The quality that animates this movie makes it worth the hype.
Upon hearing about the new LEGO Movie, many high school students are probably thinking “Oh great, another dumb kids’ movie. I’m way too cool for that. I’m in high school. Yea bro!” Well, I really hope none of you think or sound like that, because I may be forced to physically remove you from our campus. But those people who respond in such a way obviously have not seen an animated movie in a while. Recent animated films like Frozen, Toy Story 3, and now The LEGO Movie are of a new breed of quality animated movies that can be enjoyed by adults and children alike.
In The LEGO Movie universe, President Business (voiced by Will Ferrell) attempts to suppress any creative thought by demanding that all people strictly follow all instructions issued to them. Any person caught violating the instructions is severely punished by “Bad Cop” (Liam Neeson) and his army of robots. This Orwellian reich is opposed by master builders who range from Batman (Will Arnett) to William Shakespeare to the hilarious 1980s spaceman (Charlie Day). The leader of master builders prosphesizes of a great hero to come who will defeat President Business and save the world. That hero turns out to be perhaps the most ordinary person in the whole universe, Emmet (Chris Pratt). Shenanigans and hilarity ensue as the film delivers laughs at almost every turn.
What is most endearing about The LEGO Movie is its moral core. The movie really is a social commentary. Its strongest message without a doubt is the value of individuality. The movie attempts to teach its audience to value every person’s differences, as that is what makes them unique and interesting. Some may interpret this movie as an assault on big business, but it really is meant to be interpreted on a much more personal level, which really becomes evident towards the end of the movie. The moral content of this film is generally delivered in part with humor. My only real criticism of the movie would be that some of the one-liners do feel a little corny and a few even made me cringe.
Overall, this is a fantastic movie that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. I found myself walking out of the theater with a huge smile on my face. It truly is a blissful escape from reality, and one that feels genuine and has a lot of heart. IMDb gave the film a 8.4/10 and Rotten Tomatoes gave it a whopping 96% from critics, but I give this film a 56.6/61. Just go see it, and you’ll find that “Everything is Awesome” will be stuck in your head for days to come.
