Review: The Lego Movie (2014) - NP Approved

Cast: Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, Craig Berry
Director: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Country: Australia | USA | Denmark
Genre: Animation | Action | Comedy | Family
Official Site: Here

Editor’s Notes: The Lego Movie is out in wide release today, February 7th.  

Throughout my childhood, as things constantly changed around me, one thing remained steadfast: my bucket of Legos. I never owned K’Nex, was gifted Mega Bloks only once, and despite a perfectly nice Erector set being placed at my feet, I never fully accepted its metal bars. I was a Legos kid, through and through. Like some kind of magical friend, the Legos evolved with my shifting tastes, anticipating my changing desires. Amongst toys there exists a line of acceptability, a point when age makes the desire no longer socially acceptable. Somehow Lego ignores this notion, and is a point of joy amongst the faithful of all ages. The feeling which accompanies the way in which The Lego Movie embodies this very sentiment, can only be described as generational delight.

Somehow Lego ignores this notion, and is a point of joy amongst the faithful of all ages. The feeling which accompanies the way in which The Lego Movie embodies this very sentiment, can only be described as generational delight.

Emmet (Chris Pratt) is a shining example of the bliss of ignorance. A construction worker that thrives on routine, he is miraculously ordinary. He lives and breathes by the multiple instructions provided him, and is not only content, but happy to blindly take orders. Late one night as he is preparing to leave the worksite, he catches a glimpse of a hooded figure rummaging through the debris. Taking a closer look he is sent tumbling into a cavern and happens upon the mystical Piece of Resistance. Quickly his life is thrown for a loop as a group of rebels, pushing against the tyrannical President Business (Will Ferrell), embrace him as the Special, the premier Master Builder and key to freedom.

Lego is not unfamiliar to the strength of its brand. Outside of its plethora of sets, it has already delved into video games and films, primarily relying on the strengths of its partnerships with established properties. However, these have been like puppet shows, reenactments with mini-figs. There hasn’t been an independent voice, one which is strong enough to assert that only Legos could tell this story. Legos are assuredly toys, however they represent much more than the immaturity that the word implies. Legos are literal building blocks. They are items which represent possibility and creativity. As adults we come to embrace and celebrate the elaborate sets, but looking to the Lego roots, and the morsels within our own childhoods, Legos are about the mismatched blocks and the enormity of imagination. Within that molded blue plastic bucket that was my introduction to Legos resided a smorgasbord of Lego pieces. They had no preordained path, but were presented as possibilities, a chance for me to express the inner workings of my own mind. The Lego Movie could have easily been a vanilla animated feature, but in its recognition of the truth of its central pieces it establishes a strength of vision that propels it forward.

The Lego Movie could have easily been a vanilla animated feature, but in its recognition of the truth of its central pieces it establishes a strength of vision that propels it forward.

Writer-director team Phil Lord and Chris Miller have already shown their ability to convey a youthful and unique voice. Their previous work possesses an awareness and levity that is truly their own. The Lego Movie only serves to further this establishment. The team’s skills seem catered to the ADD-fueled media atmosphere that pervades all elements of our lives. However, rather than feeling exhausting, the endless stream of gags is rivetingly delightful. The jokes are constant, and delivered in such a rapid-fire style that I assuredly missed some while laughing at others. Animated features carry with them a stigma of underdeveloped childishness, but if Pixar has proven anything, it is that trust in your audience’s intelligence and reliance on strong storytelling does not limit the appeal of animation to all audiences. This marriage seems most appropriate for the Lego, which bridges generations and will likely attract just as many kids as adults. The Lego Movie is not a children’s movie, it is a film for the Lego appreciator and desirer of unadulterated enjoyment.

Like many current animated films, the voice cast is overflowing with exceedingly talented actors. There is plenty to be said of Will Arnett’s Batman or Jonah Hill’s Green Lantern, but it is all carried on the back of Chris Pratt. At times Emmet feels like little more than an extension of his Andy of Parks and Recreation, the simpleton that can’t help but see the bounty of joy in life. Nevertheless, the optimism is paramount to the character, and over the film’s runtime he endears himself to the audience and experiences a measured growth that’s believability is essential to the film’s success. In addition to the strength of the cast, the animation is a wonder to behold. While it is a combination of stop-motion and CGI, it always feels more like the former. Many of the previous Lego works have been CGI and completely looked it, but the stop-motion feels much more appropriate to the connectable pieces. It lends the film an accessibility and youthfulness that injects the Lego charm into every moment. Plus, it just all looks so much more interesting this way.

Had The Lego Movie been a bland piece of animated fluff, it would have certainly made plenty of money. The Lego brand holds such strength that plenty would have purchased tickets, if for nothing else than a sense of nostalgia and curiosity. Thankfully, The Lego Movie is so unlike the base simplicity of its many replaceable pieces. The film has a similar scattered and go-for-broke sensibility that Phil Lord and Chris Miller have instilled in their previous works Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and 21 Jump Street, but here it feels more measured and certainly more focused. The team understands everything that Lego represents. Legos are tools for imagination, interconnecting pieces that allow generations an outlet to create. As we grow older the sets and books of instructions pose limitations on our own minds. The buckets of Legos should serve as a reminder to let your mind wander and to push against the strictures of procedure. Yes, the film is absolutely hilarious, but past the ridiculous jokes it has something to say about the way in which we live. The Lego Movie is absurd and silly to the extreme and through all the laughs it manages a fresh wit that embodies all that Legos are to children and adults alike.

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Derek Deskins

Sr. Staff Film Critic

Derek was the only engineer at Northeastern University taking a class on German film and turning a sociology research paper into an examination of Scorsese’s work. Still living in Boston, MA, he blatantly abuses his Netflix account, but can never seem to get his Instant Queue below 200. He continues to fight the stigma that being good at math means you are not any no good at writing. I good write, very much.

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