.  (It got better each time!)  I had, admittedly, initially been reluctant to go see it: I thought it might be a horrible 90-minute-long ad for LEGO bricks, those little interlocking blocks from Denmark that you must never, ever step on.  I've never been so happy to be so wrong!  The LEGO Movie is an absolute delight - smart, funny, witty, inventive ... It's endlessly, creatively enthralling and unexpectedly touching on multiple levels that will make both kids and grownups happy.  

The animation is brilliant, the voice cast excellent (keep an eye - I mean, an ear - out for celebrity cameos!), the music outstanding, and the narrative instantly engaging.  I fully expect this film to collect mountains of awards; I think it's a shoo-in come Oscar time next year.  I'm almost at a loss how to review it without spoiling it and its wonderful surprises.  (There is one glorious moment in particular that had the entire theatre shrieking with joy at all 3 showings that I attended.  Trust me, when you go, you'll know.)  Actually, the less you know about this flick before you go see it, the better.  Can I just say that "everything is awesome" and send you to the cinema immediately?

Mad Minerva gives The LEGO Movie the grade of A+.  Yes, you read that right.  An A+.  (And no, that's not grade inflation!)

RottenTomatoes gives it the amazingly Fresh rating of 96%.

The official website is here.

The LEGO Movie runs 100 minutes and is rated PG for animated violence and some rude humor.

Nerd Fun: CERN, Legos, and Google Streetview

Kudos.

Lord of the LEGO!

Check out this amazing re-creation of the Helm's Deep with 150,000 bricks and 2000 minifigs!  All the incredible detail is documented here on Flickr.

LOL: the LEGO Santa Mech

Sleighs are so ... 19th-century.

LOL: LEGO Battle of Helm's Deep

Monday Therapy: Felix Baumgartner in LEGO!

Yesterday's amazing free fall from the edge of space has already(!) been turned into a LEGO video:

For the jump from Baumgartner's perspective, see the astounding footage after the fold:

Awesome: LEGO Man in Space

Check out what a couple of enterprising high school students from Toronto did with LEGO, a camera, and a helium-filled weather balloon!  Read all about it, and then watch this delightful (and beautiful) video footage.  Outstanding.

Minifig Madness: the Love of LEGO

4 billion minifigs and counting!  (On a related note, look at this awesomeness.)