20 HILARIOUS Movie References in Lego Games
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VOICE OVER: Ty Richardson
WRITTEN BY: Ty Richardson
The Lego games love to reference movies throughout the history of pop culture. For this list, we'll be looking at our favorite clever nods and references to cinema in Lego video games. Our list of movie references in Lego games includes a "Titanic"-themed ship in “Lego Dimensions” (2015), Honoring Tim Burton's 1989 classic in “Lego Batman: The Videogame” (2008), a "Toy Story" trophy in “Lego Marvel Super Heroes” (2013), references to "Indiana Jones" in “Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga” (2022), and more!
Script written by Ty Richardson
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today, we’re taking a look at 20 Movie References in Lego Games! Movie buffs will find plenty of clever nods and references to cinema in Lego games, but did you manage to spot any of these for yourself? Was there one you love that we might have missed? Let us know down in the comments!
The “Lego Marvel” games already pack in a ton of references to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but they do deviate every now and again to pay respects to other movies, too. A clever one you can find involves spawning in as Heimdall (assuming you’ve already unlocked him). Upon spawning, one line Heimdall might utter is “Today, we are canceling the chronopolis!” This references another Idris Elba movie, “Pacific Rim”, where his character says a similar line before preparing for battle against kaiju.
“Skywalker Saga” went all-out with the goofy antics when retelling all nine “Star Wars” movies. (You kind of have to in order to make the story digestible.) One of the best moments of Episode I, for example, pokes fun at the intense secrecy Queen Amidala must utilize in order to protect herself. At one point, all of her clones reveal themselves one by one, shouting “I am Queen Amidala!” Those familiar with older films will recognize this as a nod to a scene in “Spartacus” when the gladiator’s followers stand up and claim to be their leader one at a time.
With both franchises being developed and owned by Lucasfilm, it would make sense to see the “Lego Indy” games reference “Star Wars” and vice versa. Both the first and second “Lego Indy” games contain clever references to the galaxy far, far away. When entering the cave of the Holy Grail, the Knight initially pretends to be Darth Vader when Indy spots his shadow on the wall. The first level of “Crystal Skull” in “Lego Indy 2” sees Indy driving past one Han Solo, still frozen in carbonite. It all gets better, but we’ll get to the “Star Wars” references to “Indiana Jones” in a little bit.
The first “Lego Marvel” game has some humorous trophies and achievements for players to unlock, and this is one of our favorites! The trophy “Falling With Style” is a direct reference to the classic 1995 Pixar film “Toy Story”, where Woody totally dismisses Buzz Lightyear’s demonstration of “flying”. How does one obtain this trophy? All you have to do is jump off the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier and complete the skydiving challenge. It isn’t as impressive as Buzz Lightyear, but maybe the Space Ranger would be impressed regardless.
Idris Elba isn’t the only one who got a shout-out from TT Games and their Lego games! For “Skywalker Saga”, they hid a line for Qui-Gon Jinn that occurs if you stumble upon an object the Jedi can interact with. Upon spawning, he might utter something about having “a particular set of skills”. Anyone who is aware of actor Liam Neeson will know him not only as Qui-Gon Jinn, but also Bryan Mills, the vengeful father who tries to intimidate his daughter’s abductors by mentioning his “particular set of skills.”
If you really want to strike fear into someone, all you have to do is get someone who works in law on your side. Just look at what happened to the mysterious yet familiar-sounding inmate in “Lego City Undercover”. When one inmate asks about his identity, he immediately tries to quiet him down, noting that someone named “Free Man” has his lawyers watching. Either someone has been watching too much “Shawshank Redemption” or he’s committing identity theft. Regardless, it should definitely put the other Lego inmates on high alert.
The end credits of “Lego Batman 3” hides a fun but obvious teaser for what the next Lego game was going to be. We loved it so much that we just had to include it here! As you watch Batman and Robin scale the never-ending building, a T. Rex will eventually show up with the “Jurassic Park” theme blaring in the background. Sure enough, the next Lego game to have launched after this was indeed “Lego Jurassic World”. Nevertheless, we appreciate the shout-out to our dino movie franchise!
