Title(s): The Lego Movie (1 and 2: The Second Part)
Release Date(s): February 7, 2014 (1)
February 8, 2019 (2: The Second Part)
View Time(s): February 8, 2019 - ~8:55 P.M. (1)
February 9, 2019 - 7:30 P.M. (2: The Second Part)
Running Time(s): 100 minutes (1)
107 minutes (2: The Second Part)
Format & Location: 4K Blu-ray (1) - London Home Base
IMAX - London SilverCity Masonville Mall
NOTE: While this review talks about both movies in The Lego Movie series so far, more emphasis will be on The Second Part.
"Coffee, the bitter liquid that provides the only semblance of pleasure left in these dark times." - Well, it's what keeps me awake during the afternoon lectures, that's for sure!
Instruction for a film student to have an awesome no-class Friday!
Step 1: Breathe
Step 2: Walk in the cold to Broughdale Star Kitchen and have a full brunch.
Step 3: Browse through social media and check out the Final Exam schedule.
Step 4: Work on that out of this world essay (first of the year) on Ozu's Tokyo Story (If you don't know what that is, look it up!)
Step 5: Eat a grapefruit (and always be sure to keep the skin of the fruit out of your... ahhh it's so bitter!)
Step 6: Order Chinese food for dinner... and order extra for tomorrow.
Step 7: Polish that essay so it is worth the mark.
Step 8: Enjoy the first The Lego Movie with an overhead projector!
I can still remember the excitement I had when I saw The Lego Movie trailer before Despicable Me 2 for the first time. After the successful Happy Feet that helped Warner Bros. to earn its first and only Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and the not-so-memorable sequel Happy Feet Two, it seems like the company had stopped putting effort in releasing theatrical animation... until they came back two years later with their new department (Warner Animation Group) and blessed us with The Lego Movie, the first stop-motion Lego picture that had also pushed Chris Pratt (aka. Star-Lord from Guardians of the Galaxy) to stardom! After the movie became a successful hit but received no recognition from the Academy, the team keeps bringing out more medium-to-high quality animations: the surprisingly heartwarming Storks, the super-meta Lego Batman Movie, the fairly entertaining The Lego Ninjago Movie (it may not did well with the critics, but "The Ultimate Weapon" montages are the ones I would never forget: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEEyqfCiAiI), and Smallfoot, which deserves more praise than it is advertised to be. So, with that in mind, let's see if the first sequel from Warner Animation Group holds up to the series's previous success. But first, a little recap of the first one, you'll thank me later!
[SPOILERS FOR The Lego Movie START IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH]
The Lego Movie takes place in Bricksburg as Emmett, the average construction worker, unintentionally recovers The Piece of Resistance and is dubbed as "The Special" according to Vitruvius's made-up prophecy. With the help from Wyldstyle (Lucy), Batman, and other Master Builders, Emmett is on a quest to infiltrate Lord Business's building and stop the "Kragle" (Krazy Glue) apocalypse that will take place on Taco Tuesday. It is later revealed that the story in the Lego world is actually closely linked to the human world, where Lord Business is a representation of "The Man Upstairs", a father who forbids his son Finn to come anywhere near his perfectly constructed Lego models. At the end, the catastrophe brought by Kragle is reversed as The Man Upstairs has a change of heart by allowing Finn (and his little sister) to come downstairs and play.
As I have mentioned before, the first The Lego Movie is a hit. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who had previously wrote and directed Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (one of the unexpected successes from Sony Pictures Animation) and 21 Jump Street, so you know the bar is already high. To be honest, I didn't expect to see the live action sequences at all when I enjoyed it in the theatres in the first time! Some people may see this as a feature length advertisement to sell products, but I believe it is way beyond that. The comedic moments are spot on (I especially love the "SPACESHIP" part - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TYJyCCO8Dc), the addition of the live action sequences is one of the best plot twists that I had seen that year, and while the story starts off with a generic "the chosen one saving the world" plot, it deviates from the regular track towards the third act and gives audience a fresh take on what it means to be the hero. Sometimes what stand out in a movie is not only the story itself, but also how it is delivered in the most entertaining way for the audience, and this is why The Lego Movie should have gotten more recognition during the awards season in 2015.
