THE first Lego Movie back in 2014 proved that there were pretty creative stories to be told and a host of characters to draw from. It’s critical and commercial success has led to more Lego-based movies like Batman and Ninjago.
Even other toy companies are now jumping on the bandwagon to produce their own feature films that will hopefully entertain, intensify brand recognition and eventually help with flagging toy sales.
The building blocks that set up the first Lego movie continue as viewers follow the further adventures of everyman Lego character, Emmet Brickowski (voiced by Chris Pratt), a Bricksburg construction worker who is mistaken for the Special. That first movie ended on a metaphysical note, with a father and son solidifying their relationship through Lego with their actions actually having consequences in the Lego world.
The finale also hinted at the boy’s little sister joining in their playtime, with her actions translating into an invasion by Duplo aliens.
This leads directly into the Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, the highly-anticipated and unavoidable sequel written and produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (of Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs and 21 Jump Street fame), who, this time, hand over the directing reins to Mike Mitchell (Sky High, Shrek Forever After and Trolls).
Five years have passed since the events of the first movie, where Bricksburg is turned into a post-apocalyptic wasteland a la Mad Max, as a direct result of the Duplo invaders from outer space misinterpreting Emmet’s “heart-offering” gesture and declaring war. True to his character, Emmet is still upbeat and thinks that everything is awesome despite the dystopian environment, now called Apocalypseburg. The other characters and Lucy (Elizabeth Banks) have all toughened up somewhat and adapted to their new edgy home, which is still frequently attacked by aliens.
The adventure truly begins when one alien, General Sweet Mayhem (Stephanie Beatriz), kidnaps Lucy, Batman (Will Arnett), Unikitty (Alison Brie), Benny (Charlie Day) and MetalBeard (Nick Offerman) and shuttles them off to the Sistar System.
When the kidnapped gang are brought to meet the system’s ruler, Queen Watevra Wa-Nabi (Tiffany Haddish), Batman soon catches her eye and becomes her obsession for marriage material. Lucy remains suspicious of the queen’s intentions and realises a possible end-of-the-universe scenario, as the shape-changing monarch tries hard to win over the group and marry the Dark Knight.
Now Emmet must go on a thrilling quest to find and rescue his friends. On the way, he runs into the heroic intergalactic adventurer Rex Dangervest (also Pratt), who agrees to help him with Emmet’s mission, in addition to mentoring him on how to be a real man and to grow up.
Can the team of Master Builders galvanise their strengths and overcome whatever obstacles to win this battle?
Like the previous Lego movie, this new one provides a whole barrage of funny moments and humourous jokes that will satisfy everyone from young kids to the most stoic of adults. There’s plenty to go around at various levels and certain jokes are told in a quick volley that there’s a chance some of them may slip by on the first watch.
It is fast-paced and visually intriguing with lots to see and soak in. The re-watch value is definitely there and those who liked the first movie will find more to enjoy here. All padded in are many self-referential visual and verbal gags at the actors, other Lego movies and pop culture in general. There are also lots of characters and superheroes like DC’s Justice League, so viewers can expect lots of ribbing and quirky one-liners that those who are familiar with Lord and Miller’s brand of comedy will appreciate.
Aside from the dazzling effects work at bringing the Lego characters and environments to life, the entire voice cast delivers great performances as well, which helps immensely to sell the movie and the crazy things happening onscreen to viewers. The various voice cameos certainly add to the fun factor too.
Besides the smartly-configured straightforward storyline with a few zigs and zags to keep things interesting, there are also universal values and some important messages for viewers to remember. The crux of the movie deals with relationships and how things change as we grow up but it is all done with heart and good intent.
The only thing that this new movie can’t replicate is the first time experience of watching the previous one, where viewers were truly blown away by the possibility of an actual Lego movie being so fresh, inventive, entertaining and all-round good. Now that the doubts have been buried and the novelty of it gone, the second Lego movie is still a smart entry and holds up well as a pretty fantastic and satisfying watch for families, kids and the young at heart.
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part is a must-watch for those who crave genuine fun and lighthearted entertainment. Ironic since it all originates from inanimate plastic bricks. But that just shows us the power of imagination, creativity and “play well”.
NOW SHOWING
THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART
Directed by Mike Mitchell
Featuring the voice talents of Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Tiffany Haddish, Stephanie Beatriz, Charlie Day, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, Maya Rudolph
Duration 107 minutes
Rating U