Fun Pixar mash-ups promote toys, have slapstick violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Products & Purchases
some
Since all the characters and sets are designed to look like Legos, the shorts are pretty much an implied commercial for Legos. The shorts all feature characters for Pixar movies, so they are promoting Pixar properties as well.
Violence & Scariness
a little
The Incredibles short has some slapstick cartoon violence (like the villain getting hit over the head with a frying pan, and then kicked into outer space). The Nemo story has a brief moment of peril but it's clear pretty quickly that no one is hurt. The Brave short features a witch who is a bit spooky at first but turns out to be friendly. Like the movie, the Coco characters are skeletons, but they are not spooky.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
Several of the shorts have a message, while some are purely fun. Themes include not giving up, the importance of family, and winning not being the only thing that matters.
Positive Role Models
some
Most of the characters are positive role models, but the 5-minute shorts don't allow viewers to get to know them very well. Both Lightning McQueen and Hector don't give up despite adversity. Merida, Nemo, and the Incredibles are brave problem-solvers.
Diverse Representations
a little
Each short features different Pixar characters, some of which are non-human. The Incredibles and Brave stories have strong female characters. The Coco short has a positive representation of Mexican culture.
Parents need to know that Lego Pixar: BrickToons is a series of shorts featuring Pixar characters made out of Lego bricks. The shorts are set in the worlds of Cars, Brave, The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, and Coco. Some of the movies' famous voice actors reprise their roles, like Owen Wilson's Lightning McQueen and Holly Hunter's Mrs. Incredible. Content varies from short to short, but expect some slapstick cartoon violence in the Incredibles short and a brief moment of peril in the Nemo story. The Brave episode features a witch who's spooky at first but turns out to be friendly, and the Coco characters are, as in the movie, all skeletons. Since all of the characters and sets are made out of the familiar bricks, all of the shorts function as promotion for Lego toy sets.
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
LEGO PIXAR: BRICKTOONS is a compilation of animated shorts that re-imagines Pixar movie characters in the world of Lego. The five-minute stories re-visit the characters of Cars, Brave, The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, and Coco. In the Cars story, Mater makes a questionable wheel repair that dooms Lightning McQueen's chances of winning the Piston Cup. The Brave short requires Merida to rescue her brother, who has turned into stone. The Incredibles story features Jack Jack's silly pizza-making antics, and the return of the Syndrome villain. In the Nemo short, Nemo and friends go on a field trip with Mr. Ray. Coco's short shows off Miguel's musical talents at a battle of the bands. In all of the episodes, the characters and scenery are made out of Lego bricks.
The five shorts in Lego Pixar: BrickToons are a bit uneven, ranging from laugh-out-loud funny to a smidge boring. Incredibles fans will love seeing Jack Jack get into trouble (again), and Coco fans will enjoy a moving reprise of the "Proud Corazón" song from the movie. The Nemo short does the best job of playing with the made-out-of-Lego-bricks conceit, while the Lego-ness is more subtle in other shorts. Kids who are fans of the Pixar movies featured in the shorts, or kids who have enjoyed other Lego movies, will be entertained by this fun mash-up.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why Disney/Pixar made these shorts to look like they're made out of Lego bricks. How does the Lego company benefit from being connected to Pixar movies? How does Pixar benefit from being connected to Lego?
Many of these short stories talk about the importance of not giving up. Can you think of how the different characters keep trying until they succeed?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Ashley Moulton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
