While one may initially think that “The LEGO Movie” was made to sell the hundreds of LEGO sets, the film is actually a very enjoyable experience. It is full of laughs for both adults and children.
The movie, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller of “21 Jumpstreet” fame, provided an all-star cast that made the movie even more enjoyable.
The story revolves around Emmet (voiced by “Parks and Recreation’s” Chris Pratt), an ordinary construction figure who follows the same routine every day with the “instructions” (a play on the instruction books that come with every LEGO set). Emmet cannot think for himself, and as such, agrees with everything that he is told. When he stumbles across the “Piece of Resistance” he suddenly becomes the most sought after person in the universe. He is the only person who can stop President Business (voiced by Will Ferrell) and his desire to use the Kragle (Krazy Glue) to devoid the LEGOverse from individual freedom.
Emmet’s allies in the fight to stop President Business are known as Master Builders, LEGO figures who can build anything they want from the pieces they see around them. Emmet’s allies include Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks), Batman (Will Arnett), and Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman), who assist Emmet, even though they think he is completely clueless.
Throughout the film, Emmet and company go through multiple universes, trying to keep the Piece of Resistance out of the hands of President Business and his lackey Good Cop/Bad Cop (Liam Neeson).
One of the stronger aspects of the film is that the main character isn’t the only focus of the story. All of the supporting characters lend a hand in telling the story, and each minor character adds another level to the plot. For example, although both of them only show up for five minutes total, the relationship between Superman (Channing Tatum) and Green Lantern (Jonah Hill) is surprisingly funny and well executed, and it definitely doesn’t feel like it was tacked on last minute.
The film appears to have been filmed entirely with real LEGOs. While the whole movie is computer generated, things like water, smoke, and fire are all given the effect that they move with stop motion, which adds to the movie’s overall charm and helps to reiterate the point that the film is based on LEGOs.
Easily, the most enjoyable part of the movie is the humor. Lord and Miller are no strangers to comedy, considering how successful “21 Jumpstreet” was in the humor department. “The LEGO Movie” is no exception. The humor is on point in this film, with a mix between simple jokes that are intended for little kids, and pop culture references that are intended for the adults.
The film doesn’t take itself very seriously, even making fun of real-life uses of LEGOs. The film provides comedy for both children and adults, swaying more towards a film for all audiences, rather than just a film for the children. In fact, there were several points throughout the film when I caught myself laughing harder than anyone else, kids included.
“The LEGO Movie” achieves success on all fronts. Because the movie is based on a product, people might think that it was made as a quick cash-in. However, that perception is wrong. With strong production values, great humor, and a very simplistic charm, “The LEGO Movie” is surprisingly well-made, and is one of the best movies so far in 2014.