The Lego Movie

Many lifelong dreams are being realized through The Lego Movie. When I saw the trailer for this, I was more than excited. Combining stop motion animation, mulitple universes and the imagination of a child make this a movie that could never be mimicked. The cast list is long and impressive, and animation hasn't been tried like this in years.

Emmett (Chris Pratt) is your normal generic Lego construction worker. He has no defining features other than the fact that there is no one else as ordinary as him. He meets Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) after stumbling upon “the resistance piece” which can be used to stop the secret weapon of Lord Business (Will Ferrell), the Kragle. Emmett is mistaken for “the special” who is prophesied to stop the end of the world, and Bad Cop (Liam Neeson) is determined to bring him down.

I have to start with the animation. Stop motion animation hasn’t been widely used lately, but this film brings it back like it was never gone. This is the best stop-motion animation I have ever seen. The level of difficulty the animators had would have Trey Parker and Matt Stone eating each other alive. Explosions, fires, floods, oceans, even smoke all made out of your ordinary Lego bricks. And if you’re not thinking about how cool everything looks, you’re deeply invested in this heartwarming story.

I’ve been kind of disappointed with Legos when I walk down toy aisles. I see all these kits specified to the things kids see on television or in movies, and I just think about how they can’t create anything of their own if their mimicking someone else’s designs. But this movie hit the nail right on the head as if it was written specifically for me. The message should get through to everyone that following the instructions isn’t completely necessary, because it’s about making your own creations out of someone else’s.

There are even some dark tones within the story as the Lego world is kind of a surveillance state with one song that promotes optimism (called “Everything is Awesome”). While creeping fascism is a reference we can all relate to nowadays, the film is also packed with pop culture references, meta jokes, and things that kids won’t understand that don’t even have to be dirty to enjoy. It's one of the most fun family films I have ever seen.

The story is kind of a quick tell. Most of what you want to see is in the last half hour. You really think you know where the story goes, some unexpected turns make the movie exactly what you want it to be. We haven’t seen an original family film like this in a very long time, and it's basically "review proof." Because every male who ever played with Legos will know that this is more than just the story.

I really want to talk about the cast; because I recognized so many voices it was hilarious. Will Arnett as Batman, Alison Brie as Unikitty, Anthony Daniels returns as C-3PO for a moment, Charlie Day as an overexcited 80s’ astronaut, Will Forte as Abe Lincoln? I loved Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum as The Green Lantern and Superman, but nothing takes the cake like Morgan Freeman as Vitruvius. I mean, damn. Freeman is hilarious without context. Chris Pratt has done no wrong in his film career (save for Movie 43), and I will keep my eye on him, because he’s really breaking into the game.

The movie takes itself just seriously enough to get its message across, while still promoting and displaying imagination and creativity. I was surprised at the amount of effort that was put into making this film great, because Lego could have done this with CGI for half the price, and they could have just had two hours of mindless action, but they chose to do it right, and oh, did they do it right. When you have a speech or sequence at the end of any movie that moves you in any way, then you have truly empathized with those characters, and you know that they did something right. Lego Movie has heart, imagination, action, romance, and plenty of laugh-out-loud comedy for you to stop reading this and head to the theater.

Rating: A

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

The legend of Ron Burgundy and the Channel 2 News team continues with this sequel to the 2004 comedy. Only this time, they've gone global.

After nearly a decade of anticipation, Will Ferrell returns as one of his greatest characters to date. This comedy surely does not disappoint. I can honestly say that I have not laughed so hard, so consistently, in a theater in a very long time. This was everything an Anchorman sequel needed to be.

Mack Harken (Harrison Ford) fires Burgundy as he promotes his now wife, Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate). After which, he is approached by Garth Holliday (Chris Parnell) AKA the most forgettable catalyst character, to anchor a 24 hour news channel, a brand new concept for the time period. Burgundy assembles his old team in the most hilarious road trip since Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. 

Seriously, there was no shortage of laughs during the assembling of this team. The first 30-45 minutes is just so perfectly written, and all of the actors have impeccable comedic timing. Steve Carrell really overshadows the other news team members (even Ferrell) in every scene he speaks in. It's safe to say, without Brick Tamland, there is no movie. David Koechner's Champ provides a steady stream of laughter during his reintroduction, but quickly fades into the group as a whole. Paul Rudd plays pretty much the same thing he does in every movie, so in other words he says things like a normal person and funny stuff just happens. But Brian Fantana has his moments. Will Ferrell, however, brings his A-game for this. There's something about the Burgundy character that Ferrell just captures so perfectly and easily. 

There was never a joke that didn't land with the audience, but there were a few writing flaws that hold the movie back a tad. There seem to be 2-3 central plot-lines. One being Burgundy's career and his revolutionizing of the news format (which eventually becomes what Jon Stewart calls Bullshit Mountain). Another being his relationship to his wife and child, which really takes a backseat to the craziness of the third act. Burgundy interacting with his 6 year old son as if he is already a grown man is one of the funniest things about this movie. 

Corningstone begins a relationship with Gary (Greg Kinnear) which no one really remembers until it's brought up. The movie does keep you focused on everything that's happening, but Applegate needed a little more screentime early on to keep the audience invested in that, and you think you know what happens with Burgundy's son, but the movie goes to great lengths to surprise you, and damn do they succeed.

There are just a few scenes that are just put in throughout the movie, each are probably under 20 seconds. They do nothing to progress the plot or have any relevance to what you had seen previously or are about to see. But they keep the laughs coming like clockwork. 

The writing slowly gets less funny as the movie goes on, though it still grips your attention. There is about a ten minute sequence (not really a spoiler) where Burgundy goes blind, and he lives in a lighthouse. It is probably the least funny part of the movie, whilst still getting a few chuckles in. The last 10 minutes of the movie feels like the writers ran out of social commentary, and just decided to take everything about the original film and shove it up its own ass... and it works. You will laugh. I guarantee it.

This film has an abundance of 80s jokes, as well as racist, sexual, network news stupidity, and self referential jokes, complete with an unbelievable number of celebrity cameos. You will not sit through this movie with a straight face thanks to fantastic performances by a fantastic cast. Welcome back, Mr. Burgundy, and you stay classy, internet.

Rating: A