The LEGO Movie

Movie Maker

A phone dock with LEGO clipped on, and I mean that with real affection.

Brick Rated Score

3.4/5

Set 70820 · 2019

Pieces482

Minifigs6

Year2019

Set number70820

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The verdict

I went into this one expecting a normal LEGO Movie set and got a stop-motion animation rig instead, complete with a phone stand, a sliding backdrop, and little clear rods for floating minifigs mid-air.

That is a genuinely clever idea and my kids had a blast the first afternoon. But I have to be honest with you, the actual build is over fast and a chunk of the box is scaffolding for your phone rather than LEGO you get attached to. This one is for a specific kid, the one who wants to direct their own movie, not the one who just wants a great model on the shelf.

Best for: kids who want to actually film a stop-motion short with their own minifigs, not just display a set

The full review

What it is

The Movie Maker is not trying to be a spaceship or a castle, it is trying to be a tiny film studio, and once I understood that the whole design clicked for me. You get a frame with sliding, adjustable arms up top to hold props, a double sided backdrop you flip for a different scene, a platform with built in sliders to move characters across, and a stand to clip your phone into so you can shoot the whole thing. It is a genuinely different idea from LEGO and I respect that they tried it.

The catch

Where I have to be straight with you is on value. Six minifigures is a real strength, Emmet, Rex Dangervest, Sweet Mayhem, and Wyldstyle among them, and the little micro builds of the Escape Buggy and Rexplorer are a nice touch tucked into the set. But strip those out and the actual buildable structure is quick and simple, closer to a prop rig than a model, and at 482 pieces for fifty dollars that puts it on the pricier end per piece compared to other sets in the wave. The app that ties the whole concept together has also gotten mixed reviews from parents, some kids loved making little movies, others got frustrated just trying to save or share the finished clip.

Who it's for

I would get this one for a kid who is already into making videos or stop-motion animation and wants the minifigures and props to do it properly, that kid will use this constantly. I would skip it if you are shopping for someone who mainly wants a satisfying build to sit on a shelf, or if you are not prepared for an app that may not hold up long term. Buy it for the concept and the figures, not for the piece count.

What works

Comes with six minifigures including Emmet, Rex Dangervest, and Sweet Mayhem, so the figure value alone is solid for the price
The sliding arms and clear support rods are a smart, genuinely useful mechanism for framing action shots
Micro-scale versions of the Escape Buggy and Rexplorer are a fun little bonus build inside the main set

Worth knowing

The build itself is thin, a lot of the piece count goes into a frame and backdrop rather than a model worth keeping together
The companion app that the whole concept depends on has had spotty support and export issues, so the core selling point can disappoint
At 482 pieces for $49.99 the part-for-part value is weaker than most sets in this price bracket

Sold? Grab it.

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The parts story

What the build is actually like, and the pieces worth knowing about.

Building this one feels more like assembling a little stage set than constructing a model. You snap together a frame, thread on the sliding overhead arms, click the backdrop into its double sided slot, and build the platform with its built in runners for moving characters side to side. It goes together fast, which is great for a kid who wants to get to the fun part quickly, but if you are the type who savors a long, satisfying build, this will feel over before it starts.

The clear rods that support minifigs and vehicles mid-air for filming are the smartest piece of engineering in the set, simple but effective for making things look like they are flying. The six minifigures are the real value here, Emmet, Rex Dangervest, Sweet Mayhem, Wyldstyle, and the rest, each with the printed detail LEGO Movie figures are known for. The micro scale Escape Buggy and Rexplorer builds tucked into the props are a nice bonus for anyone who collects the tiny vehicle variants LEGO occasionally slips into sets like this.

Fun facts

01The set released in December 2018 alongside the promotion for The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part and retired about a year later in late 2019.
02It shipped with a companion smartphone app designed to help kids shoot and edit their own stop-motion movies using the set's props and sliders.
03The clear rods included for suspending minifigures and vehicles are a classic LEGO stop-motion trick, borrowed straight from how LEGO's own animators film promotional shorts.
04BrickEconomy tracks the combined value of the six included minifigures at over fifteen dollars, a meaningful chunk of the set's forty nine dollar retail price.