[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ_JOBCLF-I]
The Lego Movie
Release Date: February 7, 2014
Cast: Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Will Ferrell, Nick Offerman, Charlie Day, Alison Brie, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson
Director: Phil Lord and Chris Miller
Studio: Village Roadshow Pictures, Lego System A/S, Vertigo Entertainment, Lin Pictures
Distributor: Warner Bros. Studios
Genre(s): Animated, Comedy, Action Adventure
Based On: Lego Construction Toys
Rating: ★★★★★
Review Spoilers: Low
IMDB | Rotten Tomatoes | Wikipedia
Think back to when you had Lego toys as a kid. If you were anything like me, I bet you built the sets once, had them together for a bit, then broke them down to create things with your other Legos. I know I used to make a giant house where an ice cream seller, her daughter, an astronaut and other assorted minifigs I had used to live together and be fascinated by what I could stick the wheels on.
The Lego Movie is pretty much that kind of adventure you had with your Legos when you were a kid, but on a much bigger and ridiculous scale. For a movie that’s pretty much a giant advertisement for Lego, it ends up being super charming and creative. Which is really what a movie about Legos needs to be.
The film centers around Emmet (Chris Pratt), a regular construction worker who lives his life by the instructions set out by Octan, the corporation created by President Business (Will Ferrell). He’s seems rather happy in his live by the instructions life, but quickly realizes that he’s got nothing special about him. That is, of course, until he gets something known as the Piece of Resistance stuck to his back while at work one night. Suddenly, he’s thrusted into the world of the Master Builders, outcasted rebels who were known for crossing between worlds and creating without instructions before President Business became obsessed with cutting off interaction and creativity. Emmet is the Special, the one who’s supposed to save The Master Builders and bring the world back to its former state.
The problem is that Emmet isn’t that bright or special.
Well, the assumed problem.
It’s also just funny as hell. I saw it with a fellow twenty something and we were laughing as hard as the kids and parents were. Sometimes even more so. The movie was written and directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the creative minds behind Clone High and the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs movie. Meaning that there’s a LOT of ridiculous humor in it. I could list off the jokes that made me roll with laughter, but I feel like it needs to be experienced in person. Let’s just say that it has the best line Morgan Freeman has ever uttered in the very first line of the film. The humor managed to be perfectly aimed for children while still giving adults a lot to laugh at without feeling cheap or sneaking in dirty jokes.
The voice cast in the film is impressive too. I didn’t recognize Nick Offerman as Metal Beard, Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill have awesome cameos as Superman and the Green Lantern, and Morgan Freeman as Vitruvius was clearly having the time of his life in the studio. The real scene stealers of the movie though had to be Will Arnett as Batman and Charlie Day as Benny. I’ve never seen a film that is so meta about how ridiculous Batman’s brooding can be and Arnett pulls it off perfectly. If you aren’t laughing at his “Untitled Self Portrait,” I don’t want to know you. As for Benny, if the manic little 1980s astro-dude needs to be friends with the Space Core from Portal stat. I also want all the video of Day in the recording booth for this movie.
Final Thoughts:
The Lego Movie is product placement done oh so right. It’s charming and funny in a way that both kids and adults can appreciate with plenty of nerdy references and a good message. There were things that could have been done better for girls that needed to hear the same message, but overall? EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!