The Lego Movie

The Lego Movie (2014)

Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

Story by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Dan Hageman, and Kevin Hageman

Screenplay by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

Starring: Chris Pratt, Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson, and Morgan Freeman

Emmet Brickowski (Pratt) is  happy-go-lucky guy who enjoys living by the rules of society. He’s unaware that the leader of their world is plotting to end the world with the Kragle, a secret super-weapon. Emmet’s life gets flipped upside down when he discovers the Piece of Resistance and joins up with Wyldstyle (Banks). After close encounters with Lord Business (Ferrell) and Bad Cop (Neeson), Emmet is saved by Wyldstyle. Soon she takes him to Vitruvius (Freeman) who declares him to be the “Special”, someone who can help them prevent the end of the world. Now Emmet needs to find the master builder inside of himself if he hopes to save the world, and the people he cares about.

This film is a great start for 2014 when it comes to family entertainment. The story was developed by Phil Lord (21 Jump Street), Christopher Miller (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs), Dan Hageman (Hotel Transylvania), and Kevin Hageman (Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitsu). Lord and Miller later wrote the screenplay and teamed up to direct this movie.  After putting together the story, the creators brought together as much talent as they could for the voices. This includes Chris Pratt (Moneyball), Will Arnett (Despicable Me), Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games), Will Ferrell (Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues), Liam Neeson (Schindler’s List), and Morgan Freeman (The Dark Knight Rises). The list is much larger, with a lot more recognizable voices appearing in the movie.

The story for this movie is great. It’s not too complicated, but it serves as the perfect vehicle for the humor and the message of the film. The dialogue is well-written and it helps to keep all of the characters interesting. All of this keeps the movie moving along without ever seeming to slow down. The plot also works nicely with the Lego premise itself. With such a classic toy being represented, the movie makes sure to recognize the many different generations of Lego owners. This includes all of the different kinds of Lego building sets that have come out over the years.

The voice acting for this movie is awesome. I think the real success comes from the way kids and adults will enjoy the characters for different reasons. For kids, the voices seem to fit the characters, making them come to life in a really fun way. For adults, it’s fun to hear familiar voices in these funny characters. This is just one of the reasons that this is a great film for the whole family.

The animation for this film is incredible. The work was done by the Australian animation studio, Animal Logic. The result of their work is a film that almost appears to use stop-motion animation, while it is actually computer animated. The animation doesn’t cut corners, and really works in bringing out the way that a world made out of Lego’s might actually look.

This is a fun movie. Like I’ve stated, this isn’t going to blow you away with the plot, but it will leave you happy you took the time to see it. If you’re a fan of family movies like The Croods or Monsters University this is another one you should see. I would also recommend this to fans of the stars since it’s a unique way to experience these actors. Take the whole family for a fun time at the movies. I give this one 4 out of 5 stars.

Rating: PG

Running Time: 100 minutes