Usually, most films based on children’s toys in recent years have been brain-numbing experiences. However, The LEGO Movie offers explosive fun and witty satire that kids will enjoy and nostalgic adults might love even more.
In the beginning, the film seemed like a 100 minute commercial for Lego and it very easily could have been a soulless film like Transformers, GI Joe or Battleship. It was surprising that, throughout the film, the plot proved to be more important than the promotion of LEGO products.
The film is aware it’s a commercial and even uses meta-humor, as seen in television shows like Arrested Development, 30 Rock and Community, to make fun of that fact.
There is so much detail in this world of Lego pieces, it literally creates creativity in front of your eyes. The main characters take ordinary objects and use them to create motorcycles, getaway gliders and even spaceships. Anything that can be imagined can be created, so you never know what to expect. The environment itself is a character; even the simpler things, like the blocky flow of a Lego ocean, are interesting to watch.
The background is animated during dialogue and action sequences. Just like the details in the background, the pace and wit of jokes are fired on screen so fast it is hard to catch them all. It may seem overwhelming, but it’s the attention to detail that makes one excited to re-watch the film to find some of its sly secrets.
Like many children’s films, the cast includes many popular actors that parents and older fans will enjoy, yet kids couldn’t care less about. The film follows the protagonist Emmet, voiced by Chris Pratt of Parks and Recreation. Emmet is an ordinary construction worker living in a totalitarian world of conformity ruled by “President” Lord Business, voiced by Will Ferrell.
In this world, Lord Business controls everything consumed and processed by society. For example, this includes generic pop music. The song “Everything Is Awesome” is ironic because Emmet doesn’t know that there is so much more to life than conforming to society. Adding to the meta-humor, the pop song is performed by indie band Tegan and Sara and comedic rap group The Lonely Island.
Along the way Emmet becomes an unlikely hero with the help of Wyldstyle, voiced by Elizabeth Banks of The Hunger Games. Together they embark on an adventure with the help of other “Master Builders” that are voiced by celebrities like Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Charlie Day and Morgan Freeman. They work together to bring down the man and embrace individuality and creativity.
The film also utilizes pop culture icons to create hilarious references from the DC universe, Harry Potter and Star Wars to name a few. Despite its PG rating, the film is much more complex than most children’s films. While some jokes might fly over kids heads, you are sure to be laughing by the minute.