Credible Credits
Year: 2014
Director: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Starring: Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Morgan Freeman, Will Arnett, Will Ferrell, and Liam Neeson
Tagline: Assembling in 2014
Synopsis: When President Business threatens to unleash a super weapon, Emmet, an ordinary minifigure, must rally the Master Builders in order to save the Lego world.
Synopsis: When President Business threatens to unleash a super weapon, Emmet, an ordinary minifigure, must rally the Master Builders in order to save the Lego world.
Review
The other week I noted that Monuments Men failed to live up to its movie trailer. Well, I suppose in a strange way The Lego Movie balances that out by far surpassing its trailer.
I've loved Legos for as long as I can remember. It was my toy of choice during my childhood. I had castle sets and pirate sets and space sets and town sets. Even now, I still have some Legos as decorations. I'm also a big fan of the Lego Indiana Jones video game. So when I saw that Lego was coming out with a movie, I was cautiously optimistic. The trailers showed the film would have zaniness and humor (and Batman), but they didn't really get me excited about the film. And then the reviews started coming in ... and they were nearly all positive, very positive. I knew I definitely had to check it out.
So, now I can add my praise. The Lego Movie is terrific. I suppose "awesome" would be a more appropriate term given the number of times the song "Everything Is Awesome" plays throughout.
There is a wonderful humor that runs throughout the entire film. There were so many clever or tongue-in-cheek lines it was hard to keep up. I think I spent most of the run time with a grin on my face. The film also pokes fun at various movie genres (e.g., there is a constant bar fight going on in the western town; the villain's lair is guarded by lasers, sharks, and laser sharks), superheros (Batman is fantastic, with a great theme song), and pop culture (e.g. Emmet happily buys a $37 coffee). The humor is also at times very irreverent. There were a few times when I thought to myself they'd never get away with this if these weren't plastic minifigures.
The animation is colorful and somewhat manic, but very fun throughout. Even when there is water or an explosion, there is the appearance that it is all made of Lego pieces. Also outstanding was the voice cast. They were all perfect for their roles. I was especially impressed with Liam Neeson who played a Bad Cop/Good Cop character. Each personality had a very distinct voice. Will Ferrell is also a terrific villain.
The story itself is fairly straightforward. Bricksburg is a nice orderly city where everyone follows the instructions. But the world is in danger because President Business still isn't satisfied that everything is perfect and plans to unleash his secret weapon: Kragle. So a prophesied "chosen one" must arise to save everyone. In this case, that person is termed "the Special." Emmet is as ordinary as ordinary can be and follows his instructions obsessively. But when he accidentally stumbles on the "Piece of Resistance" (that clever name made me very happy) he is immediately believed to be the Special and is whisked off to a meeting of the Master Builders who are in hiding. What follows is the typical quest. The heroes experience some setbacks, have to work together, and manage to get exactly what they need exactly when they need it (by means of my favorite cameo in the movie).
In terms of themes, the Master Builders pride themselves on their creativity and ability to build whatever they need without instructions. And it is awesome and fun to watch. But Emmet, whose creativity is severely lacking, teaches them that there is a place for instructions. More importantly, he shows them that sometimes their own creativity is keeping them from successfully working together. There is also a theme of being yourself and your own special.
And then the third act hit with a plot twist I didn't see coming. All of the above is why The Lego Movie is a fun, enjoyable movie. But the twist takes it to the level of a terrific movie. Suddenly there is as much heart as there was humor. It's a little annoying that I can't say more, but that would ruin the movie. So the rest of my review will have to go down in the Spoiler Section.
I definitely recommend this movie, but be in a slightly goofy mood and be prepared to have "Everything Is Awesome" stuck in your head.
*** Spoiler Section ***
Once the movie revealed what the Kragle was (Krazy Glue with some of the lettering rubbed off) and President Business started showing off his relics (including a used Band-Aid, a Titleist golf ball, and an X-Acto knife) I had a feeling there might be a real world tie in at some point. Having Emmet sacrifice himself by throwing himself off the edge of the universe worked quite well in the story. And I wasn't particularly surprised when, in the real world, he was picked up by a young boy. Up until that moment, the movie was humorous and fun. And then Will Ferrell, the voice of President Business, walked down the basement steps to confront his son for messing with his (the father's) toys.
In that moment, the entire movie changed. Yes, it was still about what it means to be special and creativity vs. instruction-following. But mostly it was about a father and son. In that one moment, everything that had been happening in the movie took on a different meaning. It had always been about a son and his relationship with his father. And because of what had come before, you already knew much more about their relationship and who this father was than was portrayed in the live action sequence. Watching Will Ferrell's character thaw from being an OCD perfectionist to seeing the value of his son's "chaotic" creativity put a bigger smile on my face than any of the witty lines or visual gags. Based on all the trailers and the entire movie up until that point, I was not expecting that much heart. And that surprising touch of humanity is what elevates The Lego Movie.
In the end, the film was never about Emmet saving the world. Given that it is based in the imagination of a young boy, that Lego world will never be safe. Instead, the movie was about reconciliation: the reconciliation (and coexistence) of precise instruction following with creative play and the reconciliation of father and son. And that is awesome.