Another fun trophy in the first “Lego Marvel” game does not require a ton of effort. Heck, you can nab this as soon as you finish the game! Simply set Human Torch and Captain America as your party members to get the “Don’t I Know You?” trophy/achievement. This isn’t exactly a reference to a specific movie, but rather an actor from two different movies. Before becoming Captain America, Chris Evans played Johnny Storm, aka “the Human Torch”, in both “Fantastic Four” and its sequel “Rise of the Silver Surfer”. Just think - you have two clones of Chris Evans as your party members!
“Skywalker Saga” holds a couple of fun Easter eggs for “Indiana Jones” fans to find, and they are pretty creative! Both of them can be found when playing through Episode VII, “The Force Awakens”. When playing the “Reap What You Solo” mission, you can find a container that holds the Ark of the Covenant, which can be unlocked by solving a simple puzzle. Later on, in a cutscene, Han Solo and the “traitor” trooper recreate the iconic scene from “Raiders of the Lost Ark” where Indy decides to bring a gun to a swordfight.
As you explore the collided world of Chronopolis, you will sometimes hear Kang the Conqueror blaring out announcements over his P.A. system. In one of these announcements, he will remind citizens to buy Kang Bars for the chance of finding a golden ticket. This, of course, is a direct wink at the 1971 movie “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”, and we all know what happened to all those kids who won golden tickets. Yeah, not a pretty picture, and we doubt Kang has something in store for whoever resembles Charlie Bucket.
Some of these references go so far back that we wouldn’t even expect the young ones to understand them…unless they’re the weird theatre kids. For this, make sure you already have one party member set to Kylo Ren. Then, switch the other party member to Sith Lord Rey. The dialogue exchanged here is an homage to the musical “Grease” where Danny and Sandy have a similar exchange towards the end of the movie. Again, super random for even a Lego game to include a piece from a 1978 musical.
Funny thing is that “Skywalker Saga” wasn’t the first to reference something random like a musical or, in this case, a romantic drama. All you have to do to see this is finish the bonus level “House Party Protocol”. Deadpool will do his usual and narrate the end in the typical way, making fun of the heroes. However, Hulk seems to be in on the joke as he holds up Black Widow just as Deadpool says “Hulk had time of his life”. Oh yeah, that is a “Dirty Dancing” reference, folks, and it is the most unexpected reference we have ever come across in a Lego game.
Not every movie featured in “Lego Dimensions” got their own level pack let alone a character pack. “Titanic” got itself lumped in with the “Ghostbusters” world”, and it’s one of the funniest we have on this list. In the level, you’ll have to raise a sunken ship from the water. Upon doing so, you will spot a pair of skeletons on the bow. Visit this ship in the open world and you can see the red hair on one of them. Yeah, didn’t think you’d come across a humorously dark reference to one of the most tragic tales in cinema and history, did you?
Do you think Obi-Wan reads comic books? Or, at the very least, does he watch movies? Just asking because one cutscene that happens after the boss fight against General Grievous has suddenly given us the itch to rewatch the Sam Raimi “Spider-Man” movies. After nearly getting ambushed by Commander Cody, Obi-Wan jumps off a ledge and hides in a similar way as Spidey does in the 2002 “Spider-Man” movie. Parker hides underneath a balcony just as he’s about to get found out by Aunt May and the Osbournes.
The special thing about “Lego Marvel Super Heroes” on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 is that you get a neato Platinum trophy to commemorate your trophy-hunting and 100% completion! And it doubles as a reference to the 2012 “Avengers” movie! After the epic fight against Loki and the Centurions, Iron Man asks the team if they have ever tried shawarma. This same line is used as the name for “Lego Marvel Super Heroes’” Platinum trophy, and it’s such a wonderful treat. The shawarma, we mean. The Plat is great, too, but really, you should try shawarma.
“Lego Jurassic World” got pretty creative in how it references a variety of other movies that Steven Spilberg worked on. One level of “Jurassic World” has you assemble a projector to create a 3D T. Rex, which will chomp down in the same way as Jaws did in “Back to the Future: Part II”. Speaking of Jaws, you can spot the famed hunters Brody, Quint, and Hooper in a cutscene when playing the San Diego level. Of course, you may also spot Spielberg himself in a handful of shots.
