The Lego Movie

I get the sense that a lot of people will be quick to write off The Lego Movie.

Kids will want to see it, obviously, but parents might just think it’s another toy cash in that should have been straight to video but somehow ended up in their local theater.

Younger, children-less adults around my age will scoff it off as a “kids movie” or even worse, a cash-grab.

For me personally, I was always excited for this one the second a rather funny trailer released all those months ago. Legos have always, and will always, be my favorite toys ever. Not my smartphone, not my PlayStation 3 or 4 (although those come in a VERY close second place), not a laptop, not a Super Soaker, a Nerf gun, and sure as hell not Megablocks (true Lego fans will get that one)! This may be a movie review, and I promise it will get there, but I should provide some background just as to why Legos are so important to me. I played with the Duplos when I was a little kid, and then once I was old enough for the mature sets I was obsessed with getting Legos. I have fond memories of my first real Lego that was a pirate cove/jail with a net bridge. Man did I think that thing was cool! And then came a time traveler ship with a ton of different hats (one of which was missing), and finally I was able to save enough money to buy a large $54.99 adventure/camping Lego set complete with a trap door, ATV, tent, snakes, etc. After that came a plethora of Star Wars Legos, Bionicles, and a few Technic Legos (one of which that was a Star Wars droideka that unfolded when you rolled it…sort of).

 
It was with these Star Wars Legos that my creativity flourished…I was building the sets, and then building spaceships of my own. Creating vast, complicated stories of Jedis and Sith and giving everyone a double-sided lightsaber because I could. Legos are probably the best education I have ever had in my life if I’m being honest. The ability to build something with your hands by following instructions is rewarding and it trains your mind to have an extreme attention to detail. I think all Lego lovers know of a moment where they forgot to place a crucial piece on the set and it came back to bite them later in the build. In addition to giving its participants a mechanical mindset, it also enables and encourages them to be creative. Want to take that podracer set apart and make a pistol? Go for it. Want to build your own personal bank out of Lego bricks? Who’s stopping you? If I ever had advice for any parent in the world it would be: buy your kids Legos at the earliest possible age. Buy them challenging ones. They will, without a doubt, make your kids smarter. Every single engineer in my graduating class had a deep passion for their Lego memories.

Even still to this day, there is no joy like opening up a brand new Lego set. Hearing those pieces “chink chink chink” in the box as you shake it…opening up the instructions and being amazed by the genius of the Lego builders…it’s all still very magical to me even at 23 years old. I certainly don’t play/build with them near as much as I used to, but I don’t appreciate my time with them any less.

Our hilarious crew

So…after that whole spiel about how important Legos are to me in my life it should be obvious that I was excited for The Lego Movie from day one. And it ended up being nothing shy of amazing.

Liam Neeson kills it as Bad Cop Good Cop

The Lego Movie tells the story of Emmet (voiced by Chris Pratt). He is essentially the most ordinary person in the Lego universe. He doesn’t really have any friends, his yellow face is the generic two black eyes and a smile, and he is a construction worker in a large city that runs on instructions and is controlled by President Business (Will Ferrell). These figures live for their instructions and creativity is frowned upon but hey, Everything is Awesome, right?! The city is essentially brainwashed to think that they are happy. Certainly a somewhat accurate representation of our world, if not a bit heavy handed (more on that later). Emmet eventually stumbles upon Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) which then causes him to stumble upon the Piece of Resistance. This piece is the only thing that can be used to stop President Business from using the Kragle to make everything in the Lego universe permanent. The story is certainly nothing super original until the finale featuring an ending you won’t see coming but I’ll be damned if it isn’t crazy, AWESOME fun. Overall it’s not the same level of genius that Wreck-it Ralph was with its universe, but it’s fantastic nonetheless. Our Lego troop makes their way through several different worlds and the immense amount of properties that Lego has rights to makes for a few on-screen pairings that could never be accomplished in the movies. I won’t ruin any of the surprises but thinking back on the plethora of characters in some of the scenes is just a fanboy’s dream come true. There is a sequel already planned so I hope that they decide to take more advantage of some of their bigger properties next time, but for this first issue the “cameos” were nothing short of perfect and often hilarious.

Awkward Batman is awkward...

