Originality. From a film perspective, one could EASILY say it could be the PRIMARY thing that is severely lacking in today’s cinema. That notwithstanding, we still flood to the theater to catch the latest and greatest (or sometimes NOT so greatest) offerings Hollywood has to offer. I know for me, the most OVERALL original film I’ve seen anytime recently was Christopher Nolan‘s 2010 masterpiece, “Inception“. And with certain themes trending over the years, no one would have convinced me that a film based on one of my favorite toys growing up would actually be GOOD. Well, call me surprised and dig out those wonderfully varied and colorful building blocks, as we venture into “The LEGO Movie”.
To start…I have to say it again….WHO would have guessed that someone could TRULY come up with an ENGAGING story about the classic blocks and do it in a way that was TRULY unique, clever, well-written, had a tremendous voiceover cast, AND entertaining?? Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (the tandem behind two other films that did or will be getting sequels out: “Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs” 1 & 2 and “21 Jump Street” and soon “22 Jump Street“) along with a team of writers BRILLIANTLY came up with this tale about a normal, construction worker figure, Emmet Brickowoski (Chris Pratt), who goes about all of his day to day routines and activities via instructions (as you would find in a Lego box to illustrate how to build the item), totally oblivious to the fact that he really is, well, a nobody. Enter a chance meeting with Wildstyle (Elizabeth Banks) who clues him in on a little secret….he’s actually “The Special”, a MasterBuilder who will stop Legolands’ current ruler, Lord Business (Will Farrell) from unleashing a deadly weapon known only as “The Kragle” that will devastate the universe (all of this which was foretold in an earlier sequence involving the wizard Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman) and Lord Business). And all of this comes about due to Emmet accidentally finding (and becoming attached to!) The Piece of Resistance (yes, there is PLENTY of silly humor that only adults will get in this…SO much fun!). Of course, Emmet takes some SERIOUS convincing that he’s anyone extraordinary (especially when watching Wildstyle in action) and along the journey, he is ultimately introduced to the other MasterBuilders, several who will assist him in his adventure, including Vitruvius, Wildstyle, known hero Batman (a RIOTOUS Will Arnett), Unikitty (Allison Brie), a TOO nice cat who’s hiding some SERIOUS rage, Metal Beard (Nick Offerman) a former pirate who lost a bit of himself that had to be replaced, and Benny (Charlie Day), a non-descript 1980-something Space Guy (who has some REALLY great moments…see the film!). As the hardships mount and things seem impossible as they travel through the different worlds of Legoland, especially as they are being pursued by Lord Business’s main henchman, Bad Cop/Good Cop (a HILARIOUS Liam Neeson) and an army of robots, Emmet finally realizes his destiny and to go even into ANY details about the final act WOULD be giving some cool, clever moments away, so….NOT gonna do it (SEE the film if curious!)!
The writing in this film is just SPOT on. It’s not deep, it’s not stuff you will sit there and scratch your head about. And yet it is just plain GENIUS!! The humor is classic as well! Some of the best fun I had was really trying to picture these actors in the studio, standing at microphones, doing the voiceovers. That was especially true for Liam Neeson’s Bad Cop/Good Cop character and Will Arnett’s dark, brooding Batman. SO FREAKIN’ FUNNY! And there are appearances GALORE by other known film characters/figures, even if briefly, with nods to “Star Wars”, “Lord of the Rings”, and “Harry Potter” as well as other superheroes like Wonder Woman (Cobie Smulders), Green Lantern (Jonah Hill), and Superman (Channing Tatum). And as you would expect, the ultimate message to the film is a good one and meant to leave us feeling good about life and what can be accomplished when we can work together. The whole thing is SO silly on one hand, yet that it’s what makes it SO much fun to watch whether you’re a kid or adult. The animation is top notch, bringing all of these classic Lego worlds to vivid life and then giving them a voice. Plus, there’s a great sequence near the end that puts an additional, unique twist to the story that was funny in itself! AND….that SONG…”Everything Is Awesome” will be IN YOUR HEAD for a LONG time, whether you like it or not! Though it IS catchy, the REAL song winner is Will Arnett’s Batman and his very honest, heartfelt tune, “Darkness”. An absolute stitch!!! I honestly cannot personally say I found anything disappointing about this effort, and with the success it has had at the box office, the sequel is already in the plan for 2017 at this point. Looking for a zany break from the doldrums of other types of films you’re tired of, I most certainly suggest this film!
As always, this is all for YOUR consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
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