So thinking of a children’s toy turned into a movie, I had low expectations when I heard about The Lego Movie. I feared that it would be another Barbie movie or the next Bionicle Movie. Yet, after I had at least three different people demanding that I should see it, I thought I would give it a chance. So, I saw The Lego Movie at the theatre. Funny enough, the audience was not just little kids, they ranged from all ages.
It is only about an hour and a half but it feels much longer, in a good way. The plot is cute, creative, dramatic, and emotional all at the same time. It focuses on this very average lego man (?) named Emmett (voiced by Chris Patt) who is supposedly chosen as the “Special” by an old prophecy in order to destroy Lord Business (voiced by Will Ferrell) and his plot to make the world too perfect.
The movie did not disappoint. First off, the cast was just incredible. There was Morgan Fitzgerald playing Virtruvius, Chris Pratt playing Emmett, Will Ferrell playing Lord Business and the father, Will Arnett playing Batman, Elizabeth Banks playing Lucy, Jonah Hill playing the Green Lantern, and the list still goes on. Having such experienced and great voices added to the movie’s validity and entertainment.
The movie was able to entertain the young, the teens, and the adults all at once. The bright colors, catchy tunes, and fast-paced movement throughout the movie allowed little kids to be entertained without losing interest. The plot was general enough to be understood by kids with leaving them with a moral at the end. For the teens who grew up with Legos, including myself, we were able to relive our childhood through the different characters of Batman to Gandolf while catching some of the more complicated and humorous plot. Adults would be relieved that this was one of the good kids’ movies out there. The writing includes a lot of innuendos that younger kids would definitely not pick up on. The story is creative and unique, making the combination of a good story and subtle adult content very entertaining.
The settings in the movie are very well done. They have many details and are able to represent the space of the area. For example, the group lands in the ocean that is filled with vast blue legos and waves as far as the eye can see. You feel like you are in a huge ocean…of Legos. Along with the setting is the quick shots in order to match the fast-pace of the movie. The Lego men themselves are meant to look and act like Legos, very stiff movements with limited facial expressions. This little movement from the characters makes the movie more realistic as true Legos.
There is a scene in the movie where there is live action. Here, the dad is yelling at his son for playing with his Legos (the plot of the Legos).
Instead of making the movie all of the boy’s imagination, they incorporate the real-life action and the possibility that these Legos are “alive”. When the dad (Will Ferrell) is glueing some of the Legos at his desk in a medium shot, in the left corner, Emmett starts to movie. The combination of the dad’s lack of movie while busy at work with the anticipated movement from Emmett makes the scene even funnier and more powerful.
Overall, this movie gets a 4.5/5.
Really good review! Kinda wanna see this now....I didn't think it could be for an older audience, but your review was very convincing!
ReplyDeleteThe first time I ever heard that the Lego company was making a movie was back in 2009/2010. I saw the Lego Wiki (yes, it exists) had a page up for an upcoming Lego movie for 2014. I obsessively researched into the film, but found nothing. So years went by when all of a sudden, the trailer came out. Now, when I first saw the trailer I thought the movie wasn't going to have been worth the wait. Boy was I wrong! I'm glad to see that you also enjoyed it because this film was able to mix comedy, nostalgia, and its important morals perfectly. Great review!!
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