I have waited for a movie about them for quite some time. There have been brickfilms and Lego super hero movies, but this is the first proper Lego movie. Many of us grew up playing with Legos (and some of us still do), so it’s about time they made a movie about time they made a movie about our favorite brick-building toy!
The Lego Movie is the movie about Emmet (Chris Pratt), a perfectly average minifig that follows the rules. Every day he wakes up and just follows the instructions. That is until one day he meets a girl minifig, Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) that changes his world. Wyldstyle is what they call a “Master Builder” she can just visualize in her mind how to build things; no instructions needed. She is on a quest to save the world and mistakenly identifies Emmet as the “Special.” Will Emmet be able to save the brick world without a set of instructions?
One thing that stood out in The Lego Movie was the all-star cast of voices. With names like Chris Pratt (Parks & Recreation), Will Ferrell (Anchorman), Elizabeth Banks (Zach & Miri Make a Porno), Will Arnett (Arrested Development), Nick Offerman (Parks & Recreation), Alison Brie (Community), Charlie Day (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), and Liam Neeson (Taken [enter a number here]), how could this cast get any better? Just add Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption) to the mix. Morgan Freeman should be reason alone to watch this movie. I literally would watch a movie of him reading the phonebook if he made one. This list only covers the main characters. Other well-known actors make an appearance in this movie. All of the voice actors bring each character alive and you definitely could tell none of them were there just to earn a paycheck. My particular favorite was Will Arnett’s portrayal of Batman. You will never look at that character the same.
Some people might be a bit skeptical that a movie about a toy could be any good. I am here to let you know that it is totally possible! The Lego Movie doesn’t deny it’s a movie about a toy and it wasn’t afraid to make fun of itself. The movie is able to keep it interesting for both kids and adults. There were many nods to avid Lego fans and geeks in general, such as displaying each Lego block number when the Master Builders were trying to figure out what to build. There were tons of geek minifigs in the movie, DC super heroes, Lord of The Rings, Star Wars, and even Shaquille O’Neal! This movie was the perfect setting for crossovers that normally wouldn’t be possible.
Normally in movie reviews I don’t comment about the soundtrack. The Lego Movie is an exception. The soundtrack is perfect for this movie and has a catchy earworm for a theme song. After watching the movie, I have had Everything is Awesome stuck in my head (I’ve also noticed how often I say awesome). Tegan & Sara performed this song with a little help from The Lonely Island. If you have not heard this catchy song yet give it a listen, I can almost guarantee you will hear it every time someone says awesome. This is definitely a soundtrack I am going to pick up.
Now here is the tough question, do I watch this movie in 2D or 3D? I would recommend watching this movie in 2D. There weren’t that many 3D effects, and I think you won’t miss out on anything by going the 2D route. The movie does feature many fast moving action scenes; those will not look as fluid in 3D. Save a little bit of cash and watch the movie in 2D, there really isn’t anything in the movie that screams must watch in 3D.
The Lego Movie will definitely be a hit. There is one part near the end of the movie I didn’t particularly care for but overall this movie got everything right. From the casting to the soundtrack everything was spot on, I enjoyed every part of the movie. Even if you don’t like Legos (and who doesn’t like Legos?) I still recommend you check out this movie. I can sum what I think about this movie in one phrase: everything is awesome!
