“Times have changed; you need to change with them.”
After five long years of waiting, the sequel to 2014’s smash hit “The Lego Movie” is finally here. Having seen the film at an early premiere, I can tell you firsthand whether “Everything is Awesome.”
While many were skeptical that the original would be simply a commercial trying to sell toys, it blew expectations out of the water, quickly becoming a classic. Instead of rushing out a follow-up, Warner Brothers took five years to work on the sequel. Meanwhile, the media giant released spin-off films “The Lego Batman Movie” and “The Lego Ninjago Movie” in 2017.
But now that the film’s hit sequel is finally out, does it live up to the original or has it lost its charm?
When evil “Duplo” aliens appear in the city of Bricksburg, things quickly become “not awesome.” The monsters destroy
everything new and shiny that the citizens of Bricksburg have built, turning the city into a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Five years later, everyone has become darker and grittier except for Emmet Brickowski, the hero from the first film, who still believes that everything is awesome. When a new alien, General Mayhem, kidnaps his girlfriend Lucy “Wyldstyle” and the rest of his friends, he is determined to rescue them.
“The Lego Movie 2” is almost a perfect sequel. It takes the humor and heart of the original film and brings it into a new story. While the first film was about the magic of imagination, the sequel deals with losing imagination as one grows older, making it a sort of coming-of-age film. It takes tropes of the genre and turns them on their head, creating a story not only about growing up, but also about growing up right.
The best thing about “The Lego Movie 2” is its script by Phil Lorde and Chris Miller, the team behind “21 Jump Street,” “The Lego Movie” and “Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse.” The writing in the film is consistently funny. While the film is aimed at children, the jokes and storyline are still hilarious no matter how old you are.
The entire voice cast in this film is fantastic. Chris Pratt is hilarious as everyman Emmett Brickowski and cool guy Rex Dangervest, managing to make the two characters sound distinct and different. Elizabeth Banks also gives a strong performance as Lucy “Wyldstyle.” Tiffany Haddish and Will Arnett give the standout supporting performances as Queen Watevra Wa-Nabi and Batman respectively. The two share a song in the second act of the film which was one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a long time.
“The Lego Movie 2” features the same amazing animation style as the first film, which still looks fantastic. It gives the perfect feel of playing with Legos and is always a joy to look at.
The film isn’t perfect, however. It has a slow start, which might make some audience members lose faith in the film rather quickly. There are also a few scenes which give a little too much away too soon, making the ending of the film slightly less impactful.
Overall, “The Lego Movie 2” is a fantastic follow-up to the first film. This is a movie that almost anyone can enjoy, making it a great film for the whole family. With some of the best comedy in the past few years, you won’t want to miss this one.
4/5 Stars
