Lego Pixar: BrickToons Review – Playful Plastic Homages for the Whole Family

Lost in a world of plastic bricks, fan-favorite Pixar characters embark on new animated adventures in Lego form. LEGO Pixar BrickToons invites viewers into a playful universe where iconic stories and settings have been lovingly rebuilt with the tiny toy blocks we all know and love. Across five animated shorts, this series treats us to a fresh glimpse at beloved tales like Cars, Finding Nemo, and Coco.

Transported to the magical lands of Radiator Springs, the open ocean depths, and Day of the Dead celebrations, our Pixar pals find themselves experiencing familiar events in unfamiliar Legoized ways. Lightning McQueen faces mechanical malfunctions that transform him into an improbable monster truck. Marlin and Dory’s attempts to protect Nemo’s field trip group have unexpectedly chaotic results. Miguel competes in a lively land of the dead talent show.

Whether racing through new hijinks with Mater, venturing through a sunken pirate ship in fish form, or jamming out at a family concert, these characters embrace each adventure’s playful reimagining with good humor. Across nearly half an hour of content, BrickToons finds clever ways to adapt fan favorite stories and deliver fresh laughs through the fun lens of Lego—inviting all ages to join in the creative play.

Legoized Adventures

Cars: In this short take on the Pixar racing hit, Lightning McQueen experiences a mechanical mishap during practice that leaves him in disrepair. He seeks help from friend Mater, who brings the damaged racer to mechanic Ramone. But Ramone’s special “spare parts” transform Lightning into an unlikely monster truck instead of restoring his familiar form! Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy lend their iconic voices to this Lego twist on the automotive adventure.

Finding Nemo: This short follows Mr. Ray’s field trip crew as Nemo and pals explore a sunken shipwreck. Overprotective Marlin and forgetful Dory insist on an advance scouting, but their search mostly causes comic chaos. Lego brickworks render the submarine setting with all the charm of the 2003 film. Viewers also meet new character interpretations while favorites like Bob Peterson’s Ray retain their vocal likeness.

The Incredibles: In a nod to the superhero smash, little Jack-Jack goes missing during a pizza dinner prep mishap. Siblings Violet and Dash spring into action to find their brother, who curiously disappears and reappears at will around the Lego house. But trouble also brews from a revamped syndrome plotting to drain the town’s power! Craig T. Nelson and others lend classic voices to this humorous homage.

Brave: Merida takes her rowdy brothers on a Stonehenge outing, but hijinks promptly ensue. Seeking help, she requests a magic fix from the formidable witch. Celtic Lego characters and settings showcase the film’s heart, and Short captures its spirit of laughs, bonds, and bold bravery against wild Scottish highlands backdrops.

In Coco: In the Land of the Dead, Miguel competes in a talent show under family pressure. But friend Hector urges fun over winning. Music once more plays a role in this heartwarming tale, where skeletons croon and holiday celebrations bring joy to all. Characters sing and spirits soar in this Lego reinterpretation of Pixar’s musical masterwork.

Brick By Brick Visuals

The animation in BrickToons is a true testament to the skill and care taken in bringing these beloved characters to life in Lego form. Each world pops off the screen with charming details that feel lifted straight from the original films.

Cars’ Radiator Springs is a gleaming recreation of that first movie’s rusty but radiant roadside town. You can almost smell the fresh paint on Luigi’s Casa Della Tires as it gleams in the sunlight. Finding Nemo shines too—the vast underwater colors and creatures transporting you into the deep as effectively as any Pixar movie.

Character designs excel at distilling the essence of each hero into brick-built body and expression. From Brave’s curling-haired Merida to the Incredibles’ elastic Mr. Incredible, each captures the heart and humor that made these characters icons. Lego Miguel, complete with guitar, channeled all the music and mischief of his filmic friend.

Some shorts lean harder into Lego’s building concepts, depicting settings that break apart and reassemble fluently like the toy itself. The pirate ship finale of Nemo and transforming vehicles in Cars especially shine in this regard.

While efforts to “Lego-ify” feel inconsistent at points, like more stylized humans in Incredibles, overall these visuals amuse with their charm and attention to detail. Fans both great and small will delight in seeing these worlds and people translated piece by piece to plastic perfection.

Returning Voices Bring Characters to Life

The voice work in BrickToons helps transport fans straight back into the worlds of their favorite Pixar films. Larping the roles they made famous, stars like Owen Wilson and Craig T. Nelson bring Lightning and Mr. Incredible to vibrant Lego life once more.

