Directed by: Mike Mitchell
Runtime: 107 minutes
Let me start off by saying I was so surprised with how much I enjoyed this film. I saw the first The LEGO Movie back in 2014 and deemed the film ‘passable’ with a few funny jokes and a heart-warming storyline. With a story premise that feels like a Toy Story for the modern age, this concept of talking, living LEGO had a lot to live up to considering our own adventures as kids with these incredible building blocks. The first film did a good job of that; however, the subsequent The LEGO Batman Movie seemed to fly too close to the sun and give Will Arnett far too much time in a film that felt entirely unnecessary. The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part brings the story back to our original crew and has enough references for parents to enjoy, while maintaining the excellent animation from the first film for the kids to enjoy.
I found myself relating to Emmett in this film far too much. The ever-optimist Hufflepuff who shines his ridiculous unfounded positivity at everyone… it felt like I was looking in a mirror. My Harry Potter brain did get quite upset when they used ‘Hufflepuff’ as an insult, but I couldn’t help but love Emmett’s character as he remains unchanged from the climax of the first film. He has become another unlikely hero as his positivity and seeming ‘average-ness’ seem to be both his downfall and best qualities. As the film progresses, it gives Emmett a wonderful storyline about what it takes to survive and whether growing up and growing tougher is the answer. This concept manifests in Rex Dangervest, a new addition to the team also voiced by Chris Pratt. This character is essentially Chris Pratt (or at least some of his acting roles) shown as a LEGO character and it brings with it some excellent comedy. From his communication with his raptors and his chiselled jaw after allegedly losing baby fat, this character offers some of the more amusing scenes, as well as some of the darkest.
I was surprised at the beginning of the film how many Mad Max: Fury Road references there were, but this was obviously put here for the parents to understand rather than the children. (God I hope!) The animation style of the LEGO is still on point as they use the classic LEGO serial numbers while they build their walls, getaway cars and homes. There was a great joke about Marvel not returning their phone calls that made me laugh and a few minor references to other classic LEGO characters. The ‘catchy’ song for this instalment (the equivalent being ‘Everything is Awesome’) was both irritating and annoyingly memorable, which I assume is exactly what they were going for. Do yourself a favour and don’t Youtube “Catchy Song”; it will ruin your life. But it was used very creatively in the film, and didn’t just feel like the new version of “Everything is Awesome”.
Similar to the original, the film does have ‘real’ moments between the characters who are playing with these LEGO pieces. Five years have passed since the end of the first film and the kids have grown up. They do a great job of portraying a sibling rivalry, showing what it’s like being forced to play with your younger sibling. The characters manifest these emotions and it gives the film the same heart that the original had.
The climax of the film has some time travel I didn’t enjoy or completely understand (a fact the movie enjoyed pointing out), but I wasn’t bothered by this due to the overall tone of the film. Who cares if these moments don’t make sense? We are literally watching LEGO pieces fighting underneath a dryer. As is common in a kids’ film, there was some moments of humour that seemed a little lame or forced, but again the majority of the film is actually quite clever with how it speaks to its younger and older audience base.
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part does a great job of following up from the first movie in a way that feels unique while also familiar. The silly jokes and self-aware humour from the first film are still present, and it offers a lot in terms of character development and its focus on teaching kids how to be themselves. If you stay until the end of the film, you can also enjoy a great song featuring Lonely Island which was unexpected but very welcome. Everything is still awesome for these films, as well as the possible franchise and toy-selling they may achieve.
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