Lego Hero Factory: Breakout
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Lego Hero Factory: Breakout
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Lego Hero Factory: Breakout is a 2012 short computer-animated feature. Essentially, this is bit more than a commercial for the Hero Factory line of Lego products. Each "good guy" has a corresponding "bad guy" to fight, and they're all for sale as action figures at the nearest toy store. There is some cartoonish violence; characters wrestle and throw each other around until the bad guys are "caught and cuffed." There is a semblance of a story, but again, this whole production is clearly intended to show how cool these Lego toys are for kids.
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What's the Story?
A jailbreak, spearheaded by the evil Black Phantom, has released all the villains from the Hero Factory. As the villains are set to unleash chaos throughout the galaxy, it's up to Stormer, Surge, and the other heroes to find them, defeat them, and make sure they're "captured and cuffed." However, the jailbreak was only part of Black Phantom's schemes. Though many of the heroes are far from the Hero Factory, Black Phantom attempts to deactivate the Hero Factory and steal the plans to create his own Hero Factory. Only Rocka stayed behind to defend the Hero Factory, and now he must find a way to stop Black Phantom while the other heroes struggle to stop all the newly freed villains.
Is It Any Good?
Though there is some semblance of a story to engage kids who are already Hero Factory fans, the movie is little more than a lengthy commercial for Lego products. The villains have escaped the Hero Factory, and each has a corresponding hero to do battle with. Each also has its own color, style, and weaponry, but that doesn't make the characters easy to keep track of. The story is little more than a vehicle to show what each character/toy can do.
The battle scenes aren't bad, and the heroes don't immediately emerge victorious. Nonetheless, neither the story nor the action scenes overcome the viewer's feeling that the audience is being sold a bill of goods.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about characters in kids' shows that are also toys for sale. Why do you think companies such as Lego make animated features that prominently feature their toys?
Do you think this feature would make kids more likely to want to buy the different Lego toys represented in the story? Why, or why not?
Is this story more or less violent than other animated features in which heroes do battle with villains?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: September 21, 2010
- Cast: John Schneider, Henry Winkler, Malcolm McDowell
- Director: Howard Baker
- Studio: Threshold Animation Studios
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Superheroes, Adventures, Robots
- Run time: 44 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: September 20, 2019
Our Editors Recommend
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The Lego Movie
Hilarious toy tale plugs product but is nonstop fun.
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LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out
Parody is short, funny, but definitely an ad for LEGO toys.
-
Lego Atlantis
Short Lego-themed feature has some bathroom humor.
For kids who love cartoons
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