The LEGO Movie, 2014.
Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
Featuring the voice talents of Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, and Cobie Smulders.
SYNOPSIS:
A regular LEGO man is mistaken for ‘The Special’ of prophecy and goes on an adventure to stop the LEGO Universe being destroyed.
The LEGO Movie truly starts as it means to go on, with laughs from the start, continuing all the way through, from adults and children alike. The movie begins with a Prophecy ‘that is true because it rhymes’ and is truly imaginative throughout, bringing in aspects that you loved about LEGO as a kid whilst keeping the tongue in cheek humour that is associated with the newer LEGO media of the last 10 years.
Emmett (Chris Pratt) is an average Lego worker, who lives in a world controlled by the Octan Corporation and the evil Lord Business (Will Ferrell). Phil Lord and Chris Miller make some rather nuanced political allusions in this opening section, which may still pass by many of the adults in the audience but should definitely be noted. Emmett’s reluctance to deviate from the instructions and merely be a face in the crowd could be interpreted as a serious tidbit of social commentary.
Emmett’s adventure takes him through the many universes bringing in more hilarious characters who are all excellently voiced, including Bad Cop (Liam Neeson), Batman (Will Arnett), and Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman) having some of the best lines and moments throughout the film, all delivered with perfect comic timing. Some excellent cameos from your favourite LEGO universes from Superman to Chewbacca never feel forced or like we’re just watching an extended LEGO advert, but truly add some unforgettable moments.
The animation and use of 3D in this is also spectacular. It is very easy to forget that things such as the explosions are using the little familiar LEGO flames and that the ocean is created using many small LEGO pieces. The characters themselves are interesting and voiced so well, it is easy to forget that they are little plastic people in a world where a motorbike can be made out of an alleyway, then into an aeroplane.
The film’s final third is emblematic of the rest of the film, my only complaint being that the live action scenes are a little unnecessary. It is a testament to the rest of the film that this in no way brings down the film, or takes anything away from the events going on in the LEGO universe but I don’t feel like it adds as much as it was intended to either. That said it is in this section of the film where the true nature of LEGO takes hold, with the world being broken down from the boring buildings and turned into whatever can be imagined from the bricks.
The LEGO Movie is funny, clever and the most fun I’ve had at the cinema in a long time. Adults and children alike will laugh, albeit for different reasons and without a doubt leave with a smile on their faces after a film so ludicrous it feels like it came from the imagination of a child.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Matt Spencer-Skeen
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Originally published February 15, 2014. Updated April 11, 2018.