[End of spoilers for The Lego Movie, start of spoilers for The Second Part]
After a long five-year wait and a change of release date in favour of Lego Batman Movie (which is as entertaining as the first Lego Movie), The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part is released this February - just in time for Valentine's Day! The story picks up from where the predecessor has ended (literally) and shows the ruins of Bricksburg (now known as "Apocalypseburg") five years into the future as a result of continuous alien invasion. During the newest attack from the Syster solar system, in an effort to form alliance with Apocalypseburg, mini-doll Sweet Mayhem has chosen Batman as the suitable groom for their leader Queen Wateva Wa'Nabi and takes him along with the others to Systar Galaxy to prepare for the wedding. However, after having a vision of the impending doom named "Armamageddeon", Emmett believes that his friends are in trouble and goes on a quest to stop this catastrophe with Rex Dangervest, whose toughness and spirit for adventures have instantly made him Emmett's role model. Meanwhile, in the world as we know it, the story in the Lego World is represented by the conflict between Finn and his younger sister Bianca, who constantly takes parts from Finn's Lego sets to build her own world but also wants to play together with her brother.
Probably it's because I came to the theatre with high expectations already set by the first The Lego Movie, after watching The Second Part in IMAX, it didn't give me that high level of fulfillment that I was looking for. Don't get me wrong, the story line is still mostly creative and entertaining, the world view is definitely more complex than the first one (the same goes for the message that the filmmakers are trying to convey), but, I don't know, something just feels missing.
Just like most of the sequels out there today, even though The Second Part is approaching to the level of success created by its predecessor, the movie would have been a lot more relevant if it had released two years ago on the day that Lego Batman Movie was released. Just like the sequel of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, when Lord and Miller are not sitting in the director's chair, the series has lost a bit of its aura of attraction. I understand it's hard for filmmakers to deliver something that will recreate the hype that was generated five years ago, but calling this movie "The Lego Movie for the next generation" is clearly an overstatement. I remembered that one of the trailers online advertise the new song in the movie "Catchy Song" as the new "Everything is Awesome" that would be stuck in everyone's head. But after watching this movie, I can't remember ANYTHING from that song past the first line. Instead, I found the variation on the original "Everything is Awesome" (that everyone sings when they believe that all hope is lost) is way more interesting than the new purposefully inserted song for "time filler".
With that being said, I would like to recognize the movie's marvellous effort in introducing two new characters that act as the driving forces of this entertaining and insightful story. The ruler of the Systar system, Queen Wateva Wa'Nabi (Whatever Wanna-Be), is actually the "Piece Offering" that Emmett has created in an attempt to stop the first invasion from Duplo by promoting peace and harmony. The trailer is trying to set her up as the antagonist of the story, but I know that the eyes of experienced audiences can spot this as an act of irony. The second addition to the Lego family is Rex Dangervest, a fusion of some of the iconic characters that Chris Pratt has played onscreen, including Star Lord from Guardians of the Galaxy Series (Galaxy defending), Owen from Jurassic World Series (Raptor trainer), Faraday from The Magnificent Seven (2016) (Cowboy), as well as his rumoured involvement in future Indiana Jones projects (Archeology).
To be honest, when I first watched the second trailer of The Second Part, I immediately know that there's something fishy about that Rex Dangervest character. But never have I ever thought that Rex would be a future version of Emmett that has learned to be tough and grows bitter with the world, even though Disney has just pulled the same "the main antagonist is the protagonist itself" stunt months prior in Ralph Breaks the Internet. Lucy initially wants Emmett to grow tough for that everyone around them has already done so after the destruction of Bricksburg, but she has never thought that Emmett would take this advice too far and slowly becomes more like his bitter alter ego from the future. Sometimes the best way to save the world is to accept the changes around you and never lose track of what makes you stand out. I guess this is the core message that the movie is trying to convey. It is certainly a more sophisticated way to express the same lesson compared to UglyDolls, which is in theatres now but I have no intention to see. Both Emmett and Lucy are learning the important life lesson the hard way, and I have to admit the revelation of Lucy being one of the singers of the original "Everything is Awesome" is a nice surprise at the end.
Now back to the "real world connection" in this movie. We have already seen in The Lego Movie the conflict between "The Man Upstairs" and his son Finn, which represents a tug-of-war between the bitter, realistic adulthood without any creativity and the inner child that seeks adventure and to be whoever they want to be. In The Second Part, the filmmakers are begging the question, what happens when the inner child is on the verge of growing up? The connection between Finn's family and Emmett's world is established relatively early in The Second Part (which also contributes to the "loss of aura of attraction" I mentioned earlier) through Emmett's vision, as we see Bianca coming to the basement, taking whatever she needs from Finn, then rushing upstairs to expand her own Lego world. Now stepping into his teenage years and closer to the bitter truth of the adulthood, Finn is becoming more like his father (in the same way that Emmett is becoming more like Rex at one point) as he loses the creativity he once had by refusing any modifications to his "perfectly constructed world". To quote from Xiang Gong Tang's review of the movie, (translated) "In the process of growth, boys are often taught in a certain way: to be a man that is tough, while forgetting that guys can actually be thoughtful and attentive too"(http://mypaper.pchome.com.tw/hatsocks75/post/1377408184). This balance between the tough and caring personalities is hard to achieve, but is necessary for everyone to get along with each other. Because this is a family friendly movie that is trying to send out a positive message, the conflict between Finn and Bianca is resolved through the "piece offering", the piece that Emmett sends to the Duplo invaders as a token of friendship, and the possibility for the siblings to work together in real life and create a world that they can both be satisfied with.
