By this point in time, I think it is
safe to say Lego has become an extremely recognizable name. With its colorful,
complex and creative sets which range from Star Wars to Lord of the Rings and
construction sets to model planes. Going beyond that, the opportunity to create
and shape the square, multicolored building blocks is massive, leading to
people making some impressive and awesome works, a fine example being a man who
built a fully scaled World War Two era battleship. It now almost goes without
saying while Legos are meant originally for children, adults can find as much
or even more excitement and creativity within these small pieces of plastic. A
movie, then, was all but inevitable.
With Phil Lord and Christopher Miller,
both the directors of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, at the helm of this
stop-motion and colorful film the chance of success was a good one, as the
humor brought by Dan and Kevin Hagemen was wonderful as it was diverse. Bright
and energetic, the story follows the character of Emmet Brickowski, an average
and otherwise unremarkable construction worker who has a massive optimism that
knows no bounds. Emmet finds comfort in following the rules and instruction
laid out for everyone’s daily lives by the President of the world, and summary
antagonist, Lord Business. Emmet finds his live changed, though, when he accidentally
stumbles upon an ancient relic, the Piece of Resistance, making him the prophetic
“Special,” a being said to have the ability to stop Lord Business’s plan to forever
change the world.
With the Piece of Resistance, Emmet
finds himself hunted by Lord Business’s Lieutenant, fittingly named Bad Cop,
and his legion of robotic soldiers/cronies. But Emmet is not alone, as he joins
with the Master Builders, people with the ability to take pieces from everyday
objects and rebuild them into something else entirely. This ability is best
illustrated when Emmet is first saved by the figure of Wild-Style by taking
parts and pieces from a back alley to build a massive motorcycle. And while
these Master Builders are impressive, Emmet is not at first as the audience
soon learns that he has never had an original thought in his life due to his
constant following of instructions and rules, something the Master Builders abhor.
This is, unfortunately, a story of an
average man who is thrust into a conflict he does not understand or is not up
to, only to have him eventually rise to the occasion through the power of
belief in himself and ultimately triumph. That is a standard children’s movie
story, but what make it great in the delivery and substance of the comedy and
other aspects of the story. The gags and jokes used throughout the movie were
simple and straightforward most of the time, but their timing and use were
beyond excellent, and many times bent me over in my seat laughing. No one gag
was used too much or not used at the right time, granted it is not highbrow,
sophisticated humor, but its use was spectacular to the point where everyone,
young and old, can appreciate it.
The story also has some touching moments
as well, as the relationships grow throughout it. Emmet eventually learns to
believe and trust in himself and those around him, as he deals with a
loneliness he never knew he had and expectation he cannot live up to. All is
forgiven, though, at the movie’s climax, where Lord Business puts his plan into
action. Everyone rises up to try and stop him, but his forces prove too
powerful, leading to a final showdown between our lovable but slightly clueless
protagonist and all-powerful villain. The battle ends not on the usual slaying
of the evil lord, but rather a touching moment of realization, resolving everything
in a single, peaceful and almost loving epiphany.
The story, while not revolutionary at
its core, is extremely creative and clever. The best way I can think to
describe it is that it is a Lego movie rather than a movie with Legos. The
theme of instructions versus creativity is one which rhymes with Legos well, as
all the sets come with instructions, but the true fun comes from building what
you want, being creative. The obvious comparison in the Lego Movie would be between the instructions of Lord Business
and the creativity of the Master Builders. Other fun notes would be how the
movie uses some named characters, most notably being Batman. The gags and jokes
the writers use with Batman are hysterical, all of which relate back to the man
himself, as well as other movies made about him.
Chris Pratt, known for playing Andy on Parks and Recreation, brings an
enthusiasm and charm to his performance as Emmet that fits the character
entirely. His constant optimism and cheer translates so well to Emmet, making
his performance stand out as one of the best in this movie. Morgan Freeman also
brings his best in his performance of the leader of the Master Builders,
Vitruvius. Being the leader, he also happens to be one of the best builders,
taking on the role of mentor for Emmet as he tries to join the ranks of the
Master Builders. Will Ferrell, too, is great as he plays the role of Lord
Business, sounding suitably commanding, imposing and like a classic bad guy
would, which just adds another layer of comedy to his performance. Elizabeth
Banks from Hunger Games also does a
great job as the voice of Wild-Style, being cheeky, strong and funny all at the
same time. Will Arnett’s Batman is great, being dark and cynical, but also
sometimes clueless and incompetent. Seeing that is not what Batman is known
for, it makes his character all the more hilarious. Finally, Allison Brie plays
the character of Unikitty, an overly happy unicorn-kitty who refuses to feel
any negativity at all costs. Needless to say after all this, every member of
the cast brings their A-game, leading to an overall performance that is just
great.
So, where does this leave us? The Lego Movie is a great film. It is
funny, clever, touching, creative and fun ride throughout. This is an excellent
example of how creativity can come from anywhere, and given enough time, love and
attention can become something great. I can say that this is the best movie I
have seen all year, and while not all movies have come out yet, I think this
has a good chance to be the best movie of the year. In the end, the greatest
praise I can give a movie is that I would see it again. And I would absolutely love
to see The Lego Movie again.
