The lego is more common in my house than, well … food and clothes.
Perhaps that’s not surprising, since I have two boys who are crazy about Star Wars and superheroes — two themes that dominate the Lego aisles at the big box stores. My kids have built more Lego toys than I can count, and I’ve spent more money on them than I care to know.
So when Fox’s Lego Masters debuted in February, my children immediately wanted to watch.
The show — which can be streamed on Hulu — features 20 contestants divided into 10 teams competing for a cash prize, a trophy and the title of “Lego Master.” Will Arnett, the voice of Batman in the Lego animated movies, hosts the show, while Amy Corbett and Jamie Berard — two designers at the Lego Group company — serve as judges.
READ: Catch these movie trailers for upcoming faith-based films
The series is entertaining and largely family-friendly (details below) — and different from other reality shows, too. Instead of spotlighting infighting and sabotage, Lego Masters focuses on the positive: a father and son team that loves to work together, a newlywed husband and wife that bond around Legos, and so forth. Rather than calling each other teams, teams on Lego Masters often cheer for one another. Crazy, huh?
This positive vibe extends to the judges, who offer the contestants constructive criticism rather than put-downs and snarky remarks.
In the season premiere, the teams raced to build a section of an amusement park. (They had 16 hours to come up with an idea and construct it.) The results were incredible, even if a few didn’t fully function.
The show includes very minor language (I caught a d–n and maybe one h-ll) and a very diverse cast (one of the men wears a flower in his hair).
But if you can overlook those caveats, Lego Masters is a fun series to watch.
Also worth watching this month:
Adults/teens
Run The Race
Run the Race (Hulu, Prime) — It’s a Christian film about two teenage brothers who view athletics as the ticket out of their small town. But when separate medical incidents sideline them, one of the brothers faces a crisis of faith. Rated PG for thematic content and some teen partying. Feb. 25.
Night on Earth (Netflix) — It’s like a Planet Earth filmed in the dark. Night on Earth uses the latest camera technology to show us what animals do at night when no one’s watching. It entered the lineup in January.
Jeopardy! (Netflix) — Three Jeopardy! series enter the Netflix platform in February: “Celebrate Alex Collection,” “Cindy Stowell Collection” and “Seth Wilson Collection.” Feb. 28.
Faith, Hope & Love (Netflix) — A widower and a single woman enter a contest to try and save her dance studio. This faith-centric movie comes with a few caveats (such as revealing outfits) but has a good message. Rated PG for some thematic elements. Feb. 4.
Children
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (Netflix) — Shaun and his farm friends protect a kind alien who landed near their barn. It’s the sequel to the hilarious film Shaun the Sheep Movie and uses stop-action animation. Rated G. Feb. 14.
Toy Story 4 (Disney Plus) — Sheriff Woody goes on a road trip with his new owner, Bonnie, but gets sidetracked when he meets an old friend, Bo Peep. Rated G. Feb. 5.
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie Valentine’s Day Special (Prime) — What would happen if you gave a mouse a cookie? Answer: More than you can imagine. This animated show is based on the brilliant book by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond. Feb. 7.
–Michael Foust | Metro Voice