The “who shot first” debate has been argued over to death within the “Star Wars” fandom, and it’s all thanks to the several cuts that seem to change the story. Well, “Skywalker Saga” pokes fun at this by making an entire quest out of it. A Stormtrooper will ask you to investigate the incident by asking Mos Eisley Cantina patrons who were at the scene. Spoiler alert - no one knows who did it and the case is closed without a proper conclusion…just like in the real world.
“Lego City Undercover” references a ton of action movies for some of its chase and fighting scenes, but the best of them all happens after Chase breaks into a vault containing a priceless artifact. The security system activates a platform of agents that all look a little bit like Agent Smith from “The Matrix”. Not only that, but as the chase progresses, the number of agents chasing him increases. Thing is that not all of them turn out to be useful…
You could say that there was an entire level dedicated to one particular movie. In the 1989 “Batman” film, the climactic fight between the Dark Knight and the Joker takes place inside Gotham City’s bell tower. The first “Lego Batman” game basically uses the whole setup as its grand finale, the final level and final boss fight to bring down Joker and Harley Quinn. And they even have the same music playing in the background as they did in the film.
Shortly after finishing the first level in Episode IV, you will watch a cutscene where C-3PO and R2-D2 begin wandering around Tatooine's dry and sandy desert wasteland. To signify the dangers ahead, one shot shows a skeleton with a flag that is coded in a foreign language. When translated, this flag reads “The Hidden Fortress”. Yes, this is straight-up an homage to the Akira Kurosawa film that would famously inspire the sci-fi movie franchise we know today. Overall, it was a fantastic way to show appreciation for the movie that helped kick off the galaxy far, far away.
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today, we’re taking a look at 20 Movie References in Lego Games! Movie buffs will find plenty of clever nods and references to cinema in Lego games, but did you manage to spot any of these for yourself? Was there one you love that we might have missed? Let us know down in the comments!
Idris-ception
“Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2” (2017)The “Lego Marvel” games already pack in a ton of references to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but they do deviate every now and again to pay respects to other movies, too. A clever one you can find involves spawning in as Heimdall (assuming you’ve already unlocked him). Upon spawning, one line Heimdall might utter is “Today, we are canceling the chronopolis!” This references another Idris Elba movie, “Pacific Rim”, where his character says a similar line before preparing for battle against kaiju.
I Am Queen Amidala!
“Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga” (2022)“Skywalker Saga” went all-out with the goofy antics when retelling all nine “Star Wars” movies. (You kind of have to in order to make the story digestible.) One of the best moments of Episode I, for example, pokes fun at the intense secrecy Queen Amidala must utilize in order to protect herself. At one point, all of her clones reveal themselves one by one, shouting “I am Queen Amidala!” Those familiar with older films will recognize this as a nod to a scene in “Spartacus” when the gladiator’s followers stand up and claim to be their leader one at a time.
May the Whip Be With You
“Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures” (2008) & “Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues” (2009)With both franchises being developed and owned by Lucasfilm, it would make sense to see the “Lego Indy” games reference “Star Wars” and vice versa. Both the first and second “Lego Indy” games contain clever references to the galaxy far, far away. When entering the cave of the Holy Grail, the Knight initially pretends to be Darth Vader when Indy spots his shadow on the wall. The first level of “Crystal Skull” in “Lego Indy 2” sees Indy driving past one Han Solo, still frozen in carbonite. It all gets better, but we’ll get to the “Star Wars” references to “Indiana Jones” in a little bit.
That Wasn’t Flying!
“Lego Marvel Super Heroes” (2013)The first “Lego Marvel” game has some humorous trophies and achievements for players to unlock, and this is one of our favorites! The trophy “Falling With Style” is a direct reference to the classic 1995 Pixar film “Toy Story”, where Woody totally dismisses Buzz Lightyear’s demonstration of “flying”. How does one obtain this trophy? All you have to do is jump off the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier and complete the skydiving challenge. It isn’t as impressive as Buzz Lightyear, but maybe the Space Ranger would be impressed regardless.
