The LEGO Movie Review

Reviewed by Marisa C. on Feb 06, 2014

Rating:

With an all-star vocal cast The LEGO Movie promises amazing visuals and laugh out loud jokes. Find out more in Kidzworlds The LEGO Movie Review!

Written and Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (the minds behind Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and the 21 Jump Street reboot) The LEGO Movie is a full-throttle animated action-adventure movie following the story of Emmett (Chris Pratt), an average, rule-following worker LEGO who is mistaken for an extraordinary minifigure who holds the key to saving the world! Emmett is invited to join a fellowship of strangers on a mission to stop an evil tyrant - a mission for which Emmet is woefully unprepared!

Emmet is just an ordinary LEGOworking constructionCourtesy of Warner Bros.

Emmet is an ordinary Joe, working on a construction site who doesn't seem to make an impression on anyone he meets - despite following the instructions on "how to make friends." When he's "discovered" by a freedom fighter named Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks), he doesn't ask questions, he just goes along for the ride hoping he can wing it as The Chosen! Their are two major opposing forces: Lord Business (Will Ferrell), also known as the Mayor of Bricksburg who wants all the blocks to stay exactly where they are, and the Master Builders - creative outlaws who want to rework the system and connect the blocks in new ways.

Emmet, Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman) and Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks)Courtesy of Warner Bros.

The Bottom Line

The LEGO Movie has to be one of the most visually and comically inventive animated films to come along in a long time, and when you're not droppingyour jaw at the amazing animation, you'll be snorting with laughter at the jokes. Writers/Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller managed to hit just the right balance whenit comes to loving those timeless little building toys and making fun of them - for example they have no problem riffing on the ridiculous instructions that come with the iconic building blocks. The building block in-jokes are non-stop, as well as the mild poking fun at pop culture and following the rules in general (although we dare you not to be humming the "Everything is Awesome" song that is at the top of the charts for all good, uninventive little LEGOs out there.)

Emmet, Wyldstyle and her BF LEGOBatmanCourtesy of Warner Bros.

On top of being hilarious, this film will be a trip down memory lane for parents and older siblings when they explore all the LEGO universes and we see LEGOs sets dating all the way back to the '80s - including some of the less popular ones. The LEGO Movie boasts some incredible animation that will remind viewers of classic stop-motion animation, with pieces that are as scratched and scuffed as any of your old LEGO blocks and taps into the touchable nature of LEGOs themselves - there's no doubt in our minds that everyone involved in making this film loves the actual toy, even the parts that aren't so glamorous. The LEGO Movie is a true love letter to one of the most enduring toys of the last century, this heartwarming film pulls out all the stops and we can't help but be impressed. Assemble the whole family, this one is absolutely worth a trip to the theater !