Movie Review: The LEGO Movie

The LEGO Movie Review
Emmet, Wyldstyle, and Batman in 'The LEGO Movie' (Photo © 2014 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc)
Reviewed by Kevin Finnerty
 
“You’re the ‘Special’ and the prophecy states that you are the most important person in the universe…that’s you, right?” asks Wyldstyle (voiced by Elizabeth Banks) to Emmet (voiced by Chris Pratt) an ordinary LEGO minifigure construction worker who has just been saved from the corrupt Bad Cop/Good Cop (voiced by Liam Neeson) after being mistaken for a Master Builder in the animated comedy The LEGO Movie.
 
All the Master Builders in the LEGO world have been waiting for the Special – another Master Builder – to rise up and lead a team to take on an evil LEGO tyrant named Lord Business (voiced by Will Ferrell) and stop him from ending their world as they know it. Wyldstyle believes Emmet to be the one Vitruvius (voiced by Morgan Freeman) spoke of and teams up with him, along with her boyfriend…The Dark Knight himself: Batman, well LEGO Batman anyways (voiced by Will Arnett)…to try to figure out a plan to stop Lord Business. Emmet, not wanting to be just ordinary anymore and falling LEGO head-over-heels for Wyldstyle, decides to do whatever he can to help even though he is in way over his little LEGO head.
 
Bright, colorful, and hilarious, The LEGO Movie is a fun adventure for kids and adults alike. It has an A-list voice cast who all do a superb job in bringing the characters to life. Elizabeth Banks is great as Wyldstyle, the LEGO female Master Builder who is at first dedicated to helping Emmet stop Lord Business and then becomes more than just upset when she begins to realize he may not be the Special after all. Morgan Freeman IS Morgan Freeman as the voice of Vitruvius, the old wise wizard of the group who always has something important to say to Emmet. Chris Pratt is perfect as Emmet, the nice, funny and a little bit geeky construction worker who ends up on the adventure of his life.
 
Hands down, however, it’s Will Arnett who steals the film and delivers the most laugh-out-loud lines in the entire film as the voice of Batman. Every single scene with Batman dealing with Emmet and taking part in big action sequences are the most entertaining and enjoyable of the movie. A perfect example of this is when Emmet and the others are first saved from certain doom by Batman and Emmet asks him if he could make him a Batwing in orange. Batman responds, “I only work in black…and sometimes very, very, dark grey.’ Deep-voiced and ominous, Arnett as the voice of Batman IS the Best element of The LEGO Movie.
 
The special 3D animation is stunning to look at and the action scenes are impressive. The script is fresh with some edgy humor and thoughtful with a few life lessons for Emmet that every child should know.
The only drawback is that the movie is not going to hold very young children’s attention. Kids six and under will find it slow and are likely to get bored since most who play with LEGOS are at least seven and up.
 
Visually impressive, original, clever, and very funny, The LEGO Movie is a first-rate animated adventure for kids 7-70.
 
GRADE: B
 
The LEGO Movie opens in theaters on February 7, 2014 and is rated PG for mild action and rude humor.
 

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