The LEGO MOVIE 2: The Second Part РDirector: Mike Mitchell. Starring: Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Tiffany Haddish and Stephanie Beatriz. Cert: U, 107 mins
Not Easy to Recreate Genius
That about sums it up! Or, if you prefer a personalized, personified version of the review, “The first part of The LEGO Movie was worth loving, but I only liked the second part.”
Now that does not mean the film is terrible by any means. In fact, for fans of almost all possible movie genres, the animation and live-action parallel narrative is a world to be lost in. However, it was already improbable that the brilliant screenwriters could come up with yet another equally powerful narrative as the first one. The LEGO Movie 2 suffers from one of the most recurrent problems in cinematic history: That any prequel to a genius movie’s or series’ plot is bound to be subpar after the heavily raised expectations of the pilot episode slash film.
The Missing Twist
The transition to a prequel is both seamless, smooth, and is as inspiring as possible. However, the approach to the movie doesn’t feel as innovative or interesting as the first one. The LEGO Movie found its moment of limelight with its final reveal which showed that the entire storyline was actually the dreamy and imaginative work of an eight-year-old boy. This allowed the creators to introduce a moment of heartbreak after the extreme visual mania of an insane number of movie references. The movie started as sweet, goofy, and comedic, but it ended up on a sorrowful note which left the audience at least three quarters as astounded as the ending of ‘The Inception”, if not equally awed.
With that cat out of the bag, The Lego Movie 2 continues a parallel narrative, though with lesser power than before. Action movie fans will immediately recognize the opening scenery as a¬†LEGO-fied Mad Max. Named as Apocalypseburg, it has been totally invaded by invaders from Planet Duplo, which is courtesy of Finn’s father at the end of the first film, who had asserted that his son should share his adventures with his younger sister. It is for the same reason, I believe, that the second LEGO Movie installment sees its Heroes kidnapped by members of the Systar system (Get it?). However, growing older than before, Finn now sees his playtime become darker and more brooding and The Caped Crusader as his natural savior. His sister, on the other hand, enjoys covering everything in glitter and stickers, which was where the first movie left off.
A message at the center?
Clearly, THE LEGO Movie 2 is a simple message to the children.¬†Be Nice to your siblings. Most probably that is why Finn’s sister was introduced in the first part and that is exactly why she has stayed. Adults also may take their own message from the movie, and they can easily take it to be a commentary on Chris Pratt’s own wild career which started with a loveable buffoon and turned into an action hero. Or, more accurately, the film delivers the most important message to the contemporary world:¬†Put aside our differences, unite, and believe. Then there would be so many things for us to learn from each other.
Streamlining the LEGO Movie 2
Since the entire movie is a barrage of constant action and entertainment, as well as some rather interesting moving parts, both visually and metaphorically, the outcome is far less smooth than one could have hoped for. However, if one were to aspire for pure entertainment and comedy, then The LEGO Movie 2 delivers and delivers well. There is an equally astounding number of jokes as before and they come at an equally offensive rate. The creators have congruently distributed them for adults and kids and pop culture fans alike, and Warner Bros has clearly jabbed at the wreck they had made out of Dawn of Justice. On the other hand, they also made Aquaman more prominent as he yells his signature “My Man!” line, and they also made references to¬†Twilight and¬†Radiohead.
The LEGO Movie 2 is another marvelous creation by the famous screenwriters and directors and it is an amazing amalgam of live action, computer animation, and pop culture references. Will Arnett’s Batman is a really loveable performance and certainly gives a whole new angle to the Bat of Gotham. Phil Lord and Chris Miller have again delivered with a goofy, interesting script and we recommend giving it a watch.
