It’s hard to walk into The Lego Movie and not expect to see a ninety-minute ad for a toy line. Thankfully, writer/directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs) have much more on their minds than delivering a sales pitch. Their flick is sure to raise a smile or two and, even more shockingly, leave viewers with something to think about.
Emmet (Chris Pratt) is a friendly but lonely construction worker who is invisible to his co-workers and acquaintances. When he accidentally discovers a mysterious red block at a building site, he is recruited by Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) and Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman). Vitruvius tells Emmet that in finding the special block, he has been prophesized as a master builder that will lead a revolt against the city’s leader, Lord Business (Will Farrell). Business has an evil scheme that involves a mysterious weapon, called the Kragle. Of course, Emmet is a bit of a buffoon, raising suspicion among the rebel underground that a serious mistake has been made. Can he really save the Lego world?
The film looks impressive, featuring eye-popping large scale vistas and environments. Many worlds are included, from a cityscape to western town as well as an undulating, Lego built ocean. There are plenty of laughs derived from Emmet’s complete fear and bafflement of what is occurring around him, as well as his bizarre ideas for invention. Additionally, the Batman character is hilarious, even going so far as to make up a song about his tragic upbringing (which includes screaming the words “darkness” and “orphan” repeatedly). Another highlight for older viewers is the appearance of a 80’s Spaceman (Charlie Day) desperate to rebuild his retro-styled spaceship.
This may be a children’s tale, but there’s a lot more subtext to the story than one would anticipate. In between the laughs is a strong anti-conformist message. There’s a dark streak to the material (which will probably go over the heads of most kids, but is certainly present). Amazingly, it includes a happy, catchy, ear-worm of a song that encourages traditionalism and obedience. From the characters trying to rebel against the large, clean, uniform world of Lord Business, to the twisty, self-referential finale, there’s a surprising amount of depth. Once again, the writers and filmmakers deserve a lot of credit for attempting to do more than just sell blocks.
There is a bit of a problem with a climactic exchange between two characters. The movie oversells its point and becomes too sentimental for its own good. Its message and meaning is abundantly clear and it doesn’t need an on-the-nose, forced and heartfelt speech to make its point. Still, within the larger scheme of things, this is a minor criticism. Additionally, for those considering seeing the film in 3D, the post-conversion is good and poses no strain to the eye, but doesn’t add anything significant to the experience (the approach to depth is subdued and very little comes flying out of the screen).
In summation, The Lego Movie is a very pleasant surprise. It builds many layers with various elements. The unique visual style adds interest, many of the jokes and celebrity cameos hit the mark, and the strong story complements this brick-fest with more levels of subtext and meaning. As animated films go, it should entertain both young and old viewers alike.