The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part - Review: After a Shaky, Rehashed First Half, the Sequel Cleverly Captures the Spirit of the Original
Release date (US): February 8th, 2019
Starring: Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Tiffany Haddish, Stephanie Beatriz, Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Channing Tatum
Starring: Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Tiffany Haddish, Stephanie Beatriz, Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Channing Tatum
**DISCLAIMER**: This is a subjective, opinionated article that does not have, nor should have any effect on your opinion. As such, my opinion is entitled to change over time and whatever is written here at this point in time may not and should not be held to me in the future. You are not meant to agree with me 100 percent of the time, because the nature of subjectivity is we see everything differently. If there is something you happen to disagree with, I absolutely respect your point of view if you will respect mine. Please keep this in mind.
The Review
Let me join the millions in saying that when the first film in the franchise was released, I had zero expectation that it would be good. The trailers were, in my opinion, horrendous, and the mere audacity that a studio would make such a ridiculous concept into a big-budget movie was ludicrous. And let me also join many more millions in saying that The LEGO Movie was one of my favorite movies of 2014. It was funny, inventive, original, and most of all (perhaps most surprisingly), heart-warming.
So to say that my expectations for the sequel were high is an understatement. The trailers, yes, were lackluster yet again, but I took that as a source of courage. I thought, perhaps because the marketing was following the same trend as the original, that the sequel would prosper just like the first.
And while the sequel wasn't exactly what I was expecting, and not exactly what I wanted at times, I can say that it succeeded in recapturing the same charm and heart-warming vibe that the first film encapsulated.
Chris Pratt playing Emmet turned out to be one of the most genius casting decisions ever. He embodies the blank, lovable, goofy charm like no other, and in the second part, it's much of the same. Emmet picks up right where he left off, even though the world has gone into chaos. He's still the endearing character that we fell in love with in the first film, trying to make the best out of some terrible situations.
What I wasn't quite as sure about was his counterpart, Rex Dangervest, who is also voiced by Chris Pratt. Dangervest is essentially an amalgamation of every single action role htat Pratt himself has played in the past five or so years, from space ranger (Star Lord) to raptor trainer (Jurassic World). And there is a heavy, HEAVY emphasis on the dinosaurs in the movie, a lot bigger than I could have possibly imagined. There are times when Pratt's Dangervest does seem like a perfect ying to Emmet's yang. And yet, there are others where he really does seem like a caricature. An over-the-top exaggeration, trying to poke fun at popular culture, but instead succeeding in pounding the same joke over the audience's head.
The supporting cast, including some wonderful cameos that won't be spoiled here, are great as usual. Tiffany Haddish's villain, whose name is so convoluted that I won't bother to spell it here, is the most interesting out of the bunch. She has an interesting arc and motivation, but when the film comes to a close, you're left wondering why her character did some of the things she does. Haddish is great in the role, and her comedic timing is generally in line with the rest of the cast, especially with Will Arnett's Batman, but there are some moments that really do pull you out of the film.
And that's the biggest problem of the film. It's the first hour. The first hour is so hell-bent on trying to pick up the pieces (pun intended) of the ramifications of the last film, that it almost feels like it's trying too hard. It really shows. There are moments where you can tell where the filmmakers are trying to take their own stab at the source material, but then there are others where it feels like a group of fans trying to recreate the vibe of the original.
This odd mixture makes for a tonally dissonant first half, with some great moments, some questionable ones, and some downright cringey ones as well. There was a certain segment towards the beginning of the second act that began to devolve into a musical for no apparent reason. The music in the original was quirky, but it fit the tone and the narrative of the movie. This film felt like it was trying to have that same odd, quirky music for the sake of being the same as the original rather than for any novel or new purpose.
There is something to be said about where the lsat film left off as well. Phil Lord and Chris Miller inadvertently cornered themselves when they set the events of the film in the mind of a young child with his father, Will Ferrell, representing Lord Business. Now that those rules have been established, they're impossible to ignore, so the sequel tries its hardest to play around with those rules again. And while the concept and the ideas presented in this film are nice, especially towards the end, the fact of the mater is that we've seen it before. There's a huge vibe of "been there, done that" throughout the movie, and while I think that that was in no fault of the directors of the sequel, it was something they had to deal with.
But perhaps the one aspect that the film truly does well is play with interpersonal (interminifigural?) relationships, not just in the LEGO world, but in the real world as well. The movie is trying to tell a message about unity. Whereas the original was trying to tell a story about breaking from the mold and being original, this film tries to reconcile the ideas of being different and yet still being in harmony with one another. And much like the first film, it's extremely creative. The animation lends itself to some incredible visuals that make your head spin. And the way the bricks are manipulated in such a photorealistic way is absolutely incredible.
These characters are, for the most part, three-dimensional, and that's really what carries the story. From the beginning, you're hanging in there not because of the story, but becuase of Emmet. He's such a likable, well-rounded character that has such pure intentions. It's not often that we see that. And when he's challenged with ideas of good and evil, right and wrong, you really do get to see his inner struggle, which I appreciated. There are new layers added on to Wyldstyle as well, more than before. And even Tiffany Haddish's character had a few interesting wrinkles that I didn't see coming either.
