Much like the bricks, The Lego Movie is hours of fun regardless of your age.
The film is, of course, set in the Lego universe, where the evil Lord Business (Will Ferrell) has stolen a super weapon called the Kragle, despite the wizard Vitruvius’ (Morgan Freeman) attempts at trying to protect it. Vitruvius predicts that soon someone called The Special will emerge, who is the only one capable of stealing this super weapon back from Business by finding the Piece of Resistance.
Eight and a half years later, we find Emmett Brickowski (Chris Pratt), a happy super-conformist nobody with a perfectly fitting job in the Lego universe – a construction worker. He goes about his day without a care working for an Orwellian state under the rule of Lord Business, until one day he comes across the ironically named woman Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks). After a series of comical events, he ends up falling into a hole and discovering the Piece of Resistance by mistake. Thus, he is deemed to be the The Special by Wyldstyle and eventually, Vitruvius.
What follows is a journey through a series of Lego settings, where different worlds and characters collide, such as Batman and Princess Unikitty, producing a fun yet unique look into the Lego universe.
Bricks to Screen
From the first moment The Lego Movie was announced, thoughts were mixed as to how exactly they would pull it off: how would it work, how can Lego work as a movie? Suffice to say, the character of Emmett – who is voiced superbly in the film by Chris Pratt – binds the rest of the cast together. How can you possibly provide a story for a universe that has none? You simplt make one up; a well-constructed one at that. The script allows sufficient room for the multiplicity of characters to work in a cohesive yet entertaining fashion, providing a versatile experience for the audience.
The aspect in which The Lego Movie truly succeeds is in giving the audience – consisting of both children and adults – exactly what we need. Kids will surely love its slapstick and whizzing animation, full of clever swift-moving stunts with infused humour. As an adult, you will certainly not regret the experience of going to this movie. There are plenty of moments where adults can revel in the film’s comedic aptitude and the smart sense of parody. It also brings with it a strong propensity for self-awareness, which becomes clearer as the movie progresses.
“I’m Batman”
One of the most innovative and truly funny features of the movie is the voice acting of Will Arnett as Batman of Arrested Development fame. Combined with the quirky style of Pratt, the duo provide a raucous 100 minutes of undulating laughter and fun. In terms of the film’s rating, it comes with an obvious U for Universal and there’s really nothing for parents to worry about in terms of exposure, though the movie does deal with strained father-son relationships.
I’m not going to say The Lego Movie is without any flaws. There are occasions when the jokes fall flat but they are few and far between and definitely don’t prevent the overall enjoyment of the film. This film emulates the age-old story of finding yourself and gives us the all-important lesson against conformity, with a highly interesting setting thrown into the mix. It’s not a film to be missed, for you or your children.
The Lego Movie is out now on DVD and Blu-Ray.
