The LEGO Movie - Analysis and Review

EVERYTHING IS AWESOME! 

Once this movie is over, that song will be playing over and over in your head.

The Plot

A seemingly ordinary construction worker mini-figure (LEGO person voiced by Chris Pratt) discovers that he just might be, "The Special," the one destined to save the Lego World from the evil Lord Business (voiced by Will Ferell). He will need the help of a powerful rebel (Elizabeth Banks), a wise hippie wizard (Morgan Freeman), an iconic superhero (Will Arnett), a magical cat (Alison Brie), a gigantic pirate (Nick Offerman), and a 1980s something space guy (Charlie Day) to take on the terrible power that Lord Business plans to unleash!

Analysis

If there is one thing that directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord excel at, it is the theme of "the absurd and the heart." What I mean by that is they have pretty much done films that borderline the absurd comedies during the era of Airplane and Top Secret! There have been many films that try to do the absurd reality comedy route these days but always seem to lose sight of what it is that made those comedies work: the heart.

This is what makes their comedy style so distinctive because they are able to have these absurd characters in these absurd realities yet not lose sight of what message they are trying to convey. And that message can be a simple one like brotherhood in 21 and 22 Jump Street to believing in one's self in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. While very simplistic in message, they are powerful if handled correctly. Especially with an absurd concept of food raining from the sky or an extreme satire of the reboot/remake craze that has been going on, it is important to always find simplicity to keeps the audience locked into the absurdity.

And The Lego Movie is even more absurd than anything that Lord and Miller have done, and I am counting their animated show Clone High. But like I said, they know where the heart of this story is and again it is simple. Which works well in what the film really is about.

Review

There are so many things that can go wrong with this movie and so many misinterpretation of what is this movie's purpose is. First, this movie can be seen as one big gigantic toy commercial (which in all out honesty let's face it, it is) that could easily be grouped with the likes of Michael Bay's Transformers or the G.I. Joe films. Also it sounds and looks like a silly kids film. The same thing can be said about Lord and Miller's other movies. Yet by some miracle, this "big gigantic toy commercial" is also a genuine movie!

Lord and Miller have crafted a story that definitely speaks to many generations, especially those who grew up playing with legos. They acknowledge the two kinds of people who buy legos: the creative builders and the instruction based builders. It is this acknowledgement of those who follow the instructions and those who revel in imagination is what proves to be a powerful essential theme of the film. The idea of revolving the movie around that dynamic alone is what makes this movie so brilliant. Not only do they have a product to convey large concepts, but the product is so heavily based in those large concepts without people realizing it. Though while it may be a large concept of creativity versus conformity it is a fairly simple concept that does not hurt the film for being to simple but empowers it.

The voice casting in this film is top notch. 2014 just might be the year of the Pratt because Chris Pratt is gaining huge momentum in Hollywood as of late. If this is the first film to define his career this year then it is a fine edition. He does so well as the lovable yet gullible hero, Emmett, who is so concerned about pleasing everyone that you really feel for the guy when he realizes that maybe he tries to please too much without thinking about what's best for him. Then there's Elizabeth Banks as Wyldstyle the rebellious "Master Builder" who displays a powerful front that hides an insecurity that Banks is able to convey so well just through vocal performance. Then of course you have Morgan Freeman playing the wise wizard Vitruvius who makes fun of the fact that he is always playing these wise characters as well as pokes fun of his iconic voice. Will Ferell does well as the evil President Lord Business but there is more to his performance that really makes him a standout in the film. Too bad I can't say what it is, but when you see it, you will know what I mean.

Will Arnett as Batman is hilarious, Alison Brie as Uni-Kitty is adorable, and Charlie Day as Benny the Space guy was just laugh out loud hilarious but the standout here has to be Liam Neeson as Bad Cop/Good Cop. That's right, Liam Neeson is in this movie with Morgan Freeman. And Liam Neeson finally shows a side that we don't often associate with him: a very high pitched almost squeaky voice as Good Cop. Of course his iconic gravelly voice is used for Bad Cop, but his ability to switch back and forth between the two characters is incredible and unbelievable that this is coming from Liam Neeson.

The animation in this film is gorgeous. The painstaking detail it took to ensure that everything in this film is created by existing lego pieces (except the ones used for original characters) is tremendous! Yes the film is CGI but it is the same CGI program used design the models for the actual toy company that was then transferred to Australian animation company, Animal Logic, to use as a tool for cinematic greatness. It is animated to be like a stop motion film and there is indeed some portions where it is animated in the classic "Brick Film" way, but the fact that it is dominantly CGI does not take away from it feeling real.