Qui-Gon Neeson
“Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga” (2022)Idris Elba isn’t the only one who got a shout-out from TT Games and their Lego games! For “Skywalker Saga”, they hid a line for Qui-Gon Jinn that occurs if you stumble upon an object the Jedi can interact with. Upon spawning, he might utter something about having “a particular set of skills”. Anyone who is aware of actor Liam Neeson will know him not only as Qui-Gon Jinn, but also Bryan Mills, the vengeful father who tries to intimidate his daughter’s abductors by mentioning his “particular set of skills.”
Watching Like a Hawk
“Lego City Undercover” (2013)If you really want to strike fear into someone, all you have to do is get someone who works in law on your side. Just look at what happened to the mysterious yet familiar-sounding inmate in “Lego City Undercover”. When one inmate asks about his identity, he immediately tries to quiet him down, noting that someone named “Free Man” has his lawyers watching. Either someone has been watching too much “Shawshank Redemption” or he’s committing identity theft. Regardless, it should definitely put the other Lego inmates on high alert.
Life Finds a Cape
“Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham” (2014)The end credits of “Lego Batman 3” hides a fun but obvious teaser for what the next Lego game was going to be. We loved it so much that we just had to include it here! As you watch Batman and Robin scale the never-ending building, a T. Rex will eventually show up with the “Jurassic Park” theme blaring in the background. Sure enough, the next Lego game to have launched after this was indeed “Lego Jurassic World”. Nevertheless, we appreciate the shout-out to our dino movie franchise!
Seeing Double
“Lego Marvel Super Heroes” (2013)Another fun trophy in the first “Lego Marvel” game does not require a ton of effort. Heck, you can nab this as soon as you finish the game! Simply set Human Torch and Captain America as your party members to get the “Don’t I Know You?” trophy/achievement. This isn’t exactly a reference to a specific movie, but rather an actor from two different movies. Before becoming Captain America, Chris Evans played Johnny Storm, aka “the Human Torch”, in both “Fantastic Four” and its sequel “Rise of the Silver Surfer”. Just think - you have two clones of Chris Evans as your party members!
Why Did It Have to Be Eggs?
“Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga” (2022)“Skywalker Saga” holds a couple of fun Easter eggs for “Indiana Jones” fans to find, and they are pretty creative! Both of them can be found when playing through Episode VII, “The Force Awakens”. When playing the “Reap What You Solo” mission, you can find a container that holds the Ark of the Covenant, which can be unlocked by solving a simple puzzle. Later on, in a cutscene, Han Solo and the “traitor” trooper recreate the iconic scene from “Raiders of the Lost Ark” where Indy decides to bring a gun to a swordfight.
A Golden Chance to Meet Your Doom
“Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2” (2017)As you explore the collided world of Chronopolis, you will sometimes hear Kang the Conqueror blaring out announcements over his P.A. system. In one of these announcements, he will remind citizens to buy Kang Bars for the chance of finding a golden ticket. This, of course, is a direct wink at the 1971 movie “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”, and we all know what happened to all those kids who won golden tickets. Yeah, not a pretty picture, and we doubt Kang has something in store for whoever resembles Charlie Bucket.
Musical of the Galaxy
“Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga” (2022)Some of these references go so far back that we wouldn’t even expect the young ones to understand them…unless they’re the weird theatre kids. For this, make sure you already have one party member set to Kylo Ren. Then, switch the other party member to Sith Lord Rey. The dialogue exchanged here is an homage to the musical “Grease” where Danny and Sandy have a similar exchange towards the end of the movie. Again, super random for even a Lego game to include a piece from a 1978 musical.
Hulk Gets It
“Lego Marvel Super Heroes” (2013)Funny thing is that “Skywalker Saga” wasn’t the first to reference something random like a musical or, in this case, a romantic drama. All you have to do to see this is finish the bonus level “House Party Protocol”. Deadpool will do his usual and narrate the end in the typical way, making fun of the heroes. However, Hulk seems to be in on the joke as he holds up Black Widow just as Deadpool says “Hulk had time of his life”. Oh yeah, that is a “Dirty Dancing” reference, folks, and it is the most unexpected reference we have ever come across in a Lego game.
