Review: The Lego Movie

The Lego Movie exemplifies everything that one would expect from a movie by that name. Directed by the team of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, The Lego Movie is the definition of a fun and delightful movie to share with friends and family. Featuring a stunning voice cast, hilarious cameos, and brilliant jokes, The Lego Movie sets the bar high for animation in 2014.

The Lego Movie follows the exploits of Emmet Brickowoski (voiced by Chris Pratt) as his daily life is about to take a turn toward the extreme. The personification of evil, Lord Business (voiced by Will Ferrell), has plans to control the all-mighty element known as the Kragle. With this ultimate weapon, he plans on freezing all the inhabitants of the Lego world in place to keep everything in his world precise. The only Lego that can stop him is known as the special, a Lego who will stand above the rest and stop the wicked Lord Business.

Emmet is trying to blend into his world, even if his efforts are futile. He follows the instructions that tell him how to live his life. In the instructions it includes the song he must sing everyday, his favorite TV show must be ‘Where Are My Pants’, and he must attend the same job and complete the same tasks on a daily basis. Emmet is sort of the oddball. He just doesn’t fit into the rigid world that his peers conform in. When it is discovered that he is in fact the special, maybe he has finally found a place he belongs.

Of course any epic journey across the wonderful world of Lego would be incomplete without alternate worlds. These worlds are made up of various Lego play-sets throughout the world including the Wild West, Pirates, and a brief interlude into the Medieval realm. Emmet will meet countless Lego characters like Wyldstyle (voiced by Elizabeth Banks), the blind wizard Vitruvius (voiced by Morgan Freeman), and Batman (voiced by Will Arnett). Yes, you read that right, Batman is a main character of The Lego Movie. In fact, the movie is filled to the brim with various actor cameos voicing characters that they have made famous appearing here in Lego form.

The Lego Movie has some spectacular writing.
Even without all the crazy cameos and delightful surprises, The Lego Movie has some spectacular writing. It’s exactly what one would expect from a movie named after a timeless children toy. References to the step-by-step instructions or even numbers for each of the pieces is represented somewhere in the film. The discovery of what exactly the Kragle is, is a deliciously evil delight.  Follow that up with animation that accurately imagines what it would be like for these toys to move, prove a lot of thought and heart went into the creation of the film.

Like many of its contemporaries, The Lego Movie has a big message to get across to viewers. In order to bring that message across, the ending becomes a bit of a hodgepodge. It must also be noted that the movie does play like a massive advertisement for Lego’s. While that’s not surprising given the subject, I think I have to go buy the latest Lord of the Rings set.

The Lego Movie builds upon its timeless story to offer sheer happiness to viewers young and old. While younger viewers will be overjoyed by the various characters and worlds, those same elements will bring a smile to even the toughest critics. The Lego Movie has come out of the gate as the first must see movie of 2014. It’s just that much fun.