Author Spotlight
Lawder DeSantis
When the first trailer for “The LEGO Movie” was released back in 2013, no one expected much. Most of the people I knew agreed that a movie about LEGO seemed too childish and commercial to be any good, and was clearly just a vehicle to sell products. The trailer was met with an ubiquitous eye roll by most, but I was already sold.
I’ve always loved LEGO. Nothing beats sitting down, turning on some music, and building away. Since I was a kid, I’ve continued to buy hundreds of sets, and for the last eight years I have been shooting LEGO stop-motion animation for my YouTube channel, GOLDBRICKANIMATIONS. Naturally, the movie was everything I wanted (granted, I was also 11-years-old). Critics were taken aback by its unexpected quality, and gave it considerable praise — of course, I’d agree. It’s a masterful piece of animation that provides not only an exciting and fast-paced adventure, but also a slew of heartfelt messages and themes.
No sequel will ever top the energetic and ingenious nature of the first film. Going into the theater with the expectation that “The LEGO Movie 2” will supersede the quality of the first film is the wrong way to go about it. So I went in knowing that the original would never be dethroned, and comparing the two would leave me disappointed.
“The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part” takes place five years after the events of the first, where the home city of our characters, Bricksburg, has been transformed into a post-apocalyptic wasteland after an invasion from LEGO DUPLO aliens. The protagonist, Emmet Brickowski, fails to change with the darker times — he continues to think that everything is still awesome, ignoring the state of despair Bricksburg has fallen into. But when his friends are abducted by aliens, he must attempt to not only save them, but also discover if he has the wits and guts to deal with the dire circumstances. With help from his newfound companion, Rex Dangervest, Emmet embarks on a galaxy crusade to rescue his friends.
“The LEGO Movie 2” doesn’t hesitate to take the story to a larger, crazier setting: the Sistar System. For me, it was a treat to experience this vast galaxy filled with wacky planets, all possessing fresh and unique environments for our characters to explore. Pausing any frame in the movie will reveal detailed surroundings, such as the planets and cities, created with individual LEGO bricks.
Practically everything in “The LEGO Movie 2” is made of LEGO bricks, down to the smoke, explosions, gunfire, clouds and even speed lines. The only problem is that there isn’t much new to see. “The LEGO Movie” did such a good job at finding creative ways to utilize the LEGO medium that it left little for its sequel to do. “The Second Part” tries very few new techniques, but that still doesn’t take away from spectacular animation.
Despite the lack of originality, the animation is a masterful blend of fast paced cinematography and cartoon-esque movements. The animators of the first LEGO Movie found a brilliant way to take the restrictions of LEGO minifigures and embrace them, and at this point, they’ve completely mastered it. The minifigures move just as actual LEGO do, giving it a realistic feel, almost as if they’re really being played with.
The film is exploding with voice-acting talent. All of the fan favorite actors have returned — Chris Pratt, Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks and Alison Brie — and their passionate performances convinced me that they might love LEGO as much as I do. The lively voice cast allows for every character to feel distinct and memorable, the stand out being Pratt, voice actor for both Emmet Brickowski and Rex Dangervest. Not only is Pratt playing two very different roles, but also parodying himself through Rex Dangervest, making meta-jokes at every expense of his acting career.
The writing takes a bit of a dip from the first film, clearly seen through some gags such as a banana that can’t stop slipping, which becomes stale after the third time it’s on screen. For the most part, though, it still maintains its clever and witty humor. “The LEGO Movie” did a fantastic job of balancing the humor in a way that made all of the jokes funny for both adults and children, and while “The Second Part” does this at times, some of the gags feel like they are pandered to a lower demographic. And yes, I know that the movie is made for kids, but it’s hard to accept that when the original pleased all ages.
But the jokes that do stick, really stick. There are a plentiful amount of big, goofy, and consistent gags that cracked me up all the way through the film’s one hour and forty-five minute runtime, such as Emmet’s unrelenting desire to be tougher than he really is, by doing things such as drawing stubble dots on his face. The movie also manages to get some laughs through its extensive quantity of visual comedy, which comes from its cinematography, editing and sound design. While it isn’t as consistently clever as its predecessor, it will leave you with a smile on your face.
Perhaps my favorite aspect of the film is the overall atmosphere. “The LEGO Movie” supplied its fair share of craziness, but “The Second Part” takes that and dials it to eleven. This movie is absolutely crazy, and I can’t get enough of it. And when I say crazy, I mean Superman-and-The-Wizard-of-Oz-characters-dancing-to-a-catchy-pop-song-covered-in-glitter crazy. That’s not even a metaphor by the way — it’s actually in the movie.
And I get that it might not be everyone’s thing, but I couldn’t help myself from feeling the contagious happiness of the film. The happiness in this movie is incredibly infectious and fun, making you want to get up and dance around. Oh, and did I mention that this movie is partly a musical? The original songs aren’t Disney levels of astounding composition-wise — but writing-wise, they’re a treat. The tunes are some of the funniest parts of the story, combining catchy beats and self aware lyrics to create a final product that will be stuck in your head for weeks.
It’s a movie bursting with passion and energy, but also one with a real, deep and nuanced meaning to it that isn’t cliche like most blockbuster animations. It trades soulless, moneymaker plot lines for developed and unique storytelling. It kicks meaningless cash-grabbers like “The Secret Life of Pets” and “The Grinch” to the curb, providing underlying themes of family and acceptance.
While the “Second Part” doesn’t quite meet the standard set by the original, it’s still an undeniably worthy sequel that supplies a vibrant, emotional and creative story that can be enjoyed by almost anyone. Don’t let the childish aesthetic scare you away. Despite sitting in a theater full of screaming five year olds, my experienced wasn’t hindered.
Leave a Reply