Customer Reviews

The Lego Movie [DVD] [2014]

I, like most, was skeptical when news came that a Lego Movie was being produced. Then I discovered that the writer/directors, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, has also created Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and 21 Jump Street, two films that I thoroughly enjoy watching. Then the trailer hit, and my interest started to peak. I still had my reservations, but I went into the movie with high hopes. I can't tell you how glad I am that I did.

Reviews have been nothing short of glowing, and while we often like to challenge their views, I completely agree with what they say. First of all, the animation. You may find it difficult to believe that you can watch a whole movie created with animated lego figures and not find it at least a little jarring. I thought that, even after five minutes of the movie had gone, but you soon get used to it and come to appreciate its unique style. I adored the sets, ranging from your stereotypical Western village to your stereotypical party resort. There was such attention to detail that you could practically look anywhere on the screen and be entertained by something (I saw Dumbledore showing off his dance skills in one scene). With regards to the 3D, it was very well done and perfectly enhanced every set and every action sequence, particularly one that involves a lego ocean.

The voice cast was utterly charming, starting with Chris Pratt, who has really come into his own as an actor. 2014 is sure to be a huge year for him. Supporting players such as Elizabeth Banks, a hilarious Morgan Freeman, Will Ferrell, Alison Brie and Will Arnett are each very strong additions to the movie. However, it is Liam Neeson who arguably steels the show. His change from Good Cop to Bad Cop is hilarious, and he isn't afraid to just go crazy and have fun with his character, which I liked seeing as he is normally quite a brooding actor.

The humour was not only flat out some of the funniest things I've heard in a while, it also came in rapid succession, and you may miss one or two jokes because you've been laughing for almost five minutes. I had a huge grin on my face throughout the entire film, especially the 'Everything is Awesome' sequence, which had the entire audience going wild. There truly is something for everyone in this movie; kids will love the sets and slapstick, while adults will relish the pop culture references and parodies of genre cliches.

Up until the last fifteen minutes or so, the movie is a hilarious, non-stop adventure that has everyone on the floor. However, Lord and Miller cleverly chose the final act to covey some touching messages that took me completely by surprise. It was like Toy Story 3 and How to Train Your Dragon all over again. Prepare yourself, this one's a tearjerker.

Overall, I simply can't recommend this movie enough. Yes, you could say the final third is somewhat 'controversial', and yes you could say the animation is distracting. But for me, this was the perfect family adventure that someone of any age can enjoy. It's also a movie that I would definitely be open to viewing multiple times; it's just that good.

Wow this was really good, lol really showed what lego was all about!

I guess the only downside to this would be the long wait for the home video release..but its something to look forward to!

Everything is totally awesome. There is nobody else in mainstream comedy that are as consistently good as Lord & Miller, following 21 Jump Street and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs these guys are on a killer run. Amazing cast. Funny dialogue. Charming animation. And really surreal, the whole thing goes on a couple of a tangents that are unexpected but make the film all the more endearing in the process. What sold it all though was the final act, to frame the whole thing like that gives the Lego movie a beautifully considered sense of wonder. It also helps that its SO much fun.

We saw this movie because my 8-year-old said, "Daddy, can we go see The Lego Movie?!" so away we went.

So to the question of entertainment value, as I said in the subject line, the adults and kids both seemed highly entertained. We were in a full theatre and one gentleman in particular seemed to be outrageously entertained with his incontinent guffawing. The kids were, of course, entertained enough and the movie had humor working on all levels from the youngest kids to the adults, though nothing REALLY adult, if you get my drift.

As to production quality of the movie, I was extremely impressed with the level of visual detail. I had assumed that since the Lego world is, of necessity, rather low resolution, that the movie might be clunky but they didn't shy away from high-definition situations. Seeing Legos animated into an undulating ocean, explosions, fire or billowing smoke and dust was particularly surprising. In a similar vein, if you go see this movie be sure you keep an eye on the stuff going on in the background. I noted several scenes in which what was going on behind the focal point of the camera was at least as entertaining as what was going on in front.

Lastly, on the topic of actually learning something, this movie was surprisingly deep. On the surface there was a profound lesson on the value of individuality vs working as a team. Often in children's movies the themes crow constantly about being your own person and doing your own thing but this one has a strong streak teaching the value of working together and accomplishing more than any set of individuals working separately could. Later in the film, parents get a strong admonition about letting kids be kids and practice their individual creativity rather than trying to get kids to fit into strict parental expectations. All in all lot to learn here.