Joining this new movie and playing the role of Bianca is talented Brooklynn Prince, who has just turned 9 years old last Saturday (May 4 - I also just found out recently - HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!!). She already landed her first major role in The Florida Project, which was released last year, and now she just finished her first voice role in The Angry Birds Movie 2, which will come out this August. Brooklynn's role in The Second Part is relatively more minor than Jadon Sand's performance as Finn in the first movie, but they are as touching as the interactions between Finn and his father five years ago. Take, for example, the restoration of the "piece offering", the whole scene is played over Emmett's speech and the siblings do not have any dialogue, but it is the most emotional scene in the entire movie and the scene that I keep looking for on YouTube after coming out of theatres. That's why although I will continuously support all of young Brooklynn's future projects, I would much rather see her take on more live action roles. (P.S. Hong Kong is releasing a Limited Edition of The Second Part on 4K Blu-ray with Lego Emmett figurine and the "piece offering" at the end of this month. Can't wait to add this to my collection!)
Continuing the traditions of Lego Batman Movie, The Second Part is taking any chances it has as the perfect opportunity to engage with the audience. From their constant references to Back to the Future, to the jokes that are smart and creative (i.e. the peeled banana that keeps slipping). Not to mention its explicit self-reflexivity in the end credits song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFOaxRu5afo) as well as paying tribute to some of the real life "partnership" that has helped the Lego industry to grow stronger. Moments like these are what keep the fans relevant in the developing Lego-verse and build on the curiosity and the hopes for what's to come (and may I suggest that if the studio is planning on a third film, it can come out sooner rather than later? I don't want to wait another five years!)
So far I'm trying my best to say everything that stand out in this movie (for the most part). So allow me to play devil's advocate for a moment and point out some things that break the continuity of this movie and the series as a whole.
- In the first movie, when Emmett enters the human world and witness the interaction between Finn and his dad, his face is still, which is a good way to distinguish between the two worlds (even though he did move on his own). But in this movie, the interaction between Emmett and his future self Rex in the human world is much more dynamic and they can move around perfectly when they are out of their realm. Who knows that the laws of motions can be rewritten within the five-year gap?
- When Rex disappears in the end since Emmet has determined to not change himself into him in the future, shouldn't the raptors also cease to exist because they are brought over by Rex from the prehistoric period to the present time?
- Finn and Bianca's mom is played by Maya Rudolph in this movie. But in the first movie, the same character is played by Amanda Farinos, even though she has only one off-screen speaking line. Why the difference in casting? Or maybe (and that is just a thought)... the mother in this movie is their stepmom, and that could explain why the children do not get along with her really well (I mean, the time when their mom gets in is named after a term for describing major apocalypse).
(Derek Hui would be amazing at CinemaSins. [Ding!])
Since the end credits of The Second Part has revealed some real life "Lego construction partners", I think it would be fitting to share with you my recent connection with Lego. I got a Lego set of Millennium Falcon as a present last summer, and of course, having been away from Lego pieces for so many years, tying to assemble 1000+ pieces seemed like a harder quest than Emmett's journey of becoming a Master Builder. In fact, I had to tear down my half-finished product and built it again from ground zero just because one piece didn't fit as the way it should according to the manual. What a way to destress after an exam for the summer course! Luckily, my little cousin came to Toronto for the first time and he had been a great helper! He looked through the manual with me and had all the required pieces for the next step ready for me when I was still on the previous step. We were proud of our work and we definitely had a fun time when we pull the trigger to shoot out plastic "laser beams" from the finished model and then put them back to the ship again. To this day, the finished Millennium Falcon is still in its special place in the basement. Sometimes collaboration does come a long way, especially for someone who is as clumsy as me.
[END OF SPOILERS]
As the first major animation released this year, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part has set up a high bar what what is to come from the realm of imagination this year. For the newcomers to the Lego franchise, this is representative of the high quality content constantly delivered by the studio, but for returners from the first The Lego Movie, I suggest you to lower your expectations accordingly so you don't feel disappointed after the long wait. This movie MAY have a SLIGHT chance for the Oscars, but it will be a tough battle against How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World and possibly Toy Story 4, which is coming out next month. And for that, I just want to say to Warner Animation Group, it doesn't matter that you can't exactly replicate the same degree of success that the original has achieved, all you need to do is to keep it up!
The Lego Movie and The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part are now available on 4K Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD.
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