The Lego Movie (2014)
★★★★½
This review may contain spoilers.
this movie is powerful, it's emotional even after have seen this thing so many times it still hits every time.
THE ANIMATION in this film alone is what sells this thing, there is so much expression everywhere in this film, one cool thing is the frame rate is lower on vehicle models and backgrounds this is great as they build around it they stay within their frame rate, while the vehicle stays within a different frame rate which seems very hard to do and very technically well done hats off to the animators for this, the true scale of this film though is so cool, it's one thing to think about how all the lego sets were built before digitalized which is a small detail but such an important one giving way to such realism and scale in that way, the way move and interact around these giant skyscrapers is so great, but the way in how lego is incorporated how it flows when in a moving state is what is great like the lego water, or the lego fire the way it moves is pretty much exactly what I think it would look like if lego could move in real life which is very cool, other cool subtle details is the expressive faces the details on the faces are just so wonderful, the way they incorporate real life elements like the sucker and bandaid, the kragle and most notably the way Vitruvius hands on a string of dentil floss in ghost form are so great. it truly feels like a kid is playing with these toys which I think is what gives this emotional center such a strong element every element enhances not only creativity but a child-like wonder about the world.
THE SCORE, in this film, is wonderful, the score and the way it bounces around from ear to ear is so great when the score kicks into high gear and starts swinging it swings for the sky and that is what makes it great, the choice to have The Lonely Island do the title track for this movie is such a great one -- once defining a generation of SNL silly goofy songs to come in and make the title for a silly goofy movie is wonderful. THE SOUND DESIGN is another section where this film truly shines, an animated movie that does sound design is good but this is a place where sound design can shine and it does here adding touches like characters making the sounds of their guns or the sounds of there vehicles are great stylistic choices, but the subtle details in the explosions and the punching and fighting are what sell it, for some reason and I can't explain it mainly cause I don't know a lot about the sound they feel impactful here, maybe it's the way they line up here but there is something about it, another great sound design choice here is when they chose not to use music I wish they were a bit more stylized with this choice, it's used great here so my only like small nitpick is the choice to not use it in key locations like when Lucy is worried about Emmit as soon as he jumps into the void or the scene where the dad and kid are talking both mid-act three but also end of act three these choice to score here is cool but the choice to not score here and let the actors lead this otherwise very quiet moment between father and son would have been so impactful.
THE CAMERA WORK is great in this film the way we linger and or hold on to certain objects of importance is great, like the top of the battery after emmit goes out the window, or the double-decker couch, or the giant hand in Emmit's mind, the way the camera flows and moves during actions scene is wonderful because it's all digitalized the camera can move seamlessly in a way it couldn't if it was in stop motion, the way the camera moves in the master builder scenes is good, close-ups are used here to a great degree but it's when we cut wide where we get a scale and scope of the giant builds is what sells this and these are used greatly in this film.
but because I am a writer I think my favorite part of this movie is the story that is being told, the story of disconnection between a father and a son all because the father grew up and forgot what it was like to be a kid is so powerful and emotional bringing because you know at one point you are going to be that way, you are going to grow up and take things a little too seriously the foreshadowing that we get to this future reveal is great and sprinkled all over as to not completely give it away but to have hints here and there, the way right at the end the story cuts between lego and real life is so great here there is a realness there that you can't find in much other IP movies, it gives way to the reason that we buy legos, the pacing right at the beginning is a bit jarring as you try to adjust to the movies internal clock it moves really quickly by design in the first 15 minutes and then slows as soon as Emmit finds the piece of resistance and that was a bit jarring, it fixes as soon as batman get's introduced and the pacing picks up and speeds back up all the way to the end but that would have to be one of my only complaints with the story here.
THE ACTING is truly star-striking here Chris Pratt and Will Farrell bring their all to this film there is care here about these characters from both of them, they want and need to get this right and truly bring there all to it, there is saying that acting is all about forgetting about your ego and putting your all into something and that is never more true than it is for Voice acting something that largely goes unnoticed but should get lots more recognization it's hard to do some great acting even harder, in my opinion, to do some great voice acting and that is found here in this most strong suits, even the supporting actors Elizabeth Banks Will Arnet, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman and Charlie Day tons of other subtle little minor characters like Green Lantern and Superman are noteworthy here as well.
notes below.
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- I love that the titles were done in Lego. It's super cool.
- it's cool to think that all these scenes were made in real life.
- will farell is already a stand out actor from the first scene.
- I love how they blend tones between drama and comedy here, the opening scene is a great demonstration of how to do it.
- I love the iconization to the beat with the hammering.
- chris pratt was the perfect choice for the Lego movie, he is overcast now in animated films but he shines in this film which makes his casting in the other make a bit of sense.
- I also love how this movie is a parody of one chosen narrative, every chosen narrative has a breakdown of these tropes but it is done well here.
- also I love how much foreshadowing is done when he is collecting the piece of resistance -- so much is missed the first time but looking back at it it's well done here.
- I like that it is shown he isn't special by the fact that he has the normal Lego face and everyone else has white in their eyes.
- oo I love how she gets in the bike, great blocking for that scene.
- Obviously, he likes Wyldstyle because he thinks she is cute, but there is also some admiration when she tells him that he is special, something that his world was shattering mere moments ago.
- I like the sound design on the metal chair.
- also the old western Lego set is very cool, how different it is from the other world is so cool.
- I like the detail of him doing little bounces on the horse.
- also how much backstory we're getting about the man upstairs is great.
- the detail of the smoke being in Lego, is just so technically very cool.
- it's so fitting that the Lego movie is about gluing legos together.
- also I wish that Ma was also voiced by Liam but with a pitched-up voice that would have been funny.
- I like that the music cut out while the good cop was being erased, good detail but also a nice little comedic moment.
- old western everything is awesome.
- the double-decker couch.
- I love how the real-life things are implemented into the Lego world, like his staff being a sucker or the band-ai-d.
- I liked the transition from emmit spinning to us spinning with him, that was pretty cool.
- police alligators.
- I love the background character work in this movie it's so great you learn so much about characters that are barely on screen like Superman a guy who is so kind and caring, believes he is fighting for what is right, and is probably superficial just great character work or a character who appears on screen for like 50 seconds.
- I love the sound effects as well, the mix between real sound effects but also sound effects made by the characters.
- I love it when a "kids' movie" shows devastation, making the stakes feel real, and making us feel for the characters.
- ooo I loved the underwater explosion effect, that looked cool.
- I like that the concept of him being special is him just teaching them to work together.
- charlie day is doing a great job as Ben.
- Liam singing Danny boy lol
- while serving as a chosen narrative while at the same time reconstructing of the chosen narrative.
- I like that even the computer voice is a foreshadowing to a kid's countdown.
- ooo I loved the choice to focus on the top of the battery when showing Lucy
- I love the sound design on Lucy's speech to the public.
- "Just stop building that stuff, just stop it" How many times do you think that the man said that to his kid and his kid is now re-incorporating it into his evil speech, it's clear by the cat poster that he takes things he sees/reads/experience in real life.
- this part where we get introduced to the real story with the dad and the kid is really great -- such strong emotions are already building here.
- the emotional core of this film is so great oh my gosh, such powerful emotion radiates here at the end, it brings you to tears, watching them play together is so sweet and heartwarming -- this is the prime way to turn an IP into a movie.
- also The Lonely Island on the the title track is a perfect choice.
