The Lego Movie

   Sometimes movies really do just come out of left field and surprise the hell out of you. It doesn't happen often but when it does, it really makes you appreciate what you just watched.

   So many things could have gone wrong in The Lego Movie, but didn't. It could have been nothing but a mindless toy plug. It could have been a half assed animated movie someone crapped out for the kiddies to watch over the weekend. It could have been so easily weighed down with awful joke after awful joke. The cast could have phoned it in. It could have been the heartless business toy commercial everyone was expecting. But it wasn't.

   Some sort of miracle must have happened when this film was pitched. A film made in half CGI half stop motion that would be entirely focused on a world made out of Lego that both about the eternal appeal of the brand but is also a touching story of learning to use your creativity despite who you may be or what others may tell you. I don't care how much money directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller made you already with Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and 21 Jump Street Warner Brothers this film is something I just didn't think you would be willing to take a chance on. It is a film that takes chances and that is probably the last thing I ever expected to say coming out of the movie about the tiny building blocks.  But good on you Warner Brothers for taking the chance to let The Lego Movie be made in this way because with it's arrival I can say that the first truely great movie of 2014 is here.

   Everything is awesome for Emmet (Chris Platt), a normal every day construction worker who enjoys nothing more then following the instruction manual and being as normal as he can be. Emmet lives in a Lego city run by the malevolent Mr. Business (Will Farrell), who only wants everything to be run in a perfect way. Straight Lines, clean environments, overpriced coffee and safe television that relies on the same joke every episode. One day at work, Emmet finds a mysterious artifact called "The Piece of Resistance" which is the only thing that can stop Mr. Business, who in actuality is an evil overlord called....well Lord Business, from destroying Lego society. Now Emmet is caught up in a prophecy that depicts him as the chosen one who must battle for the very fate of the Lego worlds, and become a master builder who is able to construct anything he wishes out of the parts around him. With the help of other builders Emmet will have to answer the question that no one seems to know the answer to, What's so special about him?

   If theres one thing that I really thought The Lego Movie would completely half ass was the story. From the trailers the movie looked to be a shiny toy commercial with really impressive animation that is wrapped around a flimsy cliched chosen one story. But the magic of the story in this movie is how it takes those chosen one cliches and has a lot of fun with them. It is still the story of an average person given a huge responsibility which he must own up too, but it does things that make the story trope less tired and poke fun at it.

    For instance, there is a scene in which Emmet is being chased around the city along with the stories love intrest Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks). During the chase she tries to explain what is happening and why Emmet is so important. But most of the exposition is unheard because Emmet is only hearing a fictional Wyldstyle that is telling him how cool he is and how interested she is in him. Usually this kind of big plot dump would be important for filling everyone in, and telling the hero that he is so important but it's explored more and more over the film instead of being just dumped on you completely from the beginning. Yes the opening does contain the backstory, but it's vital information that is needed and doesn't take up too much screen time.

   But the best thing about the film is that it is a film about more then just Legos. It's a film about creativity and about how no matter who you are everyone has the ability to be creative. It's an incredibly important message that I don't see done this well in most kids films. It's not pushed in your face or beating you over the head with any kind of message. It's how the characters act and how they do things and the things they build that gets the point across. That and the ending, but that's all I'll say about that.

   But a story is nothing without a great cast and you probably couldn't have gotten a better cast for this movie if you tried. Chris Platt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, Will Ferrell, Nick Offerman, Allison Brie and Charlie Day all wonderfully portray these very different characters and makes them insanely funny.

   Though in my opinion there are two very notable performances. First is Will Arnett as Batman. Have you grown as tired of the dark, gloomy Batman that is constantly brought up with the Nolan trilogy and in the comics? Do you wish there was a Batman that was both lighter and funnier but also kind of a douche? Well look no further then The Lego Movie and Will Arnett's performance. It's so refreshing and funny to see a Batman this smug and this much of a jerk finally be put on the screen. And is brought to us by Will Arnett, one of the best in the business at being a smug jerk. There are so many memorable scenes with him in it but my favorite has to be just a tiny scene that him and Wonder Woman share, that had me laughing out loud. (Also this being the first big screen appearance of Wonder Woman is probably alot better then what ever role she's going to play in Batman/Superman from what I've seen)

   And the other notable performance comes from Charlie Day as Bennie the 80s Spaceman, and it isn't because of any kind of depth or emotion, it's because he's given one joke and that joke works every single time he used it. He just wanted to build a Spaceship! And he's going to keep shouting how much he wants to build one for as long as it takes. And luckily they got Charlie Day to play Bennie who has proven that when he shouts loud noises at you, he makes it funny.

But the story and the characters are just one thing, what really impressed me before I had even seen the movie was the animation of the film, and it still looks great. I love how they are perfectly able to create that jerky kind of feel that you know many home made Lego movies have to them, but were able to combine it with CGI to make it look smoother for the big screen. There are so many wonderful visual jokes on display in the film. When they arrive in the Old West, there's this welcoming sign that says in big Lego letters "The Old West". and as they are walking away from where that popped up, you can actually see the sign still in the background just hanging between two rocks. Or when everything is in slow motion as they are falling into a canyon, and Wyldstyle and Emmet are having a moment, you can just see Morgan Freeman's character Vitruvious floating in the background starring into the camera. All of these are incredibly funny and I love just the tiniest touches they put into film to make it feel more like a Lego World. Such as all the water being made of Lego and even the explosions and flames being made of Lego. It's incredibly charming and unique look that does nothing but help the film.

   The Lego Movie is a damn animated masterpiece. I don't have a single bad thing to say about it. It's emotionally and comedically rewarding. All the characters are fun and a blast to hang around with. The Animation is some of the best and most unique animation I've seen in a long time and the writing is some of the smartest there has been in a kids film. If I had to have a complaint I guess that the film incredibly fast paced but that dons't do anything but help the jokes land faster and funnier then they could have been. Some of the jokes might fall but right after that one another is there to pick up the Slack. There is really just nothing in this film that I didn't enjoy. I have always said that nothing is perfect. No movie, no game, no comic. Nothing. But every so often you get a film that gets damn close. And this film is pretty damn close.  Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go build a spaceship.