Today’s quick review: The Lego Movie. Emmet Brickowoski (Chris Pratt), a perfectly ordinary construction worker, gets dragged into an extraordinary adventure when he meets Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks), a mysterious woman on an important mission. With the help of Batman (Will Arnett), the wizard Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman), and a wide array of colorful characters, Emmet and Wyldstyle race to save the world from the evil Lord Business (Will Ferrell).
The Lego Movie is a family comedy based on Lego toys. Drawing from Lego’s many incarnations over the years, The Lego Movie tells a brand new story that is one part kids’ adventure, one part comedic romp, and one part love letter to the Lego brand. With sharp writing, a strong sense of humor, impressive visual detail, and a talented cast of voice actors, The Lego Movie is an entertaining watch for children and adults alike.
The story revolves around Emmet Brickowoski, whose generic personality and lack of talent lead him to wonder if anything about him is special. When Wyldstyle discovers that he is the hero destined to defeat Lord Business, she takes him to the Master Builders, an eclectic group capable of building amazing creations using just the Lego bricks around them. To fulfill his destiny, Emmet must discover what is special about him and become a Master Builder himself.
The world of The Lego Movie is composed of all kinds of genres of Lego pieces, from the City to the Old West. The realms are kept separate by Lord Business, and only Master Builders can slip between them. Lord Business has succeeded in driving the Master Builders into hiding, and his master plan to bring perfect order to the world is nearing completion. Only Emmet, a thoroughly underqualified hero, can stop him.
The Lego Movie uses CGI animation to replicate the look of real Lego. Almost everything in the film can be built with real Lego pieces, from the buildings and vehicles to the dust clouds and fire effects. The colorful CGI and freedom from conventional physics give the animation a very energetic feel, while detailed backgrounds, fast pacing, and some truly clever builds pack each scene with plenty to pay attention to.
The ability to draw from any Lego set ever released lets The Lego Movie mash up genres and franchises in a way that resembles any mixed bin of actual Lego pieces. The original characters appear alongside classic Lego minifigures, minifigures from themed Lego sets, and other characters as far-flung as Batman and Abraham Lincoln. Few of these characters earn more than brief cameos, but the sheer breadth of what is included is a testament to Lego’s many, many products.
The Lego Movie also features an all-star cast of voice actors that bring its jokes to life, including Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Morgan Freeman, Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson, Alison Brie, Will Arnett, and Charlie Day. The comedy works in quite a few subtle jokes alongside its more obvious, kid-friendly gags, and the detailed humor and fast pacing ensure that there is almost always something amusing happening onscreen.
There are drawbacks to The Lego Movie’s unique style. The various parts of the Lego universe never feel cohesive, and the supporting characters tend to be deliberately shallow. The sentimental parts of the film are a result of the characters and voice acting more than the story or world-building. The humor can be forced at times, relying too much on randomness and eccentricity, and the rapid pace can be difficult to keep up with.
But to its credit, these tradeoffs are conscious ones that let The Lego Movie achieve just what it wants to: the sense of unbridled creativity one gets from playing with a pile of mismatched Lego pieces. The jumbled setting, the flat world, and the token plot are all deliberate themes that the movie works with. The payoff is a free-spirited, entertaining movie with a nice message about finding identity and meaning in a world that is missing them.
Watch The Lego Movie if you are in the mood for a creative, energetic, and well-executed family comedy. Its unique blend of elements gives it a strange feel, but the humor, characters, and acting talent are more than enough to make up for any oddness. Skip it if you are looking for a movie with a more sedate tone, a more cohesive world, or a deeper plot.
7.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it an 8.0 for childlike energy and great humor.