Indiana Jones and the LEGO MacGuffin

“LEGO Indiana Jones and the Mystical Gemstone” by kd2apoof came out of nowhere for me. One of the best things about the brick animation community is when a total stranger from another continent uploads an amazing video that they spent years making and you stumble upon it by chance. It just reinforces the fact that it’s possible for anyone to make a great animation if they put the work in.

This animation starts off with an homage to the opening scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark (not to be confused with this shot-for-shot recreation) and then gets into a sequences of fights and chases that are entertaining, if unmotivated. The cinematography and sound design are the most impressive aspects, but the use of facial animation is under. I also like the use of actual rocks and dirt in the sets. Totally lacking in story, this brick animation is on the impressive-solely-for-its-technical-achievements end of the spectrum, but still well worth a watch.

P.S. For a brick animation that came out of the blue (for me) from France that is impressive for its story as well as technical achievements, make sure you check out “Henri & Edmond – Droits d’auteur” by studiosepsilon if you haven’t already. It’s one of my all-time favorites and I’ve been meaning to do a full review here for a while.