Movie Review: The LEGO Movie

Movie Review: The LEGO Movie                                                                                                  3-10-16

WARNING! This review contains spoilers for The LEGO Movie.

In this fast-paced CG adventure, Emmet (Chris Pratt), a normal everyday construction worker, must save the LEGO universe from President Business (Will Ferrell), who wants to freeze everyone and everything with a secret weapon called the 'Kragle' so they won't built anything they desire.

I am aware that there are some people that either like or hate this movie, but please here me out. Think of this movie like a cross between Toy Story and The Emperor's New Groove. 'LEGO' has the comedy and wacky humor of The Emperor' New Groove and the heart and creativity of Toy Story. The animation was all CGI, though near the end of the feature, it is revealed that the LEGO world is actually a model in a live-action basement. It belongs to a businessman (also played by Will Ferrell), but his son, a young boy named Finn (Jadon Sand), plays with it. The father uses Krazy Glue to keep the pieces in place, but the letters Z, Y, and U are smudged with gunk, so Finn misinterprets it as 'Kragle'. I find that moment with Finn and his father endearing because when I was younger, I would act out episodes of my favorite shows using my old toys. Like Finn, I would get into all kinds of trouble, from sticking pencils into apples and bananas to breaking an expensive lamp.

Another thing to appreciate about The Lego Movie is the amount of work put into making the worlds, made entirely of plastic bricks, and all animated seamlessly. Even effects, like water, fire, and smoke, were made of bricks. Before Inside Out premiered, I even declared Animal Logic, the animation house behind The Lego Movie, the next Pixar. Also, like Toy Story, there are cameos of other licensed toys, like Ninjago, Milhouse from The Simpsons, Michelangelo (the Ninja Turtle), various DC superheroes, and many more. All I ask of you to see this movie with an open mind and heart.

Rating: 3 3/4 stars out of 5