The Lego Movie Review

There are plenty of movies out this summer. Right now I can only remember going to one in the theater a month or two ago. I normally do not attend stupid action movies, especially when it’s a sequel to a film I have not seen yet. I made an exception for this particular film because I was a fan of the directors’ previous works. The Lego Movie is an awesome movie and was well worth watching at the cinema.

Directed by Chris Miller and Phil Lord, the Lego Movie exceeded my expectations for an animated film. The plot is pretty standard fare as the main character Emmett must go from ordinary construction worker to savior of the world before next Tuesday. On his journey he touches a mysterious artifact, gets captured by the evil Lord Business’ forces, escapes with the help of the Master Builders, and becomes a Master Builder himself. The story parallels the Matrix in the beginning, which is okay since that is also a Warner Brothers movie and because the idea of a prophecy to save the world is treated as a joke for most of the movie rather than a serious matter. Children will enjoy the bright scenery and outstanding animation combining stop motion, CGI, and live action with the frequent explosions and mayhem that upon close inspection are actually Lego blocks. Adults can appreciate that too, but for them the movie has social satire about what it means to live an ordinary existence and how to inspire creative works, ironically within the context of licensed franchises.

The interactions between the characters really sell the movie and make it beyond what you would expect from animated fare. For the main ensemble you have Chris Pratt as the protagonist and Elizabeth Banks as his strong but independent female sidekick. The main bad guys, Will Ferrell as Lord/President Business and Liam Neeson as Good Cop/Bad Cop, take delight in what they do to stop the good guys in their quest and are hilarious to watch as a result.. The rest of the all-star cast rounds up the humor and drama with It’s Always Sunny’s Charlie Day, Community’s Alison Brie, and soothing voice of the Lord himself Morgan Freeman. Those familiar with the directors’ previous works will find greater value in Nick Offerman’s performance and cameos from Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, and Will Forte. By far the best reason to see the movie is seeing Will Arnet as Batman. His excellent portrayal of the Dark Knight is a palette cleanser after the overly serious Christopher Nolan films, as in this movie Batman is a silly crusader that totally knows how to make a serious and artistic statement with the booming bass of electronic music in his totally sweet ride. There were a few other surprises in the casting, but I would rather not spoil them.

The Lego Movie in the theater is one of the best animated films in years. Its presentation as actual Lego pieces assembled and moving around gives it a more distinct look than what you would find in its high quality competition. What gives it the edge against recent Disney, Pixar, and Dreamworks movies is the underlying messages for people old and young delivered by a fantastic voice cast. Watch this feature to see why, as the Lego Movie puts it in its catchy theme song, everything is awesome.