The Brick Connection – A novice Lego fan explores the great brick world of LEGO

Hey there LEGO fans!

Bet you didn’t think I could make it a third week talking about Star Wars. Well you were wrong!

Okay wait, please don’t go. I know last week’s post was long. I kind of let that one get away from me. But it is nice to have found a topic that is easy and fun to talk about. Being forced to write about something that I am uninterested in is not fun for me or anyone that reads it. So I'm happy to have found my little niche in the world of LEGO.

Now back to Star Wars...we’ve discussed the Millennium Falcon, Rey, BB-8, Han and Leia (*sigh*), their bitch of a son, and now we’re going to finish this extremely long review off with Finn and Poe. Two more excellent additions to this franchise.

But real quick, check out this time-lapse video of a LEGO BB-8 being made for the UK Star Wars premiere. It was built by the team at Bright Bricks.

They had to use glue (gasp!) because it was for public display, which means a lot of people were going to want to touch it. The glue obviously keeps everything in place securely. It also sits on a pole to have the correct angle and so the head can spin separately from the body, just like the real BB-8.

Speaking of the real BB-8, did you see he made an appearance at an awards show last weekend? That guy’s the best! (he makes his appearance about 58 seconds in):

Alright, so Finn and Poe…

Quick Reminders:

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS

THERE WILL BE LEGO

Finn “no last name” and Poe Dameron complete the new trio for this new trilogy. One of the many reasons why Episode VII is not just a copy of Episode IV, despite some criticism saying so, is that Poe Dameron and Rey never interact in this film. Not once! That would be like if Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia never interacted in Episode IV. Or would it be like if Luke and Han had never interacted?

That’s another reason why this is not just a copy! The new trio is not just a new Luke, Han, and Leia. They have some qualities and experiences similar to the original trio, but they are very much their own people.

Okay, rant over.

Poe is the first of the new characters we meet as the film starts. He is given the piece of the map to Luke Skywalker and hands it off to BB-8 for safe-keeping as the First Order descends on the village he’s in. This leads to our first meeting with Kylo Ren, whose stormtroopers capture Poe.

Unbeknownst to the audience initially is the fact that Finn is among the stormtroopers that have stormed the village. We do not see his face yet, but we see that he is struggling with the idea of being a stormtrooper and the unpleasant tasks that are required.

And how are all those stormtroopers transported to Jakku and back to their base. Why a First Order Transporter of course!

The LEGO First Order Transporter was a pretty well-liked set for LEGO fans even though the purpose of the vehicle wasn’t really interesting. The set had a lot of fun play features. Let’s be real, the most disappointing part of this film was not seeing a stormtrooper do this:

One of the best things about the set is the 7 minifigures it comes with, including Captain Phasma. I found Captain Phasma to be a little bit of a letdown for the film. The actress was great, but I feel like there was a lot of build up for a character that really didn’t do much. I hear that she will have a bigger role in the next film though. My favorite part of Phasma in this film is after Han and Finn capture her and get her to put the Starkiller Base shields down. They’re trying to figure out what do with her:

Finn: What should we do with her?

Han: Is there a garbage chute... or trash compactor?

Awesome! I think I giggled a little at Han’s glee in the thought of putting her in a trash compacter. Ah, memories!

Anyway, the set also comes with a couple stormtroopers. Now obviously there are a couple sets that have the actual Finn minifigure, but you can pretend that one of these stormtroopers is Finn before he defects.

Speaking of Finn defecting. That uncertainty we saw with the stormtrooper on Jakku leads FN-2187 to do the unthinkable. He helps Poe Dameron escape from the First Order. Granted, he really just needs a pilot to help him escape, but I think FN-2187 also realizes that it’s the right thing to do. This leads to Poe and FN-2187’s epic escape in a TIE Fighter. 

It also leads to the start of the cutest bromance and possible romance between Poe and FN-2187. While escaping, Poe gives his new friend a new name, because FN-2187 doesn’t have quite the right ring to it. And that is how we get the name Finn.

That was a really cool unexpected moment for me when I first saw the film. We had seen Finn in the trailer taking off the stormtrooper helmet, but I thought it might be an Episode IV type situation where Han and Luke dress up like stormtroopers as a disguise. This is another unique aspect of Episode VII. Where was there anything similar to a stormtrooper defector in Episode IV?

Anyway, I found Finn’s background very sad, but very compelling. The fact that he never had a real name his whole life…well it just makes Poe’s naming of him all the more sweet and creates a special bond between them.

