The Lego Movie
Starring: Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson, Will Ferrell, Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Charlie Day
Directed By: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Reviewed by Danielle Muir
[rating: 4/5]
The only feeling you probably get from the word Lego now is a sharp, stabbing pain in the sole of your foot as you stand on your children’s collection (unless they prefer iPads to building blocks) – but back in the day those sets offered the opportunity to create entirely new worlds. The Lego Movie capitalizes on this nostalgia by re-introducing its most iconic characters through a big screen incarnate that explodes in a flurry of technicolour. But dare I say – it is adults who will find the most enjoyment out of the adventures of our favourite figurines, not children.
The film follows Emmett (Pratt) – a perfectly ordinary construction worker who lives each day following an identical, nauseating routine. That is until he falls through a swirling vortex and stumbles upon a ‘piece of resistance’ which subsequently attaches itself to his back. Accompanied by rebel WildStyle (Banks), the newly anointed chosen one bands together with the league of master builders (Batman, Gandalf, virtually every recognisable character in pop culture history) to take down President Business (Ferrell), hilariously hell bent on cementing his perfect world.
The pace is relentless, as is the comedic timing – which fares well for us grown-ups but for children? Can’t imagine they would have had time to cotton on to one tenth of the rapid fire events. The plethora of pretty colours and brilliant stop-motion animation may keep the extra youngins’ transfixed, but the jokes and dialogue would tumble by too fast for most.
From an adults perspective The Lego Movie is one of the happiest, most entertaining animated films in recent years. The cameos are brilliant, the script constantly tickles your funny bone, the voice actors are spot on (Morgan Freeman as God takes the cake, but Neeson as Good Cop/Bad Cop is also a hoot) and again, the animation itself is wild. The film re-creates huge Lego landscapes in glorious detail, from ‘Middle-Zealand’ to ‘Ye-Old West’, which elevates the epic sense of adventure to the next level as the lead characters fly, ride and blast their way to President Business’ lair with Good Cop/Bad Cop hot on their heels.
Complete disregard for what is considered a ‘children’s film’ is what makes The Lego Movie so entertaining for adults. Truth be told, the film gets docked a star because this reviewer did not hear a single child laugh in the preview, but they were probably just drowned out by the guffaws of their parents.
