Before I begin, I have a confession to make: I am incredibly biased toward anything LEGO.
My childhood, like many others, was occupied by endless hours of clicking and snapping those colorful bricks together. So naturally, the second I heard of a LEGO movie I was incredibly excited.
From the time I took my seat in the crowded theater to when the end credits rolled, my expectations were continually blown away.
The story follows the adventures of Emmet Brickowski, an ordinary LEGO construction worker who falls (quite literally) into the midst of an ancient prophecy and a dire battle that threatens the entire LEGO universe.
Thought to be “the Chosen,” spoken of in the prophecy, Emmet joins forces with a resistance force of master builders to combat the insidious Lord Business and his plans to glue the entire LEGO world together.
In case it isn’t clear, this movie is a comedy through and through. While most movies focus on one type of humor, the LEGO Movie runs the gambit on hilarity.
Everything from puns and clever wordplay to sight gags and outright randomness is employed to induce knee-slapping laughter. The writing is brilliant and the film is chalk-full of cheeky references, inside jokes, and clever satire.
Much of the film’s punch is down to the star-studded cast of veteran voice actors. Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation), Elizabeth Banks (Scrubs, The Hunger Games) Will Arnett, (Arrested Development, Despicable Me) Liam Neeson (Taken, The Chronicles of Narnia series), Will Ferrell (Anchorman, Elf), and Morgan Freeman (how can you not know this man?!) round out the main cast. The supporting cast is also a great list of familiar voices with the likes of Nick Offerman, Billy Dee Williams, Charlie Day, Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. Even Shaquille O’Neal makes an appearance (in LEGO form of course).
Apart from being hilariously funny and brilliantly acted, the movie is a joy to experience. Every part of the world, from rivers and mountains to explosions and skyscrapers are wonderfully animated using virtual LEGO bricks. The music is excellent and the upbeat tune of “Everything is Awesome” by Teagan & Sara and The Lonely Island will be stuck in your head for days.
From beginning to end, the movie is a major nostalgia trip. The whole time I was noticing LEGO set pieces I used to build as a child and felt that old desire to create something new. The movie is a breath of fresh air into the tried and true LEGO franchise.
But in all seriousness, the movie also presents some deep and important ideas that ring true for Christians.
Throughout the film, the idea that no matter how ordinary someone is, they have the potential to change the entire world is heavily reinforced.
The movie also encourages parents to let their children develop their creative talents and to shy away from perfectionism.
With a PG rating, the movie is family friendly (which is not always the case), but don’t think for a second it is all silly child humor, I found myself laughing even more than the middle-schoolers in front of me.
So if you are looking for a fantastically-funny film for the whole family or just want to take a trip down nostalgia lane, the LEGO movie will certainly fit the bill.
As the song goes, “everything is awesome” when it comes to this picture.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to call my parents and apologize for all the LEGO bricks they stepped on during my childhood.
Susu says
Hollywood has a long history of taking beloved relics from our childhood and adapting them into big-screen entertainment, with the unfortunate truth being that the final product often bears little resemblance to the source material that our younger counterparts loved so much. Typically we’re left with something that feels like a cheap, hollow cash-in (The Smurfs, Garfield, Alvin and the Chipmunks), or a bloated, special effects-laden monstrosity full of explosions and poor acting (Battleship, Transformers, G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra).
So it was with much trepidation that I sat down to watch The Lego Movie, steeling myself for an experience that would be little more than a two- hour commercial designed to drive traffic into the nearest toy store, coaxing money out of the wallets of parents and into the pockets of the Danish toy company. Instead, I was treated with one of the most original, creative and entertaining films I’ve seen in years, which has quickly cemented itself as the first must-see movie of 2014.
Emmett (Chris Pratt) is a construction worker, obediently carrying out his daily duties in accordance with the instruction manual provided to all Lego citizens by President (Lord) Business (Will Ferrell), an obsessive compulsive, maniacal CEO bent on world domination. Think Lex Luthor, but as a complete control freak with less intelligence and more mustache-twirling insanity.
A chance encounter with the beautiful WyldStyle (Elizabeth Banks) leads Emmett to the mythical Piece of Resistance, an ancient relic spoken of only in prophecy that can be used to save the Lego citizens from their impending doom. Wyldstyle quickly whisks Emmett away and brings him before the Master Builders, which include the sagelike Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman), the manic 1980s astronaut Benny (Charlie Day), and WyldStyle’s boyfriend, Batman (Will Arnett, in perhaps the film’s most hilarious vocal performance). Together, the Master Builders formulate a plan to defeat Lord Business by infiltrating his massive high-rise fortress, using the Piece of Resistance to defeat him once and for all – provided they can escape the clutches of the terrifying Good Cop/Bad Cop (Liam Neeson), Lord Business’ most loyal henchman.
From the opening moments of the film, The Lego Movie fires an endless array of jokes at its audience from seemingly every angle. Writers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (who also directed the film) have an expert grasp of the absurd, and they use it to great effect, ensuring that every scene is stuffed to the gills with laughs. Many of the film’s best moments are derived from the fact that the characters, vehicles, and environments are created from Lego pieces: one of the rules established by the filmmakers was that everything appearing on screen must be possible to construct in the real world.
There’s an especially clever twist that occurs during the third act that, if attempted by less talented filmmakers, could’ve easily derailed the entire experience, but Lord and Miller’s pitch-perfect execution makes it work. With lightning-fast wit, a surprising amount of action, and perhaps a bit of attention deficit disorder, The Lego Movie is consistently entertaining from start to finish. It’s a brilliant mix of humor, heart, and creativity, and provides a great foundation to build on.
Sorry, I couldn’t resist at least one Lego-related pun. But seriously, The Lego Movie is fantastic.