Final Thoughts

This is truly one of the smartest animated films to have come out in a long time. It is relentlessly funny. So relentless that you'll have to see it a couple of time to see all the jokes you might've missed the first time. It is truly a family film and a smart one that doesn't need to dumb things down for the kids to understand. This is definitely one of the best animated movies of the year so far.

SCORE: 9.7/10 - Relentless and heartwarming all at the same time

22 Jump Street - Analysis and Review

It just keeps getting better and better

21 Jump Street took a lot of people by surprise. There were many who believed the fact that it exists as a cash grab. At the time, the announcement of casting Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum as the lead roles even had more people rolling their eyes. But then when it did finally came to the big screen, magic happened. Self-aware magic that made 21 Jump Street a really special film. It also proved that animation directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller can be a formidable force with live action films as well. They have been on a roll with their slate, and The Lego Movie proves that they know what they are doing. But can they match up to the movie that made them the powerhouses they are now?

The Plot

Undercover Officers Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are once again thrown into the same exact scenario as the last movie because apparently the department believes that they only excel if they do the same thing. And they do the same thing. They infiltrate a school as students in order to hunt down a drug dealer who is supplying a new kind of drug. The difference? They're in college.

Analysis

Comedy sequels are really hard to do. The Hangover Part II was pretty much exactly the same as the first one. And just like I stated in the plot synopsis, 22 Jump Street is pretty much the same exact thing. Or at least it claims to be. But that is the difficulty about creating a good comedy sequel. They are extremely rare and when they do happen it usually comes off as, "Is this really necessary?" For the most part no one needed a sequel to The Hangover but it happened, and it was the exact same thing. 22 Jump Street however acknowledges and beats it over your head that this movie is exactly the same thing as the last one. But then again not really. But at least with this film they acknowledge and poke fun of not just the fact that they're doing a sequel but also make fun of sequels in general. The audience will probably understand the jokes about the Hollywood system when it comes to franchises, but probably won't even realize how much of a satire it is on franchises in general. This is a smart sequel to an already smart movie. And I'm talking about a comedy. The best comedies are smart, but a comedy sequel that is just as smart and just as funny as the previous is truly something special.

Review

It may be the exact same thing, but I also have to stress that there are enough twists and turns to make it not seem like it is. But to be fair it does feel like the same exact story. But to the genius that is directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, it doesn't matter that its the same. This movie is ****ing hilarious! Incredibly so that one could easily look past the reused plot. Which is very easy to look past given the fact that it is a running joke in the movie that they are doing the same thing as the last one because it was successful. And it definitely is.

Jonah Hill has already established himself as a force in comedy and has gone on to prove that he can be great in the dramatic department. But if there is one person that has to be given praise it has to be Channing Tatum. Unlike some models turned actors, he actually improved over the years that he has been in the game. 21 Jump Street was definitely his breakout role despite having already been around and in the people's radar for many years prior. With the upcoming film Foxcatcher he shows that he is now capable of being a genuine dramatic actor from just a few seconds seen in a trailer. And this film proves that he has definitely become a force to be reckoned with in comedy. Tatum is amazing in this film. Everyone from the first film stepped up their game, but Tatum goes through the roof. He even has the best scene in the entire movie. When you see it, you'll know which one it is because you won't be able to stop laughing even after its over. Ice Cube plays an integral part in making that scene the best scene, but he definitely had some of the best moments in the film as well. 

The new supporting cast does well in the movie. Wyatt Russell plays Zook, a frat boy and kindred spirit to Tatum's Jenko. Their bromance just added more to the humor as it plays it up as a "love triangle" between Hill, Russell, and Tatum. Then there's the incredibly beautiful Amber Stevens as Maya, Hill's new love interest in the film who plays an integral part in Hill's development as a character as well as an integral part to the hilarious scene in the movie. Jillian Bell plays Maya's roommate and does become a one note joke in the movie, but when it escalates it escalates well. Peter Stormare plays the drug lord that Jenko and Schmidt are after, though it feels as though an actor of his caliber is underutilized for the role of the villain. Or wasn't really given enough to have a standout performance. Regardless, they all contributed into making this film hilarious and that is where it all really matters.

Final Thoughts

Yes, it is the same thing. Yes, it is a little bit different. Yes, Channing Tatum is now a full fledged actor. Yes, this movie will keep you laughing for a long time. It is the comedy sequel that equals or outshines the previous movie in almost every single way, Yes there was Austin Powers the Spy Who Shagged Me, but then there is also The Hangover Part II. Luckily for this sequel, it does not compare to either of those movies. To put things in perspective, I gave the previous movie an 8. For this...

SCORE: 8.5/10 - But for the hilarious factor the movie feels like a 9/10