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These are nice additions to the game. More importantly, they highlight the narrative theme of contrasting free thinkers and those who insist on thoughtlessly doing everything by the book, and in doing so tie some of the clever messages found within the static film to the interactive world of the game.

Rules, according to both the game and movie, are like Lego creations: They’re made to be broken.

It’s a safe bet that kids are going to come away from the game thinking about how they play with their real-world Lego, re-examining what they see in their sets’ instruction booklets and wondering what they might be able to do with their imaginations instead.

Adults, meanwhile, can just sit back enjoy the game’s lightly subversive vibe and terrific sense of humour, which, like the movie, mixes low-brow jokes with biting commentary. Few games have such potential to make kids and grown-ups giggle in equal measure.

One word of caution: If you decide to play the game before watching the critically acclaimed film from which it takes its name, you do so at your own peril.

TT Games’ adventure follows the movie’s plot pretty closely and pulls more than a dozen lengthy narrative cut scenes straight from the big screen (not to mention the A-list Hollywood talents who lent their voices to the film). It’s a terrific treat for anyone who’s seen and enjoyed the movie, but it serves as a giant spoiler for anyone who hasn’t.

And you should know, too, that the series’ notorious glitches are in full force once again. The game crashed three times while I played, and there were several areas in which characters became stuck, forcing a restart from the last save point. (The Lego series has single-handedly taught my daughter the meaning and proper use of the word “glitch,” and she had ample opportunity to employ it through this adventure.)

These warnings aside, The Lego Movie Videogame earns an easy and enthusiastic recommendation. Speaking as a fellow who’s spent far too much money on plastic bricks for his kid – and more time than he cares to admit building and disassembling them with her – I haven’t been as enthralled with or enchanted by a Lego game since the original Lego Star Wars.

TT Games’ latest is a love letter to kids young and old who keep a special place in their hearts for this remarkable toy and its endless possibilities.