As for the LEGO TIE Fighter set, the price was the main complaint, and that doesn’t change with the movie now out. If anything, the price should go down now.

What does make the TIE Fighter special this time around is that in the film we actually get to experience the flying of one. Previously TIE Fighters were flown by people or creatures we never saw. In the Force Awakens we are inside the TIE Fighter. So that’s a fun aspect of the new LEGO TIE Fighter. Price still sucks though.

It is on sale on Amazon and on Walmart’s website right now though. $55.99 if you’re interested.

It would have been cool if Poe and Finn minifigures had been included with the TIE Fighter, but that would have been a bit of a spoiler since the set came out months before the movie.

Speaking of the movie, after escaping the First Order, Finn and Poe crash land on Jakku. Poe is nowhere to be seen so Finn assumes he’s dead. I’m pretty sure everyone watching the film knew he wasn’t dead since Poe is one of the new main characters, but it created some interesting drama for Finn and got him a nice new jacket.

We’ve discussed much of what happens to Finn after this: meets Rey and BB-8, escapes on the Falcon, meets Han and Chewie, and ends up on Takodana when the First Order attacks.

This brings the return of Poe Dameron as he leads the counterattack on the First Order. Finn is very impressed with Poe’s piloting, although he doesn’t know it’s his new/old friend Poe yet.

And what is Poe flying? Why an X-Wing Fighter of course.

This LEGO set was very well liked in the LEGO community. Two great things about this set are the Poe and BB-8 minifigures, especially now that we’ve seen the new characters in action in the film. In fact, this is the only set so far that includes a Poe minifig.

The only major difference from previous X-Wing sets was the color scheme. At first, some thought the black and orange color was just to add some pop to make the set fresh, but apparently the color scheme is canon. I didn’t noticed while watching the film, but I will look for it next time. Poe actually does fly a black X-Wing:

Poe and his black/orange X-Wing are seen here at the Resistance Base on D’Qar after the battle on Takodana. Leia brings Han, Chewie, and Finn there too. This is when Finn and BB-8 are reunited with Poe. I don’t know whose reaction to seeing Poe alive was cuter, BB-8’s or Finn’s.

Eventually a plan is made to destroy Starkiller Base with Finn heading to get the shields down while Poe leads the attack to make the Starkiller implode. Poe and Finn share a quick moment before heading off on their missions. Both are successful and Starkiller Base is destroyed, but not before Finn is gravely injured from a lightsaber duel with Kylo Ren.

Fortunately Rey and Chewie are able to get Finn off the base safely, but he is unconscious and that is the last we know of him for Episode VII. Poe’s last moment in the film is giving the piece of the map from the beginning of the film to BB-8 to fill in the missing part of R2-D2’s map.

Huh! I just realized something. Poe and Rey were in this scene together. Still never saw them interact or actually meet each other though.

So that’s it! We covered all the previously released LEGO sets and all the new characters.

As for some overall thoughts, if you hadn’t realized, I LOVED this movie! 

But right after I finished watching and even the day after, I didn't really know how to summarize my feelings. I was too emotionally wrought over the loss of the one and only Han Solo. It would have been one thing if he had gone out fighting, but to be murdered by his own son, that he was trying to bring home to Leia.

fafhsfahwubwefhasildfhalishfa!!!

There are no real words to describe my anguish over that.

Time has given me a chance to grieve and heal though. And once I saw past my grief, I knew that this was a fantastic movie. It was a nice mix of the new and the old, originality and nostalgia, and plenty of mystery. Of course we have a lot of questions, but there was a lot unknown after the original Star Wars as well. Now we have two more movies coming to figure everything out.

I feel like a fraud for ever considering myself a Star Wars fan before this. My emotional attachment to Star Wars a few months ago is nothing compared to how I feel about it now.

Now I get what it means to be a Star Wars fan. And I have LEGO to thank for making my investment in this franchise even greater.

Well I have heard from my new best friend Gregory (aka the only person that comments on the blog), but I want to know what everyone else thinks. Now that you’ve had time to digest this new film, where does it stand in Star Wars film history? What do you think about the new trio? Will there be romance between any of the new characters? Which ones?

And just when you thought you were done with me talking about Star Wars, we have a bonus Star Wars blog next week. I am going to take an in-depth look at the two new Star Wars sets that were released a few weeks ago. They are the Battle on Takodana and the Resistance Troop Transporter.

Until next time…how upset are you that they pushed back the release of Episode VIII seven months???? 

*Compliments, general feedback, and constructive criticism are welcome. Any haters that are gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate can go step on some Lego with their bare feet.*