Ten Stars or Less

run time: 100 mins
rated: G
considered: Animation, Action, Comedy
starring: Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, Alison Brie, Will Farrell, Morgan Freeman, Jonah Hill, Chris Pratt, Liam Neeson, Cobie Smulders, Channing Tatum

movie summary: The Lego Universe is made up several sections/cities all under the supervision of Lord Business/President Business (Will Ferrell). Every Lego person is programmed to get up and follow the same instructions and routines everyday. In an attempt to grow his power Lord Business steals the Kragle, a superweapon, that can destroy everyone and everything. The white wizard Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman) warns that someone will come along to find the missing piece that can put an end to the Kragle and save everyone.

Emmet (Chris Pratt) is just a regular guy living in Lego city. He is a construction worker by trade who lives by the instructions and has no real friends. One night at the construction site he spots a girl, Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks), who is not supposed to be there. He is about to report her when he falls down a shaft and finds a red thing that gets stuck to his back. When Emmet wakes up again he finds himself at police headquarters where he is under interrogation from Bad Cop/Good Cop (Liam Neeson). He still has the red piece stuck to his back when Wyldstyle breaks in to rescue him and bring back to Vitruvius, who knows Emmet is the “Special” person that the prophecy spoke of and the red thing was the Piece of Resistance.

Wyldstyle is not happy with Emmet who appears to be as dumb as a bag of nails, she is a master-builder and was hoping to be the one to find the Piece of Resistance. With the help of her boyfriend Batman (Will Arnett), Vitruvius calls a meeting of master-builder to explain that Emmet is going to save them and despite the fact he is very ordinary he is their only hope. Lord Business has dispatched Bad Cop/Good Cop and his entire police force to interrupt the meeting and bring back Emmet with the Piece of Resistance. Vitruvius puts pressure on Emmet to use his mind to create something so they can escape like the rest of the master-builder, but Emmet can only come up with the most unconventional design anyone could ever imagine, a double-decker couch.

The group escapes from the cops in the ocean thanks to a submarine. Inside the ship the group begin to plan a secret plan to get inside Lord Business’ Dark Tower and steal back the Kragle. Emmet explains the security guards will be looking for something out of the ordinary so he convinces everyone to follow the instructions for once and this would be the easiest way in. Soon the group sneaks into the tower and go their separate ways, Emmet goes with Wyldstyle through a vent to the Kragle room, while Batman changes into Bruce Wayne and distracts Lord Business at a meeting. When Wyldstyle breaches the security room and deactivates the shield around the Kragle, Emmet leaps and is an arm’s length away when Bad Cop captures everyone.

Every master-builder is held hostage in a room while Lord Business begins preparation to launch the Kragle device. Emmet has a vision from the prophecy and knows how to save everyone but time is running out for this ordinary construction worker to do something extraordinary and save the Lego’s.

my thoughts: The Lego Movie trailer came out in the later part of 2013 and got audiences excited for a potentially amazing movie that did not disappoint. Jammed pack with crazy action sequences and laugh out loud jokes, kids and adults will  enjoy the ride through Lego land with the toy company’s leading yellow people. Many of the famous Lego characters from Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter make appearances along with Superman, Wonder Women, Green Lantern, 1980’s Spaceman, Unikitty, and Batman. Some of Hollywood’s leading actors and actresses lend their voices to the tiny little yellow Lego people who need to pull out all the stops in order to save their race.

The story itself is easy to follow with many loveable characters that will keep the kids entertained and laughing, while adults can sit back and appreciate the animation and jokes. There is nothing wrong with this movie and has a near perfect execution for such a big budget film. The only caution flag I want to raise for prospective movie goers is I wasn’t impressed with the action sequences. I have explained that back in 2007 and 2009 many people complained that the action sequences in the first two Transformers movies were so fast that it was really tough to see the machines in action, so of course by Transformers 3 they slowed everything down to please the audience. In the Lego movie, when the chase is on, everything happens so quickly that it just appears to be poorly executed. If I was a kid, I would not understand what I just saw on the screen but as an adult I understand the problems associated with making Lego blocks animated and appreciate the efforts put forth to keep me entertained.

My recommendation is that everyone needs to get out and see the Lego Movie in 3D at some point before it leaves the theatres, it is more than worth the price of admission!

my star rating: 8 out 10

 

photo courtesy of http://www.imdb.com