THE LEGO MOVIE (2014 - COMEDY / FAMILY / ADVENTURE) ****1/2 out of ***** or 9 out of 10
(Well, I'll be damned...)
CAST: Voices of Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Morgan Freeman, Will Arnett, Will Ferrell, Channing Tatum, Billy Dee Williams, Dave Franco, Cobie Smulders, Will Forte, Alison Brie.
DIRECTOR: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and some damn good reasons to never underestimate a seemingly-silly idea - straight ahead.
IT'S LIKE THIS: In our last review, THE SECRET OF WALTER MITTY, we discussed Deceptively Awesome Trailer Syndrome. This is a not-so-rare condition (unfortunately) in cinema wherein a trailer is so breathtakingly terrific that it completely fools you into the thinking the movie it advertises is going to be one helluva ride. Sadly, that helluva ride is often in the slow lane. Except you don't realize this until you have lined up outside the theater, bought your tickets, and have plunked your asses down in the crowded theater with dozens of other idiots who were similarly hornswaggled by the smoke-and-mirrors ad campaign.
At the opposite end of the cinematic spectrum is Surprisingly Awesome Movie Phenomenon. That's basically when a film has lukewarm trailers and posters that make it look like yet another run-on-the-mill experience, only to turn out to be, well, fucking awesome. Our latest review, THE LEGO MOVIE, is a prime example of that happy cinematic fluke. Let's just say that I wasn't exactly floored by the previews for this flick. I mean, they weren' bad - but they weren't exactly inspiring me to note the movie's release date in my day planner, either.
And so, when a good buddy said he was dying to see THE LEGO MOVIE and wanted me to go with him, I looked at him like he just told me he'd contracted herpes - and wanted desperately to make out. In short: "Thank you, but not in this lifetime." It didn't help that the last film said buddy dragged me to just two weeks early was the gargantuan pile of excrement called ANCHORMAN 2 starring Will Ferrell - and Ferrell was also providing his "voice talents" for THE LEGO MOVIE. Not the most auspicious of signs, folks. However, wanting to give my buddy the benefit of the benefit of the doubt, I allowed myself to be dragged to the cinemas.
And, well, let's just say that I stood corrected. THE LEGO MOVIE, folks, is awesome. But more on that in the BUT SERIOUSLY portion of our review. For now, let's talk about this movie whose trailers led me to severely underrate it. Basically, it's STAR WARS or THE LORD OF THE RINGS or THE MATRIX told in Lego Land (and I don't mean the park in San Diego or wherever the hell): we have an ordinary guy who himself is underrated by everyone he meets, who turns out to be, well, the chosen one who is destined to vanquish some colossally powerful asshole. I guess in that regard it's also like THE MATRIX - but with lots and lots and lots of Lego bricks flying everywhere.
In this story, our unsung hero is not named Luke Skywalker or Frodo or Neo. His name is Emmett (Chris Pratt). Yes, just Emmett. Is it any wonder his fellow Lego people don't notice him? Not exactly Chosen One-sounding, is it? Anyhow, Emmet is some sort of laborer or builder (big surprise) who doesn't seem to be especially gifted - until he accidentally finds some mysterious "Red Piece" that is supposed to kickstart a revolution. And whoever finds it is supposed to be "The Master Builder", AKA, The Chosen One. And this Master Builder is supposed to topple the evil emperor known as Lord Business (Will Ferrell), who has hatched a nefarious plan to glue all the pieces of Lego Land together to keep things from changing. You know, just like your basic dictator.
At any rate, it soon shakes down that boring ol' Emmett is The Master Builder simply because he basically tripped over the Red Piece. This is met with disbelief by feisty rebel WyldStyle (Elizabeth Banks) and wise man Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman). Apparently, they were expecting the Chosen One/Master Builder to be, well, less of a doofus. Unfortunately, they really don't have time to question Emmet's "selection" because Lord Business basically unleashes all of his minions to chase down Emmett, WyldStyle, and Vitruvius to retrieve the Red Piece and secure his Lego Kingdom from coup attempt.
