Ever since I was a kid, I loved lego because of how customizable it is. Lego has sets and figures of Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, knights, ninjas, pirates, Batman, etc. Even if they don't officially have products you want, you can create them with bricks. There's a service that lets you custom paint figures with any design you want. It looks great for stop-motion animated movies. Most toy companies don't have that level of flexibility. You might have to design your own sets and props from scratch.
