My Movie Review on The Lego Movie

Yo, what's up, Kemosabes?

This is your friendly film, TV show, and episode reporter here with another review.

Today, for my 1st film review of 2022, I'm gonna give you guys my take of "The Lego Movie".

Here's the rundown of it:

Emmet Brickowski is a construction worker who resides in the bustling town of Bricksburg. For much of his life, he followed the life instructions laid out for him and everyone else by Lord Business, who's obsessed with order and perfection.

However, Emmet's life changes when he discovers the "Piece of Resistance", which is an artifact capable of destroying a super weapon called the "Kragle". After he touches it, he finds himself unwittingly taking on the role of a prophecy-hero called "The Special", and he goes on a world-traveling journey to become a master builder in order to stop Lord Business from Kraglizing the entire universe. And accompanying him on the mission is Wyldstyle, Vitruvius, Batman, MetalBeard, Benny, and Princess Unikitty, who are all master builders that are part of a rebellion against Lord Business.

Will Emmet live up to the prophecy and become "The Special"? Or will Lord Business finally have the order and perfection he desires?

Similar to the "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" films, the LEGO films with Lego Movie in the name were animated features that I've been wanting to review for a very long time. In spite of this, I often put off doing so because there were other things I was more interested in reviewing before. The real motivator for finally reviewing "The Lego Movie" films was thanks to analyzing the Cloudy films last Thanksgiving, especially since both series had the involvements of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and contained sequels that take place directly after the first films.

And I really can't lie, the first film was an animated feature that I've had a positive history with. It played a significant part in my life by introducing my to Christ Pratt and renewing my interest in LEGO products in general.

So, what do I think of this movie after all these years?

Well, the one thing I will admit is that there were some comedy gags throughout the film that didn't exactly click. The biggest reason for why is because they'd drag on a bit longer than necessary, which caused the film to get distracted and stop moving forward.

Other than that, I found "The LEGO Movie" to be as delightful as I remembered it being!

For instance, the direction and screenplay by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, and the story by them, Dan Hageman, and Kevin Hageman, were amazingly well-done.

Despite the flaws I noted in regards to the comedy aspect, there were lots of gags and comedic bits that were really fun to watch. It does become apparent that the filmmakers were trying too hard to make the movie funny, yet the very thing that helped the overall humor to work is the filmmakers' abilities to make something that doesn't take itself seriously entertaining. The film as a whole wasn't without an emotional core and heart, and the characters drove the story with stride.

The themes and morals of the film, which were about self-worth and significance, were well-worked too. I loved how the film was teaching that everyone is special and unique in their own way, and that we're all incredibly talented and capable of making a positive difference if we put our minds to it. As I watched the film again, I noted how intertwined the messages were with the story and characters, which was amazing to see.

The animation was astonishing, if I may add.

In a time where most computer animation studios often tried replicating their styles to that of Pixar and Dreamworks, "The Lego Movie" was a welcoming exception to this. Along with a clear influence from stop-motion animated products, the film's visual style had the look and feel of actual toys being on the screen. It was like the filmmakers and animators were able to transport audiences away from reality and into an actual LEGO world, and the character animation was lively enough to gauge a viewer's interest no matter how zany it seems.

In addition to this, the live-action sequences were nicely-done. The entire setting truly had the look and feel of an actual basement, and the cinematography was lovely to look at. Lord and Miller's work as directors of "21 Jump Street" (a live-action movie I haven't seen) was clearly of great benefit to the two, because the experience obviously helped them to ensure that they live-action scenes would be as equally accomplished as the animation.

Some may say that the live-action scenes are unnecessary and questionable, but they actually mean more to the story than most would likely think. Once Emmet enters the real world, it's discovered that every event taking place in the LEGO world represents Finn's imagination and the tension between him and his Dad. Heck, Lord Business was basically a representation of how Finn perceived his father before the end, which actually explains so much about the character as a whole. Likewise, Emmet was a representation of Finn himself.

The vocal performances, characters, and character development were brilliant as well.

Similar to Lord and Miller's work directing the first Cloudy film, the overall castings in "The LEGO Movie" were unusual yet surprisingly fitting for the characters. Any piece of dialogue they had, they projected with personality, commitment, emotion, and humor. They sounded like they were having a great time being part of the movie, and they successfully helped their characters have depth. Plus, there was a definite sense of improvisation amongst the performances too.

Out of all the performances, the ones I enjoyed the most were Chris Pratt as Emmet, Will Ferrell as Lord Business, Will Arnett as Batman, Morgan Freeman as Vitruvius, Liam Neeson as Bad Cop/Good Cop/ Scribble Cop, Charlie Day as Benny, and Nick Offerman as MetalBeard. Pratt in particular was obviously so into his role that it was like he did more than just provide the voice of Emmet, and Will Arnett was quite honestly the biggest scene-stealer of the cast.

In addition to this, the characters were all incredibly distinct and memorable in the best way. Each character had a quality and personality that helped them standout, and their developments aided them in being as three-dimensional as their animation. Emmet and Wyldstyle were definitely the characters who developed the most, I'll tell you guys that. Plus, regardless of how unexpected Lord Business's reformation near the end was, it works because it represented the rekindling between Finn and his father.

Finally, the music by Mark Mothersbaugh was marvelous.

No matter what scene the film came to, the melodies Mothersbaugh created were absolutely powerful and pleasurable. They'd range form being comedic and lighthearted to tension-filled and dramatic, and they contained a crescendo that was strong enough to play with one's heart. Plus, while "Everything is Awesome" isn't a song I personally wouldn't listen to on a regular basis, it's quite enjoyable regardless.

In conclusion, "The LEGO Movie" isn't flawless. But, it's nevertheless an enjoyable animated feature that has all the hallmarks to make it so: well-rounded characters, stunning and unique animation, everything!

So, I rate "The LEGO Movie" 4½ out of 5 stars.