Their Hearts Will Go On
“Lego Dimensions” (2015)Not every movie featured in “Lego Dimensions” got their own level pack let alone a character pack. “Titanic” got itself lumped in with the “Ghostbusters” world”, and it’s one of the funniest we have on this list. In the level, you’ll have to raise a sunken ship from the water. Upon doing so, you will spot a pair of skeletons on the bow. Visit this ship in the open world and you can see the red hair on one of them. Yeah, didn’t think you’d come across a humorously dark reference to one of the most tragic tales in cinema and history, did you?
The Dweeb Ground
“Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga” (2022)Do you think Obi-Wan reads comic books? Or, at the very least, does he watch movies? Just asking because one cutscene that happens after the boss fight against General Grievous has suddenly given us the itch to rewatch the Sam Raimi “Spider-Man” movies. After nearly getting ambushed by Commander Cody, Obi-Wan jumps off a ledge and hides in a similar way as Spidey does in the 2002 “Spider-Man” movie. Parker hides underneath a balcony just as he’s about to get found out by Aunt May and the Osbournes.
Food For Thought
“Lego Marvel Super Heroes” (2013)The special thing about “Lego Marvel Super Heroes” on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 is that you get a neato Platinum trophy to commemorate your trophy-hunting and 100% completion! And it doubles as a reference to the 2012 “Avengers” movie! After the epic fight against Loki and the Centurions, Iron Man asks the team if they have ever tried shawarma. This same line is used as the name for “Lego Marvel Super Heroes’” Platinum trophy, and it’s such a wonderful treat. The shawarma, we mean. The Plat is great, too, but really, you should try shawarma.
The Face of Cinema
“Lego Jurassic World” (2015)“Lego Jurassic World” got pretty creative in how it references a variety of other movies that Steven Spilberg worked on. One level of “Jurassic World” has you assemble a projector to create a 3D T. Rex, which will chomp down in the same way as Jaws did in “Back to the Future: Part II”. Speaking of Jaws, you can spot the famed hunters Brody, Quint, and Hooper in a cutscene when playing the San Diego level. Of course, you may also spot Spielberg himself in a handful of shots.
Reality Bleeds Into Fiction
“Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga” (2022)The “who shot first” debate has been argued over to death within the “Star Wars” fandom, and it’s all thanks to the several cuts that seem to change the story. Well, “Skywalker Saga” pokes fun at this by making an entire quest out of it. A Stormtrooper will ask you to investigate the incident by asking Mos Eisley Cantina patrons who were at the scene. Spoiler alert - no one knows who did it and the case is closed without a proper conclusion…just like in the real world.
Attack of the Clones (Not That One)
“Lego City Undercover” (2013)“Lego City Undercover” references a ton of action movies for some of its chase and fighting scenes, but the best of them all happens after Chase breaks into a vault containing a priceless artifact. The security system activates a platform of agents that all look a little bit like Agent Smith from “The Matrix”. Not only that, but as the chase progresses, the number of agents chasing him increases. Thing is that not all of them turn out to be useful…
Honoring A Classic
“Lego Batman: The Videogame” (2008)You could say that there was an entire level dedicated to one particular movie. In the 1989 “Batman” film, the climactic fight between the Dark Knight and the Joker takes place inside Gotham City’s bell tower. The first “Lego Batman” game basically uses the whole setup as its grand finale, the final level and final boss fight to bring down Joker and Harley Quinn. And they even have the same music playing in the background as they did in the film.
Honoring History
“Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga” (2022)Shortly after finishing the first level in Episode IV, you will watch a cutscene where C-3PO and R2-D2 begin wandering around Tatooine's dry and sandy desert wasteland. To signify the dangers ahead, one shot shows a skeleton with a flag that is coded in a foreign language. When translated, this flag reads “The Hidden Fortress”. Yes, this is straight-up an homage to the Akira Kurosawa film that would famously inspire the sci-fi movie franchise we know today. Overall, it was a fantastic way to show appreciation for the movie that helped kick off the galaxy far, far away.
