Director: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Starring: Chris Pratt, Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks
Year: 2014
I’m sure every 30-something guy says the same thing, but man did I love Legos. Still do really; I still have my old sets, from the ice planet to the pirate ships, and I pull them out every once in a while to play with them with my kids. It’s amazing how cool they still are, those stupid little yellow heads and gray knight’s helmets. But they still bring the same joy, both to me and to my kids; I guess that’s a sign of a great toy. So anyway, the Lego movie (aptly named The Lego Movie) got my attention right away, not only as a neat-looking animated film but as a way to bring my favorite childhood toy to life. The fact that the film would be directed by Lord & Miller, the guys that brought us 21 & 22 Jump Street, concerned me a bit, made me wonder what kind of humor would be brought to the screen. And although my doubts were somewhat justified, the Legos spoke for themselves with a power I’ll never be able to resist.
In a world where everything is awesome and where everyone follows the instructions, Emmet fits in perfectly. He watches the normal shows, listens to the popular jams, does his work, and ignores the infrequent doubts he has towards President Business, the guy who runs the city and every product in it. Emmet feels pretty normal, maybe a bit left out, but not original in any way. Until the day that he’s told that he”s the Special, the dude to save the world, the most important & interesting person in the history of everything. Apparently a hidden group of Master Builders have knowledge that Business is going to destroy the world as everyone knows it, that he will use a powerful weapon to freeze everyone into the perfect position in a perfect, immovable world. Only Emmet can save the day, with his yet undiscovered power to mold the world around him into any image he can imagine. He’ll team up with Batman, the wizard Vitruvius, a cool girl named Wyldstyle, and other heroes in an attempt to change everything.
This is a movie obviously made with a lot of love. It showcased Legos in exactly the way I wanted them to look; real. It was like an actual world made completely out of bricks, a step into my own young imagination. The animation was tremendous, bringing the toys to life in a visually stunning and heart pleasing way. Later scenes even brought the early 90s to life with scenes straight out of a Wishbone episode. As a fan of the toys, I couldn’t be more pleased with the way the film turned out. It even had a good deal of social commentary, packing a lot of meaning into a short punch. The humor was perhaps a bit slap-happy at times, but not unenjoyable, with a balance between witty & juvenile that should appeal to a large audience. And the cast was enormous, name dropping all over the place: Morgan Freeman, Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Will Ferrell, Alison Brie, Shaq, Billy Dee Williams, Liam Neeson twice over. The Lego Movie is just that; a movie that showcases the love of Legos over all things, adding in a good bit of comedy, a touch of depth, a nice message, and entertainment for all ages.
My rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