Which brings me to my next point. The Lego Movie will most certainly be up for the Rath Award for Best Animated Movie at the end of the year, but it will definitely have the possibility of nabbing a second award: Funniest Movie. The first half starts off a little slow in this department, but once Emmit’s adventure is fully underway the jokes start flying at a mile a minute and they are consistently hilarious. The movie comes from the directors of the gut-busting hilarious 21 Jump Street (who are also behind this summer’s sequel, 22 Jump Street) and their comedic talent shines through bright here in PG-form. Some jokes warrant a smile and nothing more, but most of them are so funny and witty that I was catching my breath on several occasions. This is largely due to the near-perfect combination of an expert-level script and a perfectly picked cast of voice actors. Pratt, Banks, and Ferrell all do great work but it’s often the side-players that get the biggest laughs. Will Arnett is a huge d**k as Batman and it leads to some hilarious moments. It reminded me almost exactly of his character Gob from Arrested Development, but in Lego form and wearing the black cape and cowl. Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill create some HUGE laughs as Superman and Green Lantern, respectively. Apparently the Green Lantern REALLY wants to be Superman’s friend, but Superman would rather swallow Kryptonite. Their small amount of banter is priceless. For me personally, I found Morgan Freeman to be the funniest. He has the role of Vitruvius, a blind, old sage. Hearing Morgan Freeman’s voice deliver some of his lines are hilarious in and of itself, but the blind jokes they make are downright hysterical. God, I laughed so hard a few of those scenes!

The Lego Movie also shakes up the animated movie world by creating a movie entirely out of Legos. No, they didn’t build everything in the movie, it’s still created by a computer software program. But, it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before. And this is where the love for Legos comes into play. Seeing all these pieces that you grew up with and recognizing sets, characters, etc is supremely nostalgic and a ton of fun. The animation of everything has a very slight Claymation feel to it, making it both adorable and giving the movie more than enough charm. The action scenes are a blast to watch as well with some slow-mo even being implemented at perfect occasions. There isn’t much more to say about the animation other than it’s gorgeous, impressive, great in 3D, and it adds a level of comedy of its own.

I only had a few issues with the Lego movie that hold it back from perfection. I thought that the first 30-45 minutes were only “good” by animated movie standards. It was only mildly funny and took a little while to find its groove. Also, the message of the movie was far too heavy-handed and (at least in my political opinion) more than a little misguided. By calling their villain President Business, The Lego Movie immediately takes its stand on corporate America. Don’t get me wrong, there is a ton wrong with our government, corporate America, and the like but it’s not like a Hollywood movie about an enormous toy company has much room to talk. Political opinions aside however, the message about evil corporate conformity is just too obvious…it hits the audience over the head repeatedly and obviously. For a movie that had such smart jokes I found that it didn’t give its audience much credit when it comes to learning a lesson. Granted there is also a message here about creativity vs. following the instructions with regards to the actual toy that is more successfully implemented and I found that to be the most important one for kids to walk away with.

So. Many. Funny. Characters.

But despite those minor faults, The Lego Movie is a treasure that should be missed by no one, ESPECIALLY if you ever played with the toys. It is, by far, the best non-Disney or Pixar animated movie I have ever seen and it will surprise you no matter how high your expectations are.

With magical animation, an insanely hilarious and witty script, a fun, simple story, and one of the best voice casts I’ve ever seen assembled it will surely blow away any competition it has this year from other animated films. It may only be February, but so far in 2014, The Lego Movie is THE movie to beat and I think the uber-catchy theme song captures it perfectly,

“EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!”

CONS:

• First half pacing issues with comedy. The jokes really start rolling in once the adventure gets going. Before that? Not as frequently
• I respect their decision to hold back on their larger properties, but I still would have liked to see more Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings. Fingers crossed for the next one!
• One of the main messages about business and corporations hits the audience across the head too frequently. I'll keep my political opinions to myself but I'll will just say that I don't think Hollywood is exactly the best (or most accurate) place for our kids to be learning about capitalism

PROS:

• Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Morgan Freeman, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Will Ferrell, Jonah Hill, Liam Neeson, Shaquille O'Neal, Nick Offerman, Cobie Smulders, and Channing Tatum all round out what is probably one of the better casted animated movies that I have ever witnessed. A+ work from all of them
• As a Lego lover, this movie packs a wallop of nostalgia and memories
• Amazing animation. It's like nothing you have never seen before and all the quirks of Lego pieces and figurines are there. Truly fantastic work by this animation studio
• Just too funny. Easily one of the funnier animated movies I have ever seen and it the type of humor that EVERYONE will laugh at. Kids, parents, young adults, elderly...it's just a great time for everyone
• The ending is rather emotional and surprising...I'm almost certain that you wont see it coming. But it reminds all of us who grew up with Legos just why we loved them so much and why they are, and always will be, the best toy in the world
• The theme song, "Everything is Awesome" is going to be stuck in your head for a long time
• Overall just a fun, heartwarming, and extremely memorable tribute to a brand that has permanently changed my life, as well as millions of kids across the globe lives. The movie sits very well the more you think about it and I think that it is destined to go down as an animated classic with time

Rath's Review Score: 9.5/10

My most recent Lego creation this past December. 11.5 hours
and 2,989 pieces. Just as magical as the first Lego set I ever got...