The Lego Movie (2014, Cinema) – Ladies and gentlemen – and children – it’s the second month of the year, and we have now found our second best film of the year. The Lego Movie is about as unashamedly bashful and ridiculously entertaining as movies are bound to come this year. Okay, that’s a mighty bold prediction to have made. I entered The Lego Movie with approximately half the enthusiasm as my fellow cinemagoers, most of whom were half my height, shoe size and IQ (the latter notwithstanding, I am earnestly qualified to deal with on a fortnightly basis) and found myself sitting in my seat during the entire running time with a deeply stupid, shit-eating grin right the way through. If I dare reveal any of the plot then I risk spoiling a lot of what makes this movie the second best of the year. Emmet, a typical “worker” lego man one night spots an attractive female wandering around his workplace and quickly realises that she’s Wyldystyle; the Morpheus/Trinity of the story who’s probably mistaken him for the Lego man destined to save the Lego world from Lord Business; a meganationalcongelomerate bad guy intent on plastering this make believe place with glue. Business, played by Will Ferrel, believes that building stuff without rules has made the place chaotic and wants to cock-block the whole affair. Acting as “The One”, Emmet will meet a variety of deranged Lego creatures and unite them together to fight against the forces of… Blah blah blah. Actually, it’s perfectly fitting story for a film that contains so much imagination. There’s a place called “Middle Zealand” full of dragons and mystifying Lego creatures; a pirate fantasy island with a gargantuan, ugly pirate named Metal Beard – and a place called Cloud Cuckooland. If you find any of those snort-worthy, then you’ll have a blast with this one. The script, penned by directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, is wonderfully tight and observed. There are literally hundreds, if not more, wry observations – all playfully handled and, for a film of this nature, surprisingly packed to the gills with self referential humour. What I wasn’t prepared for, though, was just how fast and energetic the movie actually is. Each scene is a wondrous in its own cute way, with many nods and winks to the audience. Chris Pratt, who we’ll see again later in Guardians of the Galaxy, is the less annoying Seth Rogen, voicing Emmet. Elizabeth Banks is Wildstyle, and Morgan Freeman plays Vitruvius – the true Morpheus of the piece, and later, reemerges as a crap dangly artefact reminiscent of the opening scene of Team America World Police. It’s actually truly worrying just how much fun The Lego Movie is. This is, after all, a multinational company advertising to children everywhere. But, I guess, unlike Coca Cola, Starburst and any number of other companies designed to rot the teeth and brain, at least Lego is an old friend – and inspired to create than to destroy. The third act is among one of the most creative, sincere and wonderful reveals I think I’ve seen in any movie this decade. To spoil it would be – literally – blasphemy, considering it contains the true identity of “The Man Upstairs”. Starbucks gets knifed. Multinational corporate whoredom gets stabbed. And all this in a movie called The Lego Movie? Someone wake me up – the irony is far too much to bear. With just a little more violence, this could well have been the remake RoboCop actually deserved. A movie featuring Batman where I haven’t wanted to vomit? Christ almighty, there must surely be some mistake, here. But as mistakes go; if this really is one, then The Lego Movie is absolutely glorious. (8/10).
Posted on: Fri, 21 Feb 2014 22:43:27 +0000
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