Everything Is Awesome

#8 - The Lego Movie

When I first heard the idea, I honestly thought The LEGO Movie was gonna be horrendous.  Don't get me wrong, a movie based on a children's toy is not original; just ask Michael Bay.  But a movie based on toy construction blocks sounded like one of the most outlandish and risky ideas I'd had heard coming out of Hollywood in a long time.  It had 'train-wreck' written all over it, and whilst a Lego train-wreck in my pre-teens would have been fun to see happen before my eyes, I wasn't as optimistic in my twenties.

However my worries were lessened when I saw the first released trailer and noticed that the film wasn't taking itself seriously, like the previous ones released under the 'Lego' such as the Bionicle films.  It seemed tongue-in-cheek, fresh and smart, and understandably so.  Coming from the creative team behind such hilarious gems as Scrubs, Clone High and 21 Jump Street (Phil Lord and Chris Miller) was more than enough convincing I needed.

The film is set in the Lego world of Bricksburg, where the evil Lord Business (voiced by Will Ferrell) is planning on unleashing a deadly secret weapon on the town's inhabitants.  The wizard Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman and his magnificent vocals) seeks The Special, who might be the only person capable of stopping Lord Business.  However destiny falls to an ordinary construction worker, Emmet (voiced by Guardian of the Galaxy and Jurassic World's, Chris Pratt).  With the help of rebellious Wyldstyle and her boyfriend Batman (yes that's right...), Emmet must awaken The Special within him to keep Bricksburg free and movable.

Trust me; the amount of negative titles I had envisioned for this review were infinite.

"Some Parts Missing"... "Assembly Required"... "Brick Shithouse"...

However, this was honestly the most fun I've had in a cinema for quite a while.  The humour was sharp enough for adults to enjoy, such as jokes about over-priced coffee, but silly enough for the kids to enjoy; Morgan Freeman's character spontaneously appears on screen quite clearly being hung by a cheap piece of rope in a surreal manner resembling Monty Python.

Despite the previous example, the animation was dazzling and so rich in depth that I'm sure I will see new and hidden jokes in the background on a second and third viewing.  The directors Lord and Miller intended for the film to appear as realistic as possible and as if made via stop-motion technology, despite all being computer-generated and you really can't tell the difference.

What surprised me more than anything about The Lego Movie was the message at the heart of the narrative.  It isn't just an adventure thrill-ride through the Wild West, outer space and Cloud Cuckooland, but also a showcase into the heartfelt love that people have for their collections of bricks and shapes.  I, for one, was never that bothered about creating my own Lego worlds when I was younger.  It probably shows how unimaginative or impatient I was, but I never got the appeal.  Either way, this supposed 'kiddie film' actually gave me an insight into why people love Lego as much as they do.  Quite impressive for a film that I'm sure will be dismissed by many as quick and easily as I did.

Not only does it provide an interesting insight, but it also includes one of the most infectious songs that you will hear in a film all year. Similar to Pharrell's Happy in last year's Despicable Me 2, I was singing "Everything Is Awesome" out of the cinema and the days following.  I challenge anyone to hear it and not be swept up in it's smothering positivity and happiness, even if the original meaning is quite satirical.  So was Python's "Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life" and you never forget that catchy whistling.

You can see how much effort has been invested into making the several worlds that feature in The Lego Movie.  Each looks like a child has imagined them, built them and has played with them, and the effect is not lost.  Films with a personal touch such as these and the ones made by Aardman studios (Wallace and Gromit or The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists) are made with such heart and enthusiasm that it completely transfers from the screen, and cinema is a much greater place for them.  Please sit down with your kids and watch this film, if you haven't already.

You won't be disappointed, because don't worry; everything is awesome!

Until next time folks, thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed what you read and you'd like to be kept more up to date with my posts, I can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Dunn-Reviews and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeDunnReviews - if you want to help the site grow, give them a 'Like' or a 'Share'!