Dear Awesome,

Ever since Nick Fury appeared at the end of Ironman way back in 2008, the end credits have become a coveted part of the moviegoing experience. Whether it’s the mid- and post-credit scenes that have become synonymous with the superhero genre, or the stylized sequences featuring sexy motion graphics and an original song produced for the film, end credits are now prime real-estate.

With The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, I witnessed one of my favourite credit sequences of all time: you, the Awesome Building Buddies and your fantastic Lego creations.

What looks like just another marketing attempt by a toy conglomerate to sell more plastic building blocks, the Awesome Building Buddies competition gave builders of all ages the chance to collaborate with a friend or family member and create a one-of a-kind creation that is unique to the people behind the brick. The contest was launched in mid-2018 and the winners got their photo (along with their creation) displayed on the big screen during the end credits of The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.

It’s fun and light-hearted, just like the movie. But it’s also so much more. The Awesome Building Buddies competition helps tie in the central theme of The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part. And that theme is sharing.

The Lego Movie 2 takes place immediately after the events of the first film. Emmett and his Lego pals have just defeated the Kragle but now have to face Bianca’s Duplo aliens, who have invaded the city of Bricksburg, created by Finn. This causes a rift between Finn and Bianca, as Finn wants to continue building his world of Lego, without Bianca.

This description makes a lot more sense if you’ve seen the movie.

Much like The Lego Movie explored the relationship between a son and father, and the kind of wonders that can come when a child explores their creativity, The Lego Movie 2 looks at the relationship between siblings, in this case Finn and his younger sister Bianca. Anyone who’s grown up with a sibling knows that sharing is the catalyst for all conflict. Sharing toys, or attention, or eggs (an inside joke between my brother and I) is never easy.

The Lego Movie 2 touches on all of that, including the joy, creativity, and love that occur when the fighting stops and the sharing begins The Lego Movie 2 strikes gold once again and takes a concept as simple as playing with toys and connects it to pure, visceral emotions. The Lego Movie 2 — and the franchise as a whole — knows how to slap a big, goofy grin on the audience’s face, regardless of whether they are a child or an adult.

It’s what makes the The Awesome Building Buddies competition so powerful. The Lego Movie 2 could easily contain itself but it decides to go further. It takes the messages from the film and extends it to real life, providing opportunities for two parties to get together and share their imagination.

I would even go so far as to say that The Awesome Building Buddies competition is not only great marketing but greatfilmmaking.

Like I said before, credits are now part of the moviegoing experience. The brand-building established by The Awesome Building Buddies improved how I viewed The Lego Movie 2 as a whole. The movie went from being a decent sequel to having its own standalone presence in my eyes.

I truly hope you Awesome Building Buddies are still buddies. Seeing your Lego work during the credits brought me such joy. Not only because I am a younger brother and I remember my mom forcing my older brother to share with me. But because I could see the happiness in your faces. I could tell that this whole experience brought you closer together.

Now that, that’s awesome.