The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019)

Saying that I was reluctant about The Lego Movie is a bit of an understatement as I thought it'd be a dumb kids flick but I gave it a chance anyway and I loved it. So of course I gave The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part a chance. 

Set immediately after the events of the original film, the story follows Emmet Brickowski (voiced by Chris Pratt) and his friends as they face a new threat, Lego Duplo invaders from outer space. When Lucy (voiced by Elizabeth Banks) and others are captured by General Sweet Mayhem (voiced by Stephanie Beatriz), Emmet attempts to rescue them while also trying to stop the Armamageddon.

The LEGO Ninjago Movie (2017)

I grew up playing with LEGO (and I probably still would if I wasn't busy all the time and their stuff wasn't so expensive -- a thing is having your parents paying it, a thing is paying it yourself) and, on my teen years, I occasionally stumbled upon the series Ninjago on TV. I didn't love it but it was okay when there wasn't anything else interesting on TV. I guess I watched The LEGO Ninjago Movie for the same reason, I didn't have anything better to watch and although I had very little expectations, the film managed to disappoint me. 

It's a hard knock life for Lloyd (Dave Franco), the 16-year-old estranged son of Garmadon (Justin Theroux), the evil warlord who keeps trying to take control of Ninjago City and keeps failing because of a secret gang of ninjas. Turns out Lloyd is the leader of those ninjas but this time the battle against his father will be much harder as the ultimate weapon is unleashed.

Lego Scooby-Doo! Haunted Hollywood (2016)

Genres

Animation, Comedy, Mystery

Director

Rick Morales

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard, Kate Micucci, Grey Griffin, Dee Bradley Baker, J.B. Blanc, Christian Lanz, Scott Menville, Cassandra Peterson, James Arnold Taylor

Storyline

While on a VIP tour of the legendary Brickton Studios known for their classic horror movies, Scooby-Doo (Frank Welker) and friends find out that the studios is haunted by movie monsters and it's up to them to solve the mystery.

Opinion

After the success of The Lego Movie, it seems like everyone, from superheroes to cartoon characters, is getting their LEGO movie. And since I love Scooby-Doo, I had to check this one out. I haven't seen a Scooby-Doo animated film in years, but I know how they are, and I was expecting Haunted Hollywood to be just like the others, a film able to entertaining small kids only. Luckily, that wasn't the case. 

The film still has the typical and extremely simple Scooby-Doo story. If you are familiar with the Hannah-Barbera cartoon, then you know you can't expect any real mystery from it. It's pretty obvious who the monsters are.. Unless you are a kid, one of the members of the gang or detective Columbo, you'll figure it out pretty soon.

However, it managed to keep me, an adult, engaged and entertained from start to finish. To be honest, I had a pretty good time - and a few laughs - watching this, and I think the reason is the dialogue. It's not sharp or anything, but it's kinda sarcastic and makes fun of Hollywood, directors unable to do their jobs and famous actors/actresses only cast to attract more people.

Also, I was quite impressed with the voice acting. It's not great or anything, but it's pretty good for this kind of film. And the animation isn't bad either. Sure, it doesn't come close to that of The Lego Movie or The Lego Batman Movie, but it's pretty good.

The Lego Batman Movie (2017)

Genres

Action | Adventure | Animation

Director

Chris McKay

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis, Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson, Ralph Fiennes, Mariah Carey, Jenny Slate, Susan Bennett, Billy Dee Williams, Hector Elizondo, Conan O'Brien, Jason Mantzoukas, Doug Benson, Zoe Kravitz, Kate Micucci, Riki Lindhome, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Seth Green, Eddie Izzard

Storyline

To save Gotham City from the Joker's (Zach Galifianakis) hostile takeover, Batman (Will Arnett) has to drop the lone vigilante thing and work with others.

Opinion

Let's be honest, again, "The Lego Movie" wasn't supposed to work. The idea was terrible and I was sure it was going to be a silly kids movie. Needless to say, it turned into a fantastic idea as well as a fantastic film. Batman was pretty much the film's highlight, so it was more that obvious he was going to get his own film soon. It finally happened. And it was awesome.

Although it isn't as good as its predecessor, "The Lego Batman Movie" still is an entertaining, fun, lighthearted superhero flick. And the best Batman movie in years!

Better than the average superhero film, the story is simple - if you've seen the trailer, that's basically it - but it's also engaging and it has more depth that I would have ever imagined. It actually touches some important themes, among which the importance of teamwork stands out, and they are delivered in a way that kids can easily understand them.

The characters are the best part film. As they did in 2014, the filmmakers brought to the screen a different Batman, a version we are definitely not used to see. He is not the dark knight we all know, but a cocky, selfish, childish guy. In other words, some sort of Deadpool. In spite of that, he still remains a likeable character. And it's so refreshing to see this new Batman.

The writers though did not only focus on him, but they took the time to properly write the other characters as well, from the awkward Robin to the awesome Batgirl, to the Joker, the best version of this villain since Heath Ledger's. He isn't as scary as he should be - I doubt the filmmakers wanted to scare kids - still it's very interesting just like his relationship with Batman. I also loved the way the writers were able to integrate villainous characters from other universes, from Lord Voldemort to King Kong.

Other than a solid script, "The Lego Batman Movie" can also claim a lot of funny jokes, delivered as needed, than never failed to put at least a grin on my face - I guess that's the least I could do for the Joker -, dazzling, brilliant visuals, and a soundtrack that will probably have you either wanting to sing or dance. Or both.

Equally awesome is the voice cast. Will Arnett continues his parody of Bale's Batman, Michael Cera's awkwardness fits Robin to perfection, Rosario Dawson is great as Batgirl, and Ralph Fiennes is delightful as Alfred. And kudos to Zach Galifianakis, he makes the Joker so much compelling.

The Lego Movie (2014)

Genre

Adventure | Animation | Comedy

Directors

Phil Lord | Christopher Miller

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Cobie Smulders, Jadon Sand, Anthony Daniels, Dilly Dee Williams

Storyline

Ordinary construction worker Emmet (Chris Pratt) sees his life turned upside down when he is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil tyrant, Lord Business (Will Ferrell).

Opinion

Like I mentioned in a Thursday Movie Picks post a while back I had no intention to watch this film when it came out. Not to mention spending money on it. I thought it'd be just a stupid kids flick. But I let my brother convince me into going and I was utterly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Even now, after I don't know how many watches, I still find "The Lego Movie" an incredibly entertaining and fun film.

The story is quite light and kinda basic but the great thing is that the writers acknowledged that and used it to their advantage. They indeed decided not to take the story too seriously, mocking the prophecy and throwing in some clichés in a playful way, and it resulted into a very funny, interesting film with a surprising ending.

Something that will definitely win you over are the characters. From Emmet, a very likable, but ordinary guy who is said to the be one, to Bad Cop/Good Cop, they all are funny and each one of them has personality and some development. Especially Batman who is basically a parody of the Dark Knight.

What makes the characters even better is the cast. It really is impressive - I mean, there's Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, and more - and they portray the characters in a very memorable way. Also they really add to the film's comedy which is made both of goofy and clever gags.

The animation also deserves a mention because it's fantastic. It looks like a stop-motion film with a tremendous amount of detail. It is so well done, at times it's hard to believe every single thing is made of Legos.

Oh, and there's also a very catchy song that says it all, everything is awesome!