Made in Lego

Der bedste er ikke for godt - Just the best is good enough
Official Lego Motto
Billund, Denmark

Introduction

Lego is a Danish toy production company based in Billund, where it produces interlocking plastic building blocks for not only the enjoyment of children, but adults and seniors as well. The name is a contraction of "Leg Godt", a Danish phrase meaning "Play Well". It is also convenient that "Lego" in Latin means "I construct". LEGO has gone on to create and influence so much in today's world, which is what I shall be presenting and discussing below. On its personal impact and inspiration it has upon me and my attributes.

Captains, Clones and Colossal Creations

captain and clone pose
The Clone Wars was a one of my favourite series of LEGO products to be released, as this set came out during the official movie release in 2008 which I really enjoyed when I was a child. The two LEGO Minifigures depicted above are two characters who are featured in the film, Captain Rex and a Clone Trooper.
captain pose
Captain Rex was a fan-favourite character, who has made his mark in the movie and television show, as well as been one of my favourite Minifigures in my collection so far. I always thought the mix of blue and white was such a great combination which is highly underrated when combined with his sleek armour design. And this was fantastically achieved when put into LEGO form. I distinctly remember thinking how cool and well polished he was on screen, and because of this, I became further invested into the universe and has thus influenced some our my personal attributes.
AT-TE
This monsterous creation, is a vehicle that was featured in the cartoon film as well as the live-action movies produced by Lucasfilms. This vehicle is an AT-TE (All Terrain Tactical Enforcer), which was a crazy experience for 8 year old me to create. The walker was my first true experience on how complicated and intricate Lego can be, as it took me several days to create along with some help of my parents. But after it was completed, I didn't have anywhere to put it! And 8-year old me did not feel confident enough to carry it as its fragilty was very evident.
AT-TE cockpit
The AT-TE was such an interesting creation to put together, as I found myself making parts of it that I just couldn't see being apart of the product as a whole. Yet in the end, all the pieces fit, like a strange structural and sculptural jigsaw puzzle. Such as for example, this cockpit fits so neatly at the front of the vehicle, a detail which could of been easily dealt with by a couple of stickers that gave the illusion of depth. But they went the extra distance to add features to the inside as well. This included adding a full interior to the vehicle, complete with seats and compartments for items.
AT-TE gun
The LEGO product, even came with a detachable cannon which could move 360 degrees. This creation gave me a further appreciation of the vehicles that existed in Star Wars, both increasing my excitement of how they worked, as well as encouraging me to see how real-world elements shared these similar traits in LEGO and Star Wars.

Alien Conquest

ADU ship
This particular product was called Alien Conquest is a Space theme Lego product released in May 2011. The theme features a large invasion force of aliens attacking earth and attempting to steal all the brainpower from the humans, a first for LEGO. This Lego I received as a birthday gift, and was the first LEGO product I had which utilised a power source, a battery.
ADU ship interior
The UFO was a fantastic vehicle to build, as it was somehow perfectly circular despite all the square and rectangular pieces. Of course, Lego has circular pieces, but they are not as prominent and neither are they used for such a tightly held creation. This piece was a first for LEGO in alot of ways, for example: It was the first LEGO line to introduce the microphone, syringe, and the ray gun to mainstream LEGO sets.
ADU interior 2
This is where the LEGO product impressed me the most, as it implement a light source that was run by a battery attached to it. And what was great was that it wasn't just a simple switch, but could be operated by the small handle connected to the green ball end. This fascinated 11-year old me and alot of other LEGO fans, as this was a new and innovative approach to the LEGO franchise.
ADU farmer
But by far, in terms of Minifigure details, my favourite has to be the farmer. The LEGO design team truly care about authenticity and realism. Which is what can be seen on the design of the farmer, as its visible to see all of his individual pockets, the stray wheat steams poking through his clothes and how each piece of clothing is cleanly defined so avoid confusion.

In Conclusion

These LEGO Minifigures and creations have been such an inspiration to me and to others around the world. Thanks to my early experience with these toys, I have come to a greater understanding and appreciation on how things work. It has influenced me in ways I couldn't imagine, both innovatively and mentally challenging me to think past my boundaries

LEGO has allowed me to gain a better grasp on how the world works, as well as given me the creative freedom to go out and venture the unknown. There simple toys has resulted in a benefit I wouldn't have ever found in any other toy, and they have provided a bountiful childhood full of great memories. These simple blocks and bricks have provided a large foundation and has peaked my interest in a range of different paths in the real world. And for that, LEGO has my eternal thanks.