#8: The LEGO Movie - Double-Decker Couch (70818)

I'm kind of surprised that the double-decker couch wasn't released as one of the first LEGO Movie sets. Maybe they thought it wasn't something people would want to buy, or maybe they were just holding it back for later release on purpose. It's just such a ridiculous (yet genius) idea, and fairly important to the plot of the movie, so I planned to get it as soon as I heard about its upcoming release. Presumably to up the piece count of this set, Emmet's car is also included. It's the same one he's shown driving to work in the movie, and there's even the little radio brick inside. The car also has a small storage area in the rear, which is intended to hold his hardhat. The couch is a pretty easy build, with a lot of smaller bricks. Unfortunately, no, the couch cushions don't lift up, revealing ample storage space beneath. Unless you use your imagination, of course. One of the best things about this set is that it includes five minifigures. This is a set that sells for twelve dollars or so, which means it's a great value based on the minifigures alone. There's Emmet, Unikitty, Ghost Vitruvius, President Business, and Benny. This is actually my third Emmet and Unikitty (at least this version is sitting, and has two facial expressions included), but the others are all new to me. I'm particularly glad to get Benny, who is such a fun character. This is a set that's definitely worth picking up.

#7: The LEGO Movie - Batman & Super Angry Kitty Attack (70817)

Ever since LEGO started making DC super hero playsets, I've been wanting to get a Batman. I got one from a set with Catwoman, but it was a Batman with wings and no cape. All the "standard" looking Batman minifigures have been in sets that I'm too cheap to get, and that trend continued with the LEGO Movie sets. Fortunately there are still sets coming out almost a year after the movie was released, one of which includes regular Batman. Buying this set was a no brainer. Batman is armed with a batarang and a grapnel gun. Also included in the set is the super angry version of Unikitty, a skeleton robot, and one of the micro managers. Unikitty is cool, and it's a different version of her than the one I already have, so I'm glad to add it. The skeleton robot is basically a Terminator, and he includes a gun. Its proportions seem weird, and I think it's that the arms are too long or the legs are too short. The micro manager provides most of the building for the set. It even has a couple action features, with flick launch missiles, and a lever that makes the top of the manager explode off. This set sells for about ten dollars, which is a pretty great deal considering how much the individual minifigures sell for.

#16: The LEGO Movie - Cloud Cuckoo Palace (70803)

Cloud Cuckoo Palace is the most pink and pastel thing in my collection, so it really stands out. The set looks like it is made out of clouds and candy, which is pretty accurate. It's not the most complicated build, but there's enough to keep it fun, with several pieces I've never seen before. There is an action feature that links one of the "candy" pieces with the round green piece by gears, so that rotating one rotates the other. There's no real reason for it, but it's there. The other action feature is the flower launcher. It doesn't really launch the flower very far. It's a nice set, but I mostly got it for the minifigures.

There's a snail and an Executron. But the stars of the set are Wyldstyle, Emmet, and Unikitty. Wyldstyle and Emmet are both available in a cheaper set, and individually in the blindpacked series, but this set features the versions of the characters that I wanted most. This is also the least expensive set with a version of Unikitty, although I would also like the Biznis Kitty version.

Wyldstyle and Emmet both have double sided heads, with two expressions. Wyldstyle has a serious expression, and a slightly less serious expression with one eyebrow raised. Emmet has a smiling face and a worried face. I wanted this version of Emmet because he comes with the Piece of Resistance [SPOILERS from here on out], which in the movie is a Krazy Glue cap, but here is a brick. In the movie, it's clearly glued onto his back where here it's held on be a bib piece. It seems like it would be an easy enough custom to have a more screen accurate Piece of Resistance, so I may do that. The set also includes the tracking device on the back of his leg.

#15: The LEGO Movie - Pyjamas Emmet

The day before The LEGO Movie opened, I received an e-mail from the Regal Cinemas club that buying a ticket to a 3-D showing to the movie would include an exclusive minifigure. With the dreaded phrase "at participating theaters." Usually my local theaters are not participating in cool promotions, but I asked at the box office just in case, and it turned out that I was in luck. This is Emmet as he is first introduced in the movie, in his pajamas and waking up to greet a new day. The package uses the alternate spelling "pyjamas" which is oddly British. He doesn't include any accessories or a stand, but he's a freebie, so there's not really any reason to complain. He has two faces on his head, one winking and the other yawning.

#11: The LEGO Movie - Scribble-Face Bad Cop

After picking up the two LEGO Move minifigures, I re-watched the trailers for the upcoming movie and realized that one of the blindpacked minifigures is the character that Liam Neeson voices. Liam Neeson is pretty great, so I figured having a LEGO minifigure of a character he voices would be cool. By the time I got back to checking the display box, there were only five packages left, and fortunately this was one of them. He's fairly easy to identify by the handcuffs, although the phone is pretty distinctive as well. Judging by the trailers, the character has a good cop face and a bad cop face, although on this minifigure, the good cop face is represented by a crudely scribbled happy face. Presumably, that's based on some plot point in the movie, but I like that it's kind of creepy looking. The regular bad cop face has mirrored sunglasses and a sneer. This could also work as a T-1000 LEGO minifigure.

Here's the bump code for the Scibble-Face Bad Cop, with production code 238B3.

#6: The LEGO Movie - Panda Guy

I've been a fan of the subset of LEGO blindpacked minifigures  that are guys in animal costumes, so of course I picked up the Panda Guy. Feeling for the mini panda is probably the easiest way to find him, although the panda suit head is pretty distinctive as well. It's a pretty simple paint scheme, but there is a zipper painted on the back of the suit.

Here's the bump code for the Panda Guy, with batch number 538B3, as seen from the back. It seems like there are more bumps than usual on the left side of the packaging, and one of them may have been an accidental indentation, so that is something to be aware of. I prefer the touch method as I find it more reliable.

Recommended musical accompaniment to this post:

#5: The LEGO Movie - Abraham Lincoln

The LEGO Movie sets have been hitting stores recently, and more importantly to me, the new series of blindpacked minifigures is in stores as well. Abraham Lincoln was a must buy for me. He's one of the presidents with the most pop culture cache and a distinctive look to boot. I'm curious what his character does in the movie, but he's a worthy figure to have in any case. Finding ol' Honest Abe was pretty easy by feeling for his hat. I didn't know it beforehand, but the hat and beard are one piece, so it threw me off a little. He also includes a tile with the Gettysburg Address printed on it, with the famous opening line legible.

Here's the bump code on the packaging for Abraham Lincoln, as seen from the back side. The production code stamped into it is 538B3.

With apologies to Brian Posehn