Fortunately, our intrepid heroes find allies who are even bigger goofballs than Emmett (if that is even remotely possible): (1) Batman (Will Arnett), everyone's favorite Caped Crusader but a lot less smart than the live-action action version played by Christian Bale; (2) Han Solo (Keith Ferguson), everyone's favorite galactic bad boy but a lot less, uh, bad-ass than the live-action version played by Harrison Ford; (3) Abraham Lincoln (Will Forte), everyone's favorite founding father but a lot less serious than the live-action version played by Daniel Day Lewis; (4) Gandalf (Todd Hansen), everyone's favorite old-fart sorcerer but a lot less annoying than the live-action v ersion played by Sir Ian McKellen; (5) Green Lantern (Jonah Hill), everyone's favorite nondescript superhero, but a lot less hunky than the live-action version played by Ryan Reynolds; (6) Superman (Channing Tatum), everyone's favorite Man of Steel, but equally as hunky as the live-action one played by, well, take your pick; and last but definitely the weirdest: (7) Unikitty (Alison Brie), a freakishly cute combination of a cat and a unicorn and is so perpetually perky and upbeat you just know she's going to go lose her shit big time at some point.
So... will Emmett, WyldStyle, Vitruvius and the rest of their posse triumph over Lord Business? How can they hope to vanquish him if he controls the entire LEGO universde? Do they have a secret weapon? Or does Lord Business have a Trump Card of his own? What secret lies beyond the boundaries of LEGO Universe? And will Emmett be able to use it for the greater good? Or is LEGO universe doomed to be superglued together and remain forever the same?
Time will tell. Just dont' underestimate the power of a Master Builder. Ahem.
BUT SERIOUSLY: One of the biggest complaints I hear from friends and family about the problem with movies these days are the lack of any real surprises or original ideas. I usually tell them that given how far along the Art of Cinema is, it's unrealistic to expect anything 100% original at this late stage. The only original ideas left are probably ones that wouldn't please mainstream audiences, so the best we can hope for, I tell them, is a previously-used idea but given original, fresh execution. Such is the case with our latest review, the wonderfully disarming and unexpectedly terrific THE LEGO MOVIE.
At the heart of the THE LEGO MOVIE is the classic "hero's quest." This is a timeless template that goes as far back as the ancient mythologies of Greece, Rome, Norway, Japan, and every other culture you can name. Essentialy, this scenario follows a humble person who unexpectedly finds himself/herself on a mission larger than anything ever encountered before - and must rise to the occasion and step up to heroism. Movies like STAR WARS, WILLOW, THE LORD OF RINGS, THE MATRIX, THE KARATE KID, ROCKY, and - most recently - THE HUNGER GAMES films have used the "hero's quest" as narrative spine. In that regard, THE LEGO MOVIE is not original, since it peddles the same premise of a "nobody" becoming a very important "somebody" who saves the world. It is in its execution, however, where THE LEGO MOVIE is truly original.
The whole story unfolds within the Lego Universe, and uses a sometimes-fluid, sometimes-choppy combination of CGI and stop-motion animation. What's great about this approach (once you get used to it) is how "raw" and "real" the events feel as you watch them play out. The slick, polished look that marks every single Big Studio animated release is missing here - and that is actually a good thing. THE LEGO MOVIE has more of an impact because it doesn't feel like yet another perfectly-rendered "cartoon." And this rough-edged look is entirely appropriate for the film, because it adheres to its story universe's rules. The effect is like, well, watching a child play with Legos - and that is (SPOILERS) absolutely germane to the twist towards the end of the film.
Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Morgan Freeman, Channing Tatum, Alison Brie, Will Forte, Will Arnett, Todd Hansen, Jonah Hilll, and many others lend their voice talents to the various "plastic" characters. Also welcome is the irreverent humor that directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller bring to the proceedings, which is a combination of snarky and sweet. Will Arnett's Batman, in particular, gets the lion's share of the yuks which play well to both the kiddies and adults.
Special mention, however, must go to Will Ferrell, who not only brings the right combo of menace and mischief to Lord Business, but also (SPOILER) plays a cameo himself in the film's brilliant climax, which champions the power of creativity and thinking outside of the box. Or, in this case, out of the Lego box. I am not a fan of Ferrell's over-the-top, stridently grating star turns in ANCHORMAN 1 & 2 and TALLADEGA NIGHTS, but here he shows how funny and effective he can be when he channels and disciplines his talents. Yet another surprise in a very surprising movie.
Finally, kudos must be given to THE LEGO MOVIE's creators for concealing a trenchant message about following your own lead and not fearing the unconventional - and wrapping it within a colorfully ribald and constantly engaging package. Along with the equally dynamic DIVERGENT (review coming), this film preaches the dangers of categorization - and promotes the power of being true to yourself and letting others do the same. Surely, there is no better message to pass on to our kids in this day and age.
