Review of The Lego Movie (2014) by Redowlreviews — 08 Feb 2014

When it comes to my reviews, know that I never lie. So listen up when I tell you, The LEGO Movie is the most powerful animated movie to be released since Up. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (21 Jump Street, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs) masterfully put together an animated action-comedy that entertains grade-schoolers, adolescents, and parents equally. Think Wreck-It Ralph, but with more biting comedy, more evocative animation, a more powerful social message, and much stronger nostalgia.

The animators behind The LEGO Movie were able to develop a look that was absolutely perfect for the theme of the film. By using CG to emulate a technically advanced version of stop-motion, the animators capture the processes that went through our minds as children playing with elaborate Lego sets – it never played out smoothly in our minds, because Lego bricks inherently are not smooth. Their dedication to a world built entirely out of Lego bricks resulted in inventive images, such as small (but not so small) transparent blue bricks representing large drops of water. This style of animation instantly makes the movie a marvel to watch; it is gorgeous without having to be flashily realistic.

The voice actors in The LEGO Movie could not have been casted better. Unlike other animated movies in recent memory (Epic, Turbo), The LEGO Movie’s star-studded cast achieves its fullest potential, imbuing every character with a bursting, unique personality. Lord and Miller should also be lauded for their cleverly devised and written characters. Popular names such as Batman, Gandalf, Chewbacca, and Shaquille O’Neal (voiced by himself) mingle with familiar and ubiquitous pieces such as construction workers, ambiguous astronauts, and cops with double-sided faces, but each one boasts an equally strong spirit. Here, Lord and Miller channel memories of when we were younger and would mix people from different sets to create a truly unique adventure.

What’s clever about their screenplay is that, unlike Wreck-It Ralph or even the Toy Story series, Lord and Miller contain the entirety of the story in the imagination of the youthful mind. The plot, the settings, and the action scenes are all written as professionally executed manifestations of the workings of a child at play. Even the profound themes on liberation of the mind and freedom of creative expression all originate in the imagination of the central character, something revealed near the end of the movie but known by a smart viewer all the way through. Lord and Miller’s ability to hone this childlike state of thought without coming across as naïve or immature deserves serious laud. Additionally, it’s refreshing to watch a movie that actually made me laugh from the belly every time it made a joke.

There’s not much more I can tell you about this movie to convince you that The LEGO Movie is genuinely an amazing animated, family-friendly (and I mean the whole family) action-comedy. I mean, it’s already hard enough to imagine a mediocre movie set in an entirely Lego world – believe me, I tried. The only thing I can say is, if you were planning to use this weekend to catch up on Oscar-nominated movies, rip those tickets up and go watch The LEGO Movie instead.

FINAL SCORE: 92.