In summary, Izzy said, "Best movie Ever!" but then she always says that. On my part I wouldn't say best movie ever but it had a lot to say, was technically well executed and featured lots of famous voices that parents will recognize. I'm not sure what more you could want than that.

I've never seen a hit animated film be so different, in way of visuals, storytelling, etc. It was very rewarding to watch this in the cinema and I got a sense that everybody was enjoying seeing something new and unique. It's rich with symbolism and allegories for everyday life and society etc, which added a lot of enjoyment for me. It also has a song which will seriously get in your head, for better or for worse.

I'm giving this 4 stars as I enjoyed films like Finding Nemo slightly more, so I hold that film up as a 5 stars benchmark, but really, this was really well done and I do want to watch it again.

Just for balance, the people I was viewing this with did not enjoy it, for some reason. They just said it "looked bad". Not sure what they were looking at, or why they were hung up on that. Oh well, you can't please everyone.

The idea of a Lego movie really didn't entice my enthusiasm one Iota, and the trailer was even more discouraging.

But i'm here to say that this is one of the funniest, sweetest, family films I've seen in a while.

The premise is simple, a prophecy is held stating that a special master builder will find a piece that will defeat lord business, and stop him from destroying the world.

Jump eight and a half years later, we meet Emmet, an ordinary man who follows the instructions by the book, and goes unnoticed by his work colleagues and pretty much everyone in general.

That is until he spots a stranger around the building site, and he discovers the sacred piece, and a policeman who's less than friendly....

Suddenly his life changes forever....

First and foremost its a kids movie, but its a film for everyone. Not one of those movies that has separate jokes for adults, but one that the whole family can laugh at/with.

And the reason why the film works, is because it's just so bonkers that you cannot help but love it. One minute we have a wonderful Batman being cocky toward everybody, or Superman trying to avoid The Green Lantern, or Han Solo trying to find a party, to Milhouse.

There's something here for everyone. The voice work is brilliant, and even though the leads are brilliant Neeson steals the movie from everyone as his bad cop/good cop hybrid.

The adventure goes from world to different world, and each world carries a vast array of colour and character, but that's not the joker up the movies sleeve.

The final third spins the whole film on its head, and turns it into a totally different film that you were watching for seventy five minutes.

Its clever, funny, and most of all, touching.

Well worth seeing with the whole family, and see it before people tell you the secret....

In which two global enterprises combine to present a film about how bad business is. To the extent that the bad guy is called..... Business. A 100+ minuite advert for a product that people pay to see? And it's bleeding Lego! which doesn't lend itself to animation or warmth, or a suspension of disbelief.The signs ain't good. Is this what we fought the punk wars for? Justifiably low expectations then, a couple of hours of my life I am not gonna get back? This is going to have to deliver on several levels to be even acceptable. I've SEEN Pokemon 3 - I KNOW how bad these things can get.

(There will now be a short pause whilst this writer swallows his pride, and eats his words.)

Thank you for your patience.

On every level this film delivers like no other. It is witty, sharp, funny- very VERY funny in so many places. It is fast paced- to such an extent that some of the sequences are just dizzying. The quality of animation is out of this world. It is simply sensational, the best there has ever been. After the first five minuites I treated this movie no different to any other animated movie- you buy into it, and go with it and unless it jars, you immerse yourself in it. Except I couldn't help thinking from time to time "This is LEGO" which just made it even better. The Ocean sequences, the "flames" everything was proper lego propely animated.

Some of the characterisation is, shall we say, 2 dimensional. You know, an obvious good guy, an obvious bad guy, and an obvious love interest, but it's a kids movie, so that's ok..

Some of the characterisation however, isn't. Lego Batman, who gets some of THE best lines in the whole thing, is just the revelation of the film for me. He is just side splittingly funny, and one of his payoffs to his girlfriend is worthy of putting on a t shirt. "If our relationship is to grow, you just have to let me party for days with a bunch of guys I've never met. So Long. I WILL text you." Liam Neesons Good Cop Bad Cop (one of them a dead ringer for Eric "respect my AUTHORITAAAAAH" Cartman) is quite frankly, brilliant.

