Directed by: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Written by: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Dan Hageman, Kevin Kageman
Starring: Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Liam Neeson, Charlie Day, Morgan Freeman
Released: April 3, 2014
Grade: A-

The Lego Movie
If you think living in North Korea would be tough, wait until you see what the residents in Lego World have to deal with. They are ruled by the controlling Lord Business (not democratically elected), they are segregated based on the appearance, and they have to continually follow a set of rigid instructions.

The biggest problem is that the residents don’t know any better. The film opens with a catchy musical number that sees pretty much every character declare that “everything is awesome” and that “everything is cool when you’re part of a team”. They all believe they live in utopia and so they’re happy to work and sing and dance all day long.

Well, not everyone believes that. There’s a small rebel faction that are looking to overthrow Lord Business before he unleashes the Kragle – a dangerous weapon with the power to freeze anything in its path. Knowing they don’t have the numbers to win a battle, this group have put their faith in a higher power. In accordance with an ancient prophecy, they believe a “chosen one” will discover a mysterious object that can stop the Kragle and defeat Lord Business.

Cue the hero. Emmet is an ordinary construction worker with no family, no hobbies, and no interests. In fact, he couldn’t be any more “ordinary”. No one thinks he’s the right person (including Emmet himself) but fate has dealt him an interesting hand. He clumsy fell down a hole on a construction site and at the bottom was the all-important “Piece of Resistance”. Now he just needs to figure out what to do with it.

There’s a lot to like about The Lego Movie. Let’s start with the animation. Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs), assisted by animation director Chris McKay (Robot Chicken), have created a computer-generated film that has a stop-motion type look. It’s a perfect fit for these characters. They’ve been brought to life but still move in a rigid, robotic-manner. It’s like a high-class version of the short films that Lego fans create and post on YouTube.

The story also deserves a huge wrap. When it comes to using Lego, you can (1) follow the instructions and build exactly what appears on the front of the box, or (2) start with a whole bunch of pieces, get creative, and build something original. The film takes this concept and uses it as a metaphor for life. Sometimes it’s important to think outside the square and do something completely different.

The characters aren’t quite as loveable / endearing as the Toy Story series (the pinnacle in this genre) but they’ll provide plenty of laughs for kids and adults alike. As an example, Liam Neeson voices a police officer who can play both a smiling “good cop” and a frowning “bad cop”. All you have to do is turn his head around. The film also uses characters from other series which include Batman, Harry Potter, The Simpsons, The Lord Of The Rings and Star Wars. Even Abraham Lincoln makes an appearance!

I was sceptical about the concept of a Lego film but those doubts have been well and truly put to rest. This is one of the most creative animated features in recent years. I never imagined that so much could be made from the concept. Made for just $60 million (that’s low compared to Dreamworks and Pixar), it’s already pulled in more than $240 million in the United States alone. A sequel, scheduled for release in 2017, has already been given the rubber stamp. Hopefully, it’s just as good.

You can read by chat with animation director Chris McKay by clicking here.