Directed by: Phil Lord and Chris Miller
Rating: ★★★½
Is it incredibly geeky of me to admit that the film I have most looked forward to seeing at the beginning of this year is based on a children’s toy?
Perhaps.
But who cares! The Lego Movie is already making tons of money at the box office, and has received near universal praise from both critics and audiences alike.
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| Can Emmet and his friends save the day...? |
But how can a movie based on a box of blocks be any good, I hear you ask?
Well, it ultimately comes down to two things: one, because Lego is awesome and the childhood nostalgia factor in this film goes into overdrive and two, because it is a very funny, very exciting, very entertaining movie in its own right, regardless of the extremely in your face product placement.
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| Emmet just wants everything to be awesome... |
The standard plot focuses on an ‘average Joe’ construction worker Emmet (Pratt) and his attempts to stop the tyrannous Lord Business (Ferrell) from using a weapon known as the Kragle to destroy the Lego Universe as we know it.
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| Lord Business wielding the destructive Kragle |
Emmet is dragged into the ongoing battle between Lord Business and Wizard Vitruvius (Freeman) by ‘Master Builder’ (people who can make anything at great speed, without instructions) Wyldstyle (Banks), because he fails to adhere to the Lego instruction manual. Hotly pursued by Bad Cop (Neeson), Emmet and Wyldstyle are assisted by Batman (Arnett), a cyborg pirate (Offerman), a pink unicorn kitten known as Uni-Kitty (Brie) and Benny (Day), a 1980s space astronaut.
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| It's up to everyone to pull together and beat the tyrant! |
In terms of story, initially it isn’t the most unique brick in the box but the frantic pacing and comedic energy all take The Lego Movie to a new place, as does the third act. It’s hard not to discuss the merits of the film without spoiling the ending, but let’s just say that as much as I enjoyed the originality that the writers brought to the table, it becomes an incredibly cheesy ‘feel good’ film that was slightly too much for this viewer. I didn’t quite retch in revolution, but the film definitely teeters on the nauseous side of the slushy spectrum.
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| What does she see in him? Emmet is jealous of Wyldstyle and Batman... |
Still, the rest of the movie is so strong, and funny, that this awkward piece in the otherwise finely crafted construction doesn’t make the entire movie fall apart- far from it.
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| Emmet is a heroic everyman. |
Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, most famous for bringing us Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, once again inject the film with a frenetic drive and very good jokes. They clearly know how to make comedic animation work, as The Lego Movie is a strongly satirical, engaging action adventure that is both thrilling and absorbing.
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| Wizard Vitruvius tries his best to defeat his enemy... |
Not only is the animation excellent and the action scenes intensely electrifying, the voice actors give great performances, most notably Chris Pratt as Emmett, who makes his character really come to life as a loveable and believable blockhead. Morgan Freeman is also very funny as Wizard Vitruvius, and Liam Neeson gives an almost scene stealing turn as the strangely likeable Bad Cop.
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| Bad Cop is Lord Business's unlikely henchman... |
Even though The Lego Movie is clearly an unashamed advertisement, the audience are well aware of this, as the film is preaching to the converted. Not only are the moments when the ‘Master Builders’ generate new creations out of any Lego brick they can find exhilarating and entertaining, they are also stirring, as they make you remember why you fell in love with this enduring toy in the first place.
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| Emmet doesn't always enjoy the creative building talents of Wyldstyle... |
But clearly Lego is more than just a ‘toy’, as this movie proves. The adults in the audience seemed to enjoy the film more than the children, something that the movie itself addresses in the third act. This moment in the film takes it from just being a standard ‘action adventure’ to becoming a whole lot more, in a way that would resonate with many of the viewers.
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| How are they going to save the Lego Universe...? |
And that is why there’s something in The Lego Movie for everyone: the silly but complex action sequences keep the film moving and the sophisticated humour provides belly laughs. The double sofa is great, Cloud Cuckoo Land is cool, the Wild West is funny, the various Lego cameos (most notably a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ Milhouse) are brilliant and the epic finale that simultaneously takes place in a huge office building and in downtown Lego land is grandiose.
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| Benny the Spaceman is just one of the memorable supporting characters. |
I also loved the song Everything Is Awesome.
The Lego Movie has action, adventure, romance, hilarity, spectacle and heart. It is a silly film that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and gives the audience exactly what they want by providing exactly what it says on the box.
So if you like Lego, you’ll love it.
And if you don’t, then that’s just sad.
And if you don’t, then that’s just sad.
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