Friday, February 21, 2014

The Lego Movie

The Lego Movie, the latest film from writer/directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller is a playful and thoroughly hilarious send up of a childhood toy with very adult themes. This movie will make you laugh out loud and possibly spill your popcorn (I didn't spill mine because I'm a seasoned professional, but you...well just hold on tight). Because this movie was such a delight, I give The Lego Movie three buckets of Killer Korn.












Never in a million years would I have thought The Lego Movie would have been better than RoboCop and yet this movie was better in every damn way. It's a charming, funny, and immensely entertaining story about a nobody who was in the wrong place at the right time. Emmet, voiced by Chris Pratt is a character that can't do anything without instructions and if the instructions tell him to smile and be happy then that's just what he's going to do. He's a construction worker and thinks he's part of a team but he finds out the hard way that he's really not all that special in the eyes of his peers.

One night as the site is closing down he spots someone looking around the site that shouldn't be there. He comes across Wyldstyle, voiced by Elizabeth Banks and she's looking for "the piece of resistance". The one that finds it supposedly fulfills the prophecy of being a "master builder" as well as being "the special", the most extraordinary person in every way and tasked with saving the world. Instead of the more capable Wyldstyle finding the piece, Emmet lands on it and the piece sticks to his back. Side note: Emmet is in love with Wyldstyle who is dating Batman which is voiced by Will Arnett. The hilarity that ensues thanks to that love triangle will make you laugh so hard you'll have a difficult time breathing.

The piece is the only thing that can thwart President Business' plans for destroying the planet. President Business, voiced by Will Ferrell is opposed by Vitruvius, voiced by Morgan Freeman who whenever suits him is either one hundred percent in the corner of Emmet or doubts he can get the job done. The job in question is to stop President Business from unleashing the Kragle on the world. The only thing that can stop the Kragle is the piece of resistance.

I won't get into what the Kragle is, just know it's an hilarious premise. Written by Dan and Phil Hageman, and the directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, The Lego Movie is at times raunchy, bawdy, bold, and always hilarious. It's also a serious commentary on life, conformity, and being so afraid to stick out that you compromise yourself to fit in. It may be a movie made of Lego pieces but it's got a serious theme underneath all the hi-jinks. The Lego Movie in my opinion is worth the price of admission. I'll see you at the theater because everything is awesome.  



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