Viewed in
2014
Formats
Movie theater (3D).
Premise
A movie about Legos characters trying to stop a tyrant from segregating all the different genres/worlds.
Loved
Will Forte as Batman.
Liked
Funny writing, infectious energy.
Thoughts
A really fun movie for adults and kids!
My favorite part was the comedy, from absurdist (Liam Neeson the cop angrily kicking a chair for a whole minute), to inside-joke cameos (Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill 21 Jump Street reunion!), to silly (Batman being a complete idiot), to slightly dark (Batman's "dead parents" song), to creative fourth-wall breaking (human-made sound effects and ghostly characters dangling midair via strings).
Speaking of creative writing, I enjoyed the genre/universe mashups in the movie, similar to my childhood. Yes, there was a slight cynical synergy of using mostly Warner Brothers properties, but the writing still delivered funny interactions amongst Han Solo, Abraham Lincoln, astronauts, Ninja Turtles, and Batman.
This now marks the third paragraph mentioning Batman. That's because the caped plastic crusader, voiced brilliantly by Will Forte, stole the show with his cluelessness, arrogance, and selfishness.
I think kids would still enjoy the movie though. There was bright, silly characters running amok, and a very earwormy song in "Everything is AWESOME!!!". Interestingly, as the story plowed through, the song took on a double-meaning. It wasn't just a catchy song, but also highlighted the movie's themes of individuality, conforming, balancing both ends of the spectrum. Another strong theme present was the use of imagination.
The 3D was really good, with plenty of gratuitous shots of Legos pieces flying in your face, and was really well-integrated with the feeling of playing Legos in three dimensions.
Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller packed a lot of characters, comedy, themes, into the plot. Almost to the point of sensory overload. The pacing was haphazardly fast, jumping from world to world, gag to gag. Grantland's critic, Wesley Morris, had a good point about the lack of cohesion, as if the film makers were serving too many masters. But isn't that kind of the point when you make-believe with plastic toys?
Bottom line, The Lego Movie's messiness worked, thanks to a slew of goofy universes, characters, interactions, and of course, Batman.