Once the movie picks up int eh second and third acts, it gets going and knows exactly where it wants to end up. While a little generic at times, the finale brings to a close a story that is really small-scale, much like the original, which ended with a father and son being able to meet in the middle.
In Conclusion: While the story may not have been nearly as strong, the inventiveness and creativity of the LEGO world is still there. Everything you loved from the original, for the most part, is still there. And while the films struggles to break free from the mold that the first film set, it realizes in the middle that it doesn't have to, and instead fully embraces it. And when it does, all the bricks fall into place.
So to say that my expectations for the sequel were high is an understatement. The trailers, yes, were lackluster yet again, but I took that as a source of courage. I thought, perhaps because the marketing was following the same trend as the original, that the sequel would prosper just like the first.
And while the sequel wasn't exactly what I was expecting, and not exactly what I wanted at times, I can say that it succeeded in recapturing the same charm and heart-warming vibe that the first film encapsulated.
Chris Pratt playing Emmet turned out to be one of the most genius casting decisions ever. He embodies the blank, lovable, goofy charm like no other, and in the second part, it's much of the same. Emmet picks up right where he left off, even though the world has gone into chaos. He's still the endearing character that we fell in love with in the first film, trying to make the best out of some terrible situations.
What I wasn't quite as sure about was his counterpart, Rex Dangervest, who is also voiced by Chris Pratt. Dangervest is essentially an amalgamation of every single action role htat Pratt himself has played in the past five or so years, from space ranger (Star Lord) to raptor trainer (Jurassic World). And there is a heavy, HEAVY emphasis on the dinosaurs in the movie, a lot bigger than I could have possibly imagined. There are times when Pratt's Dangervest does seem like a perfect ying to Emmet's yang. And yet, there are others where he really does seem like a caricature. An over-the-top exaggeration, trying to poke fun at popular culture, but instead succeeding in pounding the same joke over the audience's head.
The supporting cast, including some wonderful cameos that won't be spoiled here, are great as usual. Tiffany Haddish's villain, whose name is so convoluted that I won't bother to spell it here, is the most interesting out of the bunch. She has an interesting arc and motivation, but when the film comes to a close, you're left wondering why her character did some of the things she does. Haddish is great in the role, and her comedic timing is generally in line with the rest of the cast, especially with Will Arnett's Batman, but there are some moments that really do pull you out of the film.
And that's the biggest problem of the film. It's the first hour. The first hour is so hell-bent on trying to pick up the pieces (pun intended) of the ramifications of the last film, that it almost feels like it's trying too hard. It really shows. There are moments where you can tell where the filmmakers are trying to take their own stab at the source material, but then there are others where it feels like a group of fans trying to recreate the vibe of the original.
This odd mixture makes for a tonally dissonant first half, with some great moments, some questionable ones, and some downright cringey ones as well. There was a certain segment towards the beginning of the second act that began to devolve into a musical for no apparent reason. The music in the original was quirky, but it fit the tone and the narrative of the movie. This film felt like it was trying to have that same odd, quirky music for the sake of being the same as the original rather than for any novel or new purpose.
There is something to be said about where the lsat film left off as well. Phil Lord and Chris Miller inadvertently cornered themselves when they set the events of the film in the mind of a young child with his father, Will Ferrell, representing Lord Business. Now that those rules have been established, they're impossible to ignore, so the sequel tries its hardest to play around with those rules again. And while the concept and the ideas presented in this film are nice, especially towards the end, the fact of the mater is that we've seen it before. There's a huge vibe of "been there, done that" throughout the movie, and while I think that that was in no fault of the directors of the sequel, it was something they had to deal with.
But perhaps the one aspect that the film truly does well is play with interpersonal (interminifigural?) relationships, not just in the LEGO world, but in the real world as well. The movie is trying to tell a message about unity. Whereas the original was trying to tell a story about breaking from the mold and being original, this film tries to reconcile the ideas of being different and yet still being in harmony with one another. And much like the first film, it's extremely creative. The animation lends itself to some incredible visuals that make your head spin. And the way the bricks are manipulated in such a photorealistic way is absolutely incredible.
These characters are, for the most part, three-dimensional, and that's really what carries the story. From the beginning, you're hanging in there not because of the story, but becuase of Emmet. He's such a likable, well-rounded character that has such pure intentions. It's not often that we see that. And when he's challenged with ideas of good and evil, right and wrong, you really do get to see his inner struggle, which I appreciated. There are new layers added on to Wyldstyle as well, more than before. And even Tiffany Haddish's character had a few interesting wrinkles that I didn't see coming either.
Once the movie picks up int eh second and third acts, it gets going and knows exactly where it wants to end up. While a little generic at times, the finale brings to a close a story that is really small-scale, much like the original, which ended with a father and son being able to meet in the middle.
In Conclusion: While the story may not have been nearly as strong, the inventiveness and creativity of the LEGO world is still there. Everything you loved from the original, for the most part, is still there. And while the films struggles to break free from the mold that the first film set, it realizes in the middle that it doesn't have to, and instead fully embraces it. And when it does, all the bricks fall into place.
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