THE LEGO MOVIE - Review

Hello readers! Sorry I haven't been around since mid-January, but I've been busy doing all sorts of nothing. I mean, school's back up again, so there's that... I've seen a few movies since, but nothing that I've felt the urge to write about. But I'm trying to get back in the swing of things, so here's the first movie review of 2014. Hope you enjoy.

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The Lego Movie

Animated Action-Adventure, 2014
1 hour, 40 minutes
Written and Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller
Rated PG for "mild action and rude humor"

Starring
Chris Pratt
Will Farrell
Elizabeth Banks
Morgan Freeman
Will Arnett
Liam Neeson
Nick Offerman
Charlie Day
Alison Brie

"I don't think he's ever had an original thought."

I never thought that I would actually enjoy a 100 minute commercial for a kids toy. Because lets face it, even if you think it's the best movie ever made, it's still a commercial. That's what the GI Joe movies are and that's what the Transformers movies are. It's based on a popular toy. But what makes The Lego Movie so special is that it's a really really good.

The Lego Movie is about a Lego piece named Emmet. Emmet is an ordinary Lego piece, think the default dot-eyes and default hair piece. Nothing special about him. One day, Emmet discovers something called "The Piece of Resistance," which according to an ancient prophecy, will stop the oncoming destruction of the world at the hands of Lord Business who plans on gluing the world together. Emmet is dubbed "The Special," (basically The Chosen One) and must learn to become a "Master Builder." So he teams up with a girl named Wyldstyle, an old wizard named Vitruvius, and some guy named Batman in order to save the world.

Okay... okay... this sounds kind of weird, right? It sounds like a cruddy direct-to-DVD kids movie. Surprisingly, it's not. It's funny. Very funny. There aren't any cleverly hidden adult jokes like in Pixar movies, but there's lots of good bits. The voice acting is fantastic with A-list stars making up pretty much the whole cast. Will Arnett is actually great as Batman, and Chris Pratt pretty much plays his character from Parks and Recreation, so you know he just nails it. There's also an absurd amount of cameos. Not just the voice actors, but the sheer number of Lego characters in the film is astounding.

My favorite thing about the movie was the animation itself. Combining stop-motion and CGI, the world of Lego is shockingly detailed, oftentimes looking as though it was made in someone's basement. Even explosions are made entirely of Lego bricks. Aside from the level of detail, every world is colorful and cleverly crafted. Action sequences are fast paced and always clever, but thankfully it's never disjointed or bogged down by shaky-cam.

But the MOST impressive thing about The Lego Movie is it's inspiring message. It wouldn't be fair to give anything away because it's just so well implemented. It's a kids movie, so expect it to be a tad cheesy, but there's nothing wrong with that. One thing is for sure, however: you WILL be surprised at where it takes you.

Overall, The Lego Movie is the last movie I would have expected to be good. It's well animated, voice acted, and has an inspiring message. Despite the fact that it's basically a commercial and that it sells itself, it never feels like one. On top of being a well made movie, it also serves the fundamental purpose of movies: pure entertainment.

9.5 / 10