The Lego Movie
Directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller
Year: 2014
I'm going to be the bad guy. To criticize such a wildly popular movie is to potentially face a hailstorm of hatred, but I can't go lock-step with everything being awesome. The opening sequence is a fun but predictable bit of setup of structure. Lord Business (Will Ferrell) wants the power and control over all things creative and constructive. He and his overpowering thugs take out Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman), the guardian of the Kragle (Krazy Glue) and, inherently, the piece of resistance.
The next sequence was, perhaps, my favorite of the movie. Dripping with satire, we meet Emmet (Chris Pratt), the every-man, nothing-special construction worker who celebrates the droll conformity of his life, singing about how everything is awesome every step of the way. It was a hilarious mock of all things corporate in our modern lives. Emmet is rejected by his co-workers and associates he thought were pals and publicly identified as a guy without an identity (irony is everywhere). The wit of the film and the performances are not in question. It is the maniacal style and absolute barrage of visuals, inside jokes and editing apparently done to the tune of the "Everything is Awesome" song that ultimately had me checking out. Literally. Call me an old guy if you must, but I fell asleep in two different parts of the film to protect my brain from overload.
In fairness, I was sitting in the second row at the far right hand side of the aisle (because the movie is still playing at near-sellout three weeks in to its release - which is very impressive). My four year-old, just to the left of me, was absolutely delighted. Ah 40 years of decreasing brain plasticity. When the movie finally descends into the world of we mere mortals, I was so relieved I dialed in immediately. I loved the scene between Will Ferrell (as a controlling, rule-following human dad, not a lego bad guy) and his son. Ferrell has grown so much as an actor and it's a joy to watch him control his plethora of comedic talents, focusing instead on the human interaction which resonated deeply.
There were many, many funny lines, moments and characters. But that can be and is, in this case, a problem, at least for me, with the overall presentation. Much like "American Hustle", the Lego Movie is overly aware of itself, playing to and with itself to the detriment of the story. I will watch this movie many times after it's released as my son will want to see it again and again. It will be interesting to see if it mellows in my viewing experience in repeated looks.
Year: 2014
I'm going to be the bad guy. To criticize such a wildly popular movie is to potentially face a hailstorm of hatred, but I can't go lock-step with everything being awesome. The opening sequence is a fun but predictable bit of setup of structure. Lord Business (Will Ferrell) wants the power and control over all things creative and constructive. He and his overpowering thugs take out Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman), the guardian of the Kragle (Krazy Glue) and, inherently, the piece of resistance.
The next sequence was, perhaps, my favorite of the movie. Dripping with satire, we meet Emmet (Chris Pratt), the every-man, nothing-special construction worker who celebrates the droll conformity of his life, singing about how everything is awesome every step of the way. It was a hilarious mock of all things corporate in our modern lives. Emmet is rejected by his co-workers and associates he thought were pals and publicly identified as a guy without an identity (irony is everywhere). The wit of the film and the performances are not in question. It is the maniacal style and absolute barrage of visuals, inside jokes and editing apparently done to the tune of the "Everything is Awesome" song that ultimately had me checking out. Literally. Call me an old guy if you must, but I fell asleep in two different parts of the film to protect my brain from overload.
In fairness, I was sitting in the second row at the far right hand side of the aisle (because the movie is still playing at near-sellout three weeks in to its release - which is very impressive). My four year-old, just to the left of me, was absolutely delighted. Ah 40 years of decreasing brain plasticity. When the movie finally descends into the world of we mere mortals, I was so relieved I dialed in immediately. I loved the scene between Will Ferrell (as a controlling, rule-following human dad, not a lego bad guy) and his son. Ferrell has grown so much as an actor and it's a joy to watch him control his plethora of comedic talents, focusing instead on the human interaction which resonated deeply.
There were many, many funny lines, moments and characters. But that can be and is, in this case, a problem, at least for me, with the overall presentation. Much like "American Hustle", the Lego Movie is overly aware of itself, playing to and with itself to the detriment of the story. I will watch this movie many times after it's released as my son will want to see it again and again. It will be interesting to see if it mellows in my viewing experience in repeated looks.
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