The Lego Movie: a loony laugh-fest for all ages
DEREK ANDERSON
Remember how cool it was to see Andy’s toys come to life when he was out of sight in Toy Story (1995)? Toys mingling with one another; walking, talking, and laughing in the confines of a boy’s suburban bedroom: what a concept! I never looked at my action figures the same way again after seeing that movie, and though I never owned a lot of Legos, I’ll forever see those little guys and gals in a new light after seeing Warner Bros. Pictures’ The Lego Movie.
Shot in convincing computer-generated animation that depicts environments and people as if they were built of real Legos, The Lego Movie follows construction worker Emmet Brickowski (voiced by Chris Pratt), a guy who lives alone in a tiny apartment with only a plant and a television to share conversations with. Emmet’s a happy but lonely guy. He loves being part of a team at the construction site, but has difficulty forming meaningful relationships with others, perhaps because he doesn’t have any noticeable skills or interests that make him stand out to his co-workers and neighbors.
When Emmet falls into a hole after-hours at the jobsite and discovers a Lego block known as the “Piece of Resistance,” he actually attracts attention for the first time…from both good and bad people. The good people, comprised of highly trained Lego assemblers known as Master Builders, follow a prophecy that claims a Lego known as the “Special” shall find the Piece of Resistance and end the reign of Lord Business (Will Ferrell), a control freak who runs most aspects of Lego society—the TV shows that air, the type of buildings that are constructed, even peoples’ attitudes—under the guise of the affable President Business. The bad guys interested in Emmet follow Lord Business’ orders, which are enforced by the disgruntled Bad Cop (Liam Neeson). Bad Cop’s guys are desperate to capture the Piece of Resistance and have no qualms about melting Emmet to a puddle of liquefied plastic in order to do so.
Left to right: Bad Cop (voiced by Liam Neeson) is pressured by his boss, Lord Business (Will Ferrell). Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.
Good versus evil, an epic prophecy, and an unlikely hero: this is well-covered territory. Thankfully, co-directors/co-screenwriters Phil Lord and Christopher Miller recognize the stomped upon path their story takes. And while a less ambitious animated feature might have simply gone through the motions of being a good looking but predictable tale, The Lego Movie avoids such complacency by laughing at itself and giving one heck of a wink to the audience.
Drawing from experience directing hilarious self-referential hijinks in 2012’s 21 Jump Street, Lord and Miller expose The Lego Movie’s familiarity through dialogue. After the wise Master Builder Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman) recites the poetic prophecy of the Special, he wryly adds, “All of this is true because it rhymes.” At the film’s midway point, when Emmet’s friends urge him to make a rousing speech to inspire the Master Builders, Emmet begins his declaration of hope by pointing out all his flaws, which make up such a long list that he’s never able to get to the pivotal “but” that would turn the speech around. “I know what you’re thinking,” Emmet says at one point, “He [himself] is the least qualified person to lead us. And you are right.” To which the Swamp Creature replies, “This is supposed to make us feel better?”
Such witty dialogue gives adult viewers something more to enjoy than just the beautiful scenery, though it’s hard to get tired of looking at the meticulous details inherent in the sweeping landscapes of the Lego lands. I’ve never seen anything quite like these visuals. The 2D animation I viewed is top-notch, lending realism to close-ups of Emmet’s clean-shaven, shiny face and providing a jaw-dropping long shot of a Lego city alive at night with artificial light. And despite looking so slick and polished, the animators ensured the film’s Lego look by blanketing a blocky texture over everything—even the smoke gasped by a Lego fire.
Left to right (foreground): Uni-Kitty (voiced by Alison Brie), Emmet Brickowski (Chris Pratt), and Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman) plan their next move in The Lego Movie.Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.
The final touch making The Lego Movie a complete package is the perfect casting of the voice actors. As Emmet, Chris Pratt (TV’s Parks and Recreation) easily embodies the naivety and eagerness of the “average Joe” looking for something more in life. His voice inflections make the dialogue pop with genuine excitement, giving viewers a character that’s easy to root for and fun to laugh with, not at.
To get an idea of what Batman is like in this movie, fans of TV’s Arrested Development need only imagine Will Arnett’s egotistical character Job from that show dressed up as the Dark Knight in Lego-form. Gone is the noble Batman of Christopher Nolan’s recent trilogy. Arnett’s condescending tone and Lord and Miller’s satirical script make Lego Batman a self-centered snob who uses his dark, orphaned past as a front to look cool. When Emmet and the gang are frantically building a submarine to escape from Lord Business’ minions, Batman is picky about his Lego selection, telling the others, “I only work in black and sometimes very, very dark gray.”
Other highlights of the all-star voice cast include a hilarious Morgan Freeman, a memorable turn from Elizabeth Banks as leading lady Wyldstyle (“Are you a DJ?” Emmet asks her when she tells him her name), a pitch-perfect perky recording by Alison Brie as unicorn/kitten hybrid Uni-Kitty, and a masterful two-faced performance by Liam Neeson as the cop with two personalities, Bad Cop (can you guess his other half?).
With a suitable PG rating and enough vibrant imagery to compare it to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009), The Lego Movie is a must-see for kids, but its self-aware slant and devoted voice cast make it surprisingly necessary viewing for adults looking for a smart comedy kick.
4.5 stars out of 5 (A)
The Lego Movie is rated PG for action and rude humor. It has a 1 hour and 41 minute runtime and was given a wide United States release on February 7th, 2014.
Please follow the Tuesday Movie Men on Twitter @TuesdayMovieMen and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TuesdayMovieMen to join in the magnificent movie conversations!