It isn't all great. There are a couple of moments that quite frankly could have ben done better with a bit more thought (the table sequence, the final Batman sequence) but when you put them up against the frenzied building sequence with everyone yelling for parts Just Like Kids Really Do, with Batman going "Any Black ones, I need. I only work with black. Or very dark grey." Or the priceless joyful yelling of "Spaceship. Spaacceeshipppp" (i won't explain. you will know.) The downsides are very minor. I could have done with a different last 20 mins, but what the hell. I'm sold. Sometimes you just have to accept that when corporate works- Ant and Dec, Vodaphone, The Lego Movie- it works exceedingly well.

Lord Business (Will Ferrell) is looking to Krazy Glue the entire Lego universe together in an effort to stop people messing with his stuff - the prophecy says only 'The Special' can stop him. When regular guy, Emmett (Chris Pratt) is mistaken for 'The Special' he is thrown into a journey that will take him across the Lego universe to meet with the other Master Builders - among them, Batman (Will Arnett), WyldStyle (Elizabeth Banks) and Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman) - can Emmett stop Lord Business from gluing this brick-based world together and ruining creativity forever? Time will tell...

The Lego movie is something unique - first off it's the first feature-length "stop-motion" Lego movie but it's actually heavily-embellished CGI meaning people's faces emote and the animation is a lot smoother than it would have been otherwise - but the respect for the basic movement principals and worlds of Lego are all there. This is a very smart movie - I don't mean intellectual, but you can put the kids in front of it and they will appreciate it for it's fast-paced and colourful tomfoolery, but there are also a lot of jokes for adults too that will sail over the heads of younger viewers - the corporate Orwellian feel to President Business' empire for example. The incredibly sarcastic and arrogant Batman was hilarious and by far my favourite character ("If anyone finds black pieces they're mine; I only build in black...or occasionally, very dark grey) - there are cameos from Star Wars Lego sets and numerous other popular culture references. The relationship between Superman (Channing Tatum) and Green Lantern (Jonah Hill) was very funny, a nod to their roles together in 21 Jump Street - which the directors of this movie also helmed.

It is an incredibly intricate movie, nearly every scene has things going on in the background that you will miss first time around, whether it's the set pieces or in-jokes. Most of all, I loved the nostalgia; I had a lot of these Lego pieces as a kid; the glow-in-the-dark ghost cover for the Lego men - the 1980's Space-guy - complete with the scuffed logo & broken helmet - mine was broken in exactly the same place. The only downside I felt was the final few minutes of the movie where it reverts to real-world cinema - but this is easy to forgive when the preceding hour has been filled with incredible animation, voice-acting and Lego action.

Extra Content: There is a digital copy of the film included with this disc - with Ultraviolet codings (UV is a digital locker for your media, you have to register an account and upload your unique product code, but then you can stream it or download it anywhere on the planet on any medium).

Highly recommended for the best 'U' rated movie in ages.

The best family films or children's films - the ones that stand the test of time - all have one thing in common; they have the adults hooked. Lego may or may not go down as a great family film and only time will tell. But I have a feeling it will be well remembered.

I actually went to see this with my wife. I LOVED playing with Lego as a boy (I still consider my space station with a custom built Mono rail, gun-turret, science lab, computer station and medical bay to be awesome) and my wife goes through the Lego X-Box games like there's no tomorrow. Both of us thought is was brilliant.

Why? Well first, it is infectiously catchy and fun. Nods to the 80s era spaceman were hilarious as was the Batman character. And Morgan ''I'm in everything'' Freeman is just great.

Children will enjoy the fast pace fun and thrills and there are enough nudge-nudge, wink-wink jokes to keep the adults in hysterics.

But somehow what I loved best was the moral tale at the end. I write this as my son's 4th birthday approaches and he will soon be hold enough to play with proper Lego. And the lesson is this: A child's imagination is incredible. So when they end up building a toy that has a medieval knight piloting a space ship to take a wounded pirate to the hospital/batcave, don't correct them and tell them where everything should go. Let their imagination run wild. Because that is why Lego has been so successful for years. That's why I loved playing with it and why (I hope) my son will love it.

A wonderfully enjoyable film for all ages. If you ever built anything from those colourful bricks that hurt so much when you step on them then you will have a great time watching this film.

p.s. Everything is awesome! Now that will be going round YOUR head for the next few days!

Saw this movie today and boy was i entertained by this amazing feature of stop-motion animation all done brilliantly with the best construction toy ever, a brilliant cast playing brilliant characters. I loved all the references for all Lego ranges past and present!

I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone (and by anyone i mean everyone), i would definitely see it again and can't wait to own it on DVD!!