Cars and Incredibles truly shine through vocal cameos from the original cast. Wilson perfectly captures McQueen’s energy and spirit, while Nelson approaches Bob Parr with humanity and humor. These beloved performances give their shorts an extra dose of charm.

Finding Nemo finds similar success thanks to Bob Peterson’s reprisal as the delightful Ray. His warmth and wit shine through and strengthen the short’s heart. Disappointingly, newcomer Dory lacks the magic of Ellen DeGeneres’ interpretation.

Meanwhile, new Dory and Miguel voice actors face big shoes to fill from iconic predecessors. Their efforts show talent but can’t quite match DeGeneres and Anthony Gonzalez’s inimitable work.

Yet these issues don’t dampen the series’ overall enjoyment. BrickToons proves voice acting’s power to bring even blocky Lego characters to life. Fans will love discovering familiar tones that transport them straight back into beloved Pixar worlds.

Brick Jokes and Fourth Wall Fun

The Lego format offers ample opportunities for self-referential humor. At their best, the BrickToon shorts lean gleefully into jokes that wink at their toy-based reality.

Finding Nemo fully commits to the concept, capping off its tale with a pirate stronghold rebuild that taps the iconic pleasure of constructing colorful Lego sets. The flick also peppers in gags about Marlin and Dory’s literal brick construction that land with chuckles.

Cars takes a similar route, at one point transforming Lightning McQueen into a vehicle so outlandish, only the flexible fantasies of a Lego world could allow it. Kids and kids-at-heart can delight in the joke.

Regrettably, not every short seizes these comedic moments with both blocks. Brave and Incredibles feel more preoccupied with straight adaptations than leveraging humor from their medium.

More missed chances include understated callbacks, like Syndrome’s characteristic disintegration finding an inspired reimagining through exploding Lego pieces. Subtle nods could strengthen self-aware charm.

Still, even without perfecting the Lego-centric comedy, these shorts bring laughter through heartwarming revisitations of beloved characters. While missing opportunities for jokes that build on playful bricks, the series retains entertainment through classic Pixar stories and styles now clad happily in plastic.

Brick-Built Fun for the Whole Family

Based on the wholesome tales and messages within, BrickToons clearly aims to delight both kids and the kids-at-heart who parent them. Morals of friendship, perseverance, and having fun over competition shine through in adventures crafted for maximum enjoyment by all audiences.

Young viewers will adore seeing beloved heroes reborn in colorful Lego form embarking on new quests. Simplistic plots and short snippets make the content easy to digest again and again. Parents can feel good about the lack of frightening moments or inappropriate humor that might scare small children or test parental patience.

At the same time, witty nods and returns of favorite voice actors ensure parents won’t feel bored alongside eager eyes glued to the TV. Scenes that lean into the absurd possibilities of a toy-based world, like Lightning morphing into a bizarre vehicle, build laughs for audiences of all stripes.

Nostalgia alone may keep adult superfans entertained during repetitive viewings. But really, the heartwarming adaptations prove just as joyful without prior Pixar adoration.

All in all, BrickToons excels at giving kids and grown-ups quality time for bonding over feel-good nostalgia. Its bubbly bytes provide just the right balance of cuteness and comedy to keep living rooms harmoniously happy for hours of enjoyable viewing.

Brick-Built Fun For All

After peering into the plastic personalities and adventures of BrickToons, it’s clear this collection of shorts has brought Pixar pals to new brickbound life in an enjoyable way. While not perfect in its execution, the series merits praise for how it celebrates beloved characters through creativity and heart.

Younger audiences will delight in seeing iconic figures now toy-sized and tackling fresh escapades. Simple stories, shiny animation, and familiar vocal friends make the shorts easy entertainment for children. Morals of friendship and laughter also give parents comfort in content their kids can enjoy.

At the same time, returning stars and nods to original works reward older fans and provide parents with their own amusement. Slices of pure silliness like Lightning transforming will even extract adult chuckles.

Though missing some chances to fully capitalize on Lego’s self-referential humor, BrickToons undeniably achieves its aim to bring smiles. Fans both toddling and tenured will find satisfaction in seeing worlds reborn anew in plastic pieces.

In the end, families fully embracing the fun spirit of these adventures will walk away entertained. So for lighthearted viewing where everyone can bond over beloved characters, BrickToons deserves a place in your watch pile. Its playfulness and heart make for whole-home enjoyment.