The Lego Movie (2014) - Originally Written May 17, 2014

 The Lego Movie (2014)

Watching the Movie: 

Your enjoyment of this movie is going to depend entirely on how old you are. Ironically enough; I'm not all that sure that if I were a kid (say 2-12 years old) I'd get a lot of the jokes. I'd say the sweet spot for this flick is someone in their mid 20's who at least has a passing knowledge of the gags referenced but is also old enough to appreciate the just plain SAD moments that come on screen (and there are more than a few of them...) In fact, most of the little kids in the theater with me last night just got a kick out of "everything is awesome" and could take or leave everything else.

Screening the Film: 

Holy Christ is there a lot going on in this film. There's images of Sovereignty (by divinity, nationality, personally), particularly as it relates to Oligarchy (Lord/President Business has all the resources thus he has all the power) The Oligarchy as a tyrannical state; specifically focused on abuse of power and state resources (good cop/bad cop). The individual's role in society, and the conflicts that arise from those roles. Interpersonal relationships, particularly as it relates to teamwork and friendships; with a secondary focus on familial roles (specifically Father and Son) Order vs Chaos, perception vs reality. Intrapersonal relationships, particularly mental disorders such as obsession (Benny), Anti-Social Arrogance (Batman), Insecurity and Self-Doubt (Lucy), Social Isolation (Emmet) and Bi-Polar Denial (Uni-Kitty, and the two main original songs from the movie "Everything is Awesome" and "Untitled Self-Portrait"). Management vs Leadership (seriously, anyone considering going into management at any level should deliberately and intently screen this film) Creativity as a commodity; particularly as it pertains to resourcefulness and use of your surroundings.
 

Best Dialogue: 

"You don't have to be the bad guy. You are the most talented, most interesting, and most extraordinary person in the universe. And you are capable of amazing things. Because you are the Special. And so am I. And so is everyone. The prophecy is made up, but it's also true. It's about all of us. Right now, it's about you. And you... still... can change everything."
 

The Bottom Line: 

The Lego Movie is one of the most enjoyable movie going experiences I've ever had in a theater. Waiting for the dollar theater I MORE than got my money's worth and killed a few hours on a Friday Night. It's a really fun and enjoyable movie that has quite a bit of replay value. However, it's true brilliance is as a FILM. It crams a LOT of images in to a 100 minute run time and does so fairly and evenly (though it has some anti-business messages in it; also balances the sheer stupidity and pointlessness of doing nothing all day, likewise it takes the most boring and non-offensive face in the crowd to effectively lead a team of creative and talented people). This movie could be the basis of masters thesis' in Philosophy, Political Science, Cultural Studies, Psychology, and Management programs at any university in the country; there's just that much going on in what seems like a silly little movie.
 
Only two flaws keep it from masterpiece status:
 
1) It's derivative. It would be very easy to say "Hey look, someone made "The Matrix"(1999) out of Legos" (and as Film's the two do have a lot of overlap). There are also several elements of other films the writers borrowed from.
 
2) It's not exactly going to be timeless. The very young already don't seem to appreciate most of the movie's appeal. How in the world are people 30, 40, 50 years from now going to appreciate the gags.
This is a good movie, a VERY good film, but I can't in good conscious go higher than 
 

4.5 out of 5.

 

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