The Ninjago Movie: The Making of the Movie [Book Review]

The more I think about The LEGO Ninjago Movie, the more I like it. I recently acquired and read The LEGO Ninjago Movie: The Making of the Movie, and it helped me to appreciate the film and its artistic direction a little more. When I went to see the film (click here for my review), one of the things that I noticed was that it lacked some of the brick-built feel of The LEGO Movie and The LEGO Batman Movie. Ninjago City certainly fit the bill, but a lot of the movie takes place in the jungle, which was markedly not LEGO. That didn’t really bother me, it was just something that I noticed. It turns out that the makers of the movie chose that direction intentionally to give the film a more traditional, martial arts film feel. That was just one of the interesting facts that I learned about The LEGO Ninjago Movie from reading this book.

Another aspect of the film that I really gained a lot more appreciation for was Ninjago City itself. The city is impressive in the movie, for sure. But, through this book I was able to pick up on many details that I missed in the film. Shops, signs, and the shape of buildings were all things that flew by in the movie, but that I was able to study more closely on the pages of the book. There are so many intricate details that you just don’t see watching the film for the first time. I also noticed when watching the movie that the Ninjago City LEGO set did not actually appear in the movie. Through the book, I was able to see where different parts of the set were pulled to make a smaller scale amalgamation for sale. The artwork for Ninjago City in the book is also amazing.

All of the signs in The LEGO Ninjago Movie are written in an Asian-style script. This was an alphabet developed entirely for the movie that was based on the Latin alphabet, according the book. The book also provides a full key for deciphering the Ninjago language, which actually adds a whole new layer of fun to examining the pictures in the book, as well as to reading the signs in the real LEGO sets.

The book also gives you a map of Ninjago island, and a bit of background about it for those who are unfamiliar with the TV show. I quite like the map, because it gives you a better idea of where things take place in the movie. It also shows just how much thought went into making this production.

In terms of a DK LEGO book, this one is along the same lines as The LEGO Batman Movie: The Making of the Movie (click here for my review). It doesn’t come with the gimmicky exclusive Minifigure (which I am totally a sucker for) that many other DK books have. So, that means that it is a book through-and-through, and it isn’t half filled with cardboard to house a Minifig. While I love those Minifigures, I do appreciate the more artistic approach of this book. It is still kid friendly, but adults will get a lot out of it too.

Overall, I like The LEGO Ninjago Movie: The Making of the Movie. It is a great supplement to the actual film, and a really fun and easy read. As always, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Until next time,

-Tom