Oh, and in case you're wondering, when I played with Legos as a kid, I built according to the instructions and played President Business style. As Emmet proves, we can't all be Master Builders, but that doesn't mean we can't still have fun.
I've loved Legos for as long as I can remember. It was my toy of choice during my childhood. I had castle sets and pirate sets and space sets and town sets. Even now, I still have some Legos as decorations. I'm also a big fan of the Lego Indiana Jones video game. So when I saw that Lego was coming out with a movie, I was cautiously optimistic. The trailers showed the film would have zaniness and humor (and Batman), but they didn't really get me excited about the film. And then the reviews started coming in ... and they were nearly all positive, very positive. I knew I definitely had to check it out.
So, now I can add my praise. The Lego Movie is terrific. I suppose "awesome" would be a more appropriate term given the number of times the song "Everything Is Awesome" plays throughout.
There is a wonderful humor that runs throughout the entire film. There were so many clever or tongue-in-cheek lines it was hard to keep up. I think I spent most of the run time with a grin on my face. The film also pokes fun at various movie genres (e.g., there is a constant bar fight going on in the western town; the villain's lair is guarded by lasers, sharks, and laser sharks), superheros (Batman is fantastic, with a great theme song), and pop culture (e.g. Emmet happily buys a $37 coffee). The humor is also at times very irreverent. There were a few times when I thought to myself they'd never get away with this if these weren't plastic minifigures.
The animation is colorful and somewhat manic, but very fun throughout. Even when there is water or an explosion, there is the appearance that it is all made of Lego pieces. Also outstanding was the voice cast. They were all perfect for their roles. I was especially impressed with Liam Neeson who played a Bad Cop/Good Cop character. Each personality had a very distinct voice. Will Ferrell is also a terrific villain.
The story itself is fairly straightforward. Bricksburg is a nice orderly city where everyone follows the instructions. But the world is in danger because President Business still isn't satisfied that everything is perfect and plans to unleash his secret weapon: Kragle. So a prophesied "chosen one" must arise to save everyone. In this case, that person is termed "the Special." Emmet is as ordinary as ordinary can be and follows his instructions obsessively. But when he accidentally stumbles on the "Piece of Resistance" (that clever name made me very happy) he is immediately believed to be the Special and is whisked off to a meeting of the Master Builders who are in hiding. What follows is the typical quest. The heroes experience some setbacks, have to work together, and manage to get exactly what they need exactly when they need it (by means of my favorite cameo in the movie).
In terms of themes, the Master Builders pride themselves on their creativity and ability to build whatever they need without instructions. And it is awesome and fun to watch. But Emmet, whose creativity is severely lacking, teaches them that there is a place for instructions. More importantly, he shows them that sometimes their own creativity is keeping them from successfully working together. There is also a theme of being yourself and your own special.
And then the third act hit with a plot twist I didn't see coming. All of the above is why The Lego Movie is a fun, enjoyable movie. But the twist takes it to the level of a terrific movie. Suddenly there is as much heart as there was humor. It's a little annoying that I can't say more, but that would ruin the movie. So the rest of my review will have to go down in the Spoiler Section.
I definitely recommend this movie, but be in a slightly goofy mood and be prepared to have "Everything Is Awesome" stuck in your head.
*** Spoiler Section ***
Once the movie revealed what the Kragle was (Krazy Glue with some of the lettering rubbed off) and President Business started showing off his relics (including a used Band-Aid, a Titleist golf ball, and an X-Acto knife) I had a feeling there might be a real world tie in at some point. Having Emmet sacrifice himself by throwing himself off the edge of the universe worked quite well in the story. And I wasn't particularly surprised when, in the real world, he was picked up by a young boy. Up until that moment, the movie was humorous and fun. And then Will Ferrell, the voice of President Business, walked down the basement steps to confront his son for messing with his (the father's) toys.
In that moment, the entire movie changed. Yes, it was still about what it means to be special and creativity vs. instruction-following. But mostly it was about a father and son. In that one moment, everything that had been happening in the movie took on a different meaning. It had always been about a son and his relationship with his father. And because of what had come before, you already knew much more about their relationship and who this father was than was portrayed in the live action sequence. Watching Will Ferrell's character thaw from being an OCD perfectionist to seeing the value of his son's "chaotic" creativity put a bigger smile on my face than any of the witty lines or visual gags. Based on all the trailers and the entire movie up until that point, I was not expecting that much heart. And that surprising touch of humanity is what elevates The Lego Movie.
In the end, the film was never about Emmet saving the world. Given that it is based in the imagination of a young boy, that Lego world will never be safe. Instead, the movie was about reconciliation: the reconciliation (and coexistence) of precise instruction following with creative play and the reconciliation of father and son. And that is awesome.
Oh, and in case you're wondering, when I played with Legos as a kid, I built according to the instructions and played President Business style. As Emmet proves, we can't all be Master Builders, but that doesn't mean we can't still have fun.
Quotable Quotes
- "I think I heard a whoosh." -- Emmet
- "The Special will now give an eloquent speech." -- Vitruvius
- "Come with me if you want to not die." -- Wyldstyle
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