YES, VERONICA MARS IS HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND AND CAP 2 IS COMING—BUT CAN WE PLEASE TALK ABOUT THE BIGGEST MOVIE IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW??
The Lego Movie is fun for adults and children alike. I would call myself a Lego builder but by no means an aficionado. Like most people, in recent years, I have tended to gravitate toward only the licensed type Lego sets: Harry Potter, Marvel and Star Wars. What works immediately about this movie is how it celebrates this fact and is full of pop culture references. Batman is even a main character, but he is kind of a douche. The movie incorporates Lego sets past and present through an actual plot. Emmet is an ordinary and totally sympathetic builder until he meets Wyldstyle. She identifies him as an “extraordinary person” that is prophesized to save the Lego universe. Wyldstyle takes Emmet on an amazing adventure and meets some friends along the way in an effort to stop President Business.
The movie literally looks like stop motion or “Legomation”; it seems so much like each scene was actually created bit by bit with Lego pieces. I read an article that if this was the case, it would have taken over 15 million Lego bricks. The film was actually created using a mix of CGI and a program called Lego Digital Designer. The authenticity and believability for something called The Lego Movie is unreal and entrancing. My mind did not need to be suspended in the slightest. There were so many different sets and types of Lego included it was amazing.
Another element that adds to such an enjoyable experience is the voice acting. The main cast is perfect for their characters and flanked by a great supporting cast and cameos. Some voices you may recognize but wait for the credits to see all the cool actors that participated. Chris Pratt (from Parks and Rec and now starring as STAR LORD from Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy) is Emmett, and Elizabeth Banks is Wyldstyle. Both are the perfect blend of comedy and quirk. Will Ferrell voices the villain, President Business, while Morgan Freeman pops up in a hilariously inspired moment. My favorite character was actually Liam Neeson’s Good Cop/Bad Cop, a mesmerizing scene stealer. The voice acting is perfectly cast, and there is a surprise casting element I was not aware of previously. This reveal towards the end make the movie even more genius and actually show that some thought was put into creating a plot for a kids movie, unlike so many others.
Of course for being a kid’s movie there are some stupid gags and the occasional toilet jokes pop up now and then but surprisingly, the comedy is quite sophisticated for most of the film. There are few negatives I can find within The Lego Movie. I deem one element as a flaw only because it will not get out of your head once you hear it (!!) — which is the theme song, “Everything is Awesome!” The catchy song is incredibly fun and (like the movie) becomes lodged in your brain as an addictive little remnant of the movie’s charm.
The Lego Movie is a hilarious, surprising, and innovative animated movie for all ages. I highly recommend it to see and even more than once.
There are so many jokes and layers to be captured with multiple viewings. On top of the entertaining ride, the movie has a great message—embrace your quirks and independence despite a pressure to conform and strike your own path. The Lego Movie is not to be missed and inspires me to play with Lego more (maybe even without the instruction booklet).
By Kasey Michael-–a lover of all things entertainment. Born and bred in North Carolina, she has a degree in Film Studies and can usually be found in front of a screen.
