When "The LEGO Movie" was announced, the world let out a collective groan. While the beloved brand has branched out in recent years to various media forms, including an ever growing popular series of video games starring Batman, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, the Marvel heroes and more, a movie just seemed too much.
At the time, it would not have been unfair to assume it would be a 100 minute commercial and, in a sense, it is, but this final product so much more than that. This is not a cheap cash grab by the company and the movie doesn't have a singular purpose to sell product (though I imagine that will be an added bonus). This is a funny, thoughtful film with a surprisingly resonant story that warms the heart.
Older audiences will hope "The LEGO Movie" will at least be watchable while it entertains their kids, but they'll soon find a childlike wonder they haven't experienced in a while. If you've been pining to feel like a kid again, "The LEGO Movie" will do it. It's not just "good for a kid's movie," as many cynics may suggest. "The LEGO Movie" is destined to be one of the best of the year.
The story starts out silly enough. Emmet (Chris Pratt) is an ordinary guy, which is meant in the purest sense of the word. There is truly nothing special about him. He wakes up, does a few jumping jacks and heads off to work as a lowly construction worker. He's a happy person, though much of that happiness is simply a façade to hide his loneliness.
One day, however, things change when he stumbles onto an artifact known as the Kragle. Long ago, as the wise sage Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman) puts it, a prophecy was foretold of a Master Builder who would save the world from the potentially devastating effects of the Kragle, and much to his surprise, he's that hero. Along with his newfound partner, Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks), he sets out to stop evil mogul, Lord Business (Will Ferrell), from freezing all of the world's inhabitants and creating a perfect city.
These early moments are seemingly the most inconsistent for "The LEGO Movie." It has some satirical bits, lampooning simplistic, one-joke television sitcoms with the LEGO world's most popular show, "Where's My Pants?" and generic pop music with the equally popular "Everything is Awesome!" But these moments are fleeting, as it quickly moves onto something else. It similarly pokes fun at itself, namely the immobility of the LEGO figures.
When Emmet does those aforementioned jumping jacks, for instance, his motions are awkward, almost like he's jumping up to cheer for something than to exercise, as the LEGO arms don't extend out like is required for jumping jacks, only forward and backward. Another great moment is when the film admits that all LEGO characters essentially look the same (a search for Emmet by the evildoers yields no results because he "matches everyone in our database," an underling says). But these moments come so rapidly as to seem a little inconsistent.
The story too is all over the place, a little bit like an ADD child on a sugar bender. Once it introduces its multiple universes angle, you start to wonder if the film is going to go completely overboard. But then something magical happens. A twist, which I dare not spoil, brings everything together. It explains why the story jumps around and why all of these seemingly unrelated characters from the vast Lego collection (which ranges from Shaquille O'Neal to Michelangelo the painter to Michelangelo the Ninja Turtle) have come together in one place.
Unexpectedly, the film finds a purpose. In this silly, joke-a-second corporate product pushing movie with what appears to be, at first, a sporadic and inconsequential narrative, a giant heart is found. What happens is something that will seem all too familiar to certain members of the audience.
While hardly revelatory, its ultimate message of letting loose your imagination and creativity is nevertheless endearing. It's enough to make the parents in the audience want to take their kids home and let them run around and explore, creating magical worlds in their heads that only they can comprehend. It is that impactful.
If, somehow, the ending doesn't touch you, there's so much more to enjoy that it will hardly detract from your experience. The sight gags are contextually brilliant, like the fire effects that are merely see through orange plastics, and the absurd amount of cameos thrown into this thing is enough to make any nerd, LEGO fan or otherwise, smile with joy.
From Harry Potter to the Simpsons to real life historical figures like Abraham Lincoln, the movie is packed to the brim with excellent inclusions, most of which you need to see for yourself. Even its soundtrack brings the goods, including a hilarious song written by Batman (Will Arnett) that satirizes the brooding nature of the character's recent cinematic endeavors. Like a good spoof movie, the jokes come so rapidly here that one viewing is simply not enough. Most viewers are bound to miss the more subtle references and quick comedic jabs that "The LEGO Movie" throws in.
Too many adults these days seem to be lacking an imagination and a childlike sense of wonder. Their cynicism seeps through every facet of their being and they find that the ability to lose themselves in an adventure is now seemingly impossible. If you're one of those people, especially one of the ones who desperately wants to recapture that youthful spirit, go see "The LEGO Movie" immediately. It's about as magical and wondrous a movie as I've seen with more laughs per minute than any movie in recent memory. "The LEGO Movie" is an absolute delight.