Move over, Rick O’ Connell, Johnny Thunder’s Here!

By: Andrew Bermudez
(Legotown Cinema; August 23, 2008)

     After 3 years of writing, revising, casting, shooting, editing, sound mixing, composing and voice recording, the newest brickfilm, Johnny Thunder and the Secret of Marco Polo finally arrived in theaters.
     At the premiere, almost everyone involved with the production showed up to view the nearly 100-minute spectacle that they had helped create. Also among the crowd were critics, news reporters, TV newsmen, the Lego Studios board of directors and all of the employees from the newly-reopened Legotown Museum of Natural History, Science and the Arts.
     However, the actors who played Nevada Smith, Billy the Kid and the three thieves were unable to make it to the premiere. Apparently, Nevada Smith is working on another film titled Squirm: Requiem, Billy got the flu, Thief 1 is working on a remake of Indian Superman, Thief 2 has been hired by Turkish film industries for Turkish Lord of the Rings, and Thief 3 refused to show up after getting hit in the head with a rifle during shooting. “It just doesn’t feel the same without them,” related Sarah Williamson, the film’s boom operator.
     Nevertheless, their absence was made up for in the wave of critical acclaim. Even the resident film critics, Roger Ebrick and Richard Rebuild, gave the film praise. “When I first heard about the film, I wasn’t as excited as the fans were. I thought it was going to be just another cheap brickfilm. But I can certainly say that I was pleasantly surprised,” said Roger. “For a first-time brickfilm from Mustache Maniacs Film Co., I was certainly impressed,” said Richard.
     When Joey Newsprint, reporter for the Brick Street Journal, asked about Lord Sinister’s last line and the prospect of a sequel, Sam Reynolds, the film’s gaffer, replied, “There is going to be a sequel all right, but we don’t want to let too much out. All I’m going to say is that it takes place in a location we’re all familiar with.”
     If there is going to be a sequel, though, it won’t be released until Summer 2010. Until then, the studio has plans of turning the classic Legoman stories into a film, which will probably come out around May 2009.