Seriously,
now – no judgment. I begrudgingly saw
this movie with friends, but I truly enjoyed it a lot. Far from being what I’d
thought it’d be (a long, high-budget toy commercial,) The Lego Movie is actually a fun, inventive film with creative
visuals, some nice themes, and sly humor.
Let’s
start with the plot, which is way more 1984-meets-The-Matrix-meets-Toy-Story than I’d expected.
Emmett is an average Lego living an average life, doing precisely what
he’s told. He’s been fully indoctrinated
into a society ruled by instructions:
follow the steps for proper assembly, be friendly and productive,
consume prefab popular art, and inform on any dissenters with a cheerfully
clear conscious. Little does he know that
the administration of the unscrupulous president is built on a foundation of
harsh interrogations, uncharged detainees, and merciless executions. Likewise, he has no idea that there are other
worlds beyond the boundaries of his own, where an underground collective of
Master Builders assemble according to no one’s rules and await the arrival of a
prophesied hero known as The Special.
Until,
that is, an unexpected tumble puts Emmett in contact with the non-regulation
Piece of Resistance and he’s pulled into a chaotic, whirlwind adventure by a
fetching young Master Builder. Soon,
there’s a price on his head, he’s breaking between worlds, and a genuine wizard
is trying to tap into innate leadership qualities the prophecy says he
has. The only problem is that Emmett
couldn’t be more unqualified for the job.
He likes following the instructions, he loves being told what to think,
and his own ideas aren’t exactly brimming with creativity. He, and his newfound followers, start to
worry that there’s been a mistake.
It’s a
wonderfully funny film that smartly mines the tropes of dystopian fiction and skewers
fantasy/sci-fi conventions about a promised Chosen One; it pokes fun at films
that take their own lore too seriously by constantly letting the air out of its
mythos. Additionally, there are plenty
of nostalgic classic-Legos jokes for enthusiasts, as well as an undercurrent of
adult humor that goes over the kids’ heads.
The movie also has some thoughtful moments, exploring themes of team
work, creativity, and individual worth.
These bits can be a little obvious – we’re not talking Pixar pathos here
– but the heart is always in the right place.
The
animation is impressive, capturing the look and feel of a stop-motion feature. The movie does a lot of playing with the nature
of a Lego world, and the visuals take full advantage of that. It’s great to watch characters tweak their
getaway vehicles on the go, repurposing pieces to make a motorcycle into a plane. The limited mobility of Lego people gets a
few laughs, and the detail in the animation is pretty incredible.
Plenty
of big names lend their voices to the film.
Chris Pratt and Elizabeth Banks are our anchors, with Will Ferrell, Liam
Neeson, and Morgan Freeman as major players.
Will Arnett is a standout as a tool-ish Lego Batman, and there are fun
appearances by Alison Brie, Charlie Day, and Jonah Hill, among others.
Warnings
Some Lego violence, a
few dark themes, and a little disguised adult humor.
No comments:
Post a Comment