The Lego Movie: All the pieces fit to make a very good film.

Rating: 8/10 (2 August 2014)

President Business (Will Ferrell) steals the Kragle, an object of unlimited power, from Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman) a prophet who predicts that someone called the Special , will find another object called the Piece of Resistance, that has the ability to stop the all-powerful Kragle from inflicting any harm. An average construction worker named Emmitt Brickowski (Chris Pratt) is so good at fitting in, and following all the rules, that he doesn't leave an impression on anyone.
Emmitt is happy listening to his favorite song, "Everything Is Awesome" and watching his favorite show, "Where Are My Pants" both produced by the Octan corporation, whose CEO is President Business. He follows the blueprints to build everything, and is perfectly content to go on living the way he lives. Emmitt is at the construction site after hours, telling someone to leave because it's against the rules. All of a sudden, he realizes that the intruder is the most beautiful girl he's ever seen. Her name is Wildstyle (Elizabeth Banks) and she's after the Piece of Resistance. While Emmitt is transfixed by Wildstyle the Piece of Resistance becomes permanently affixed to Emmitt, and he can't take it off. Now that Emmitt has the Piece of Resistance he becomes a target of President Business and his loyal foot soldier Bad Cop (Liam Neeson) President Business is planning to use the Kragle to immobilize the citizens of his realm on Taco Tuesday, because he is a rigid dictator. Can Emmitt evade Bad Cop and get the Piece of Resistance to the top of the Octan Tower before President Business uses the Kragle on his populace? Is Emmitt the Special? Does he fulfill the prophesy?
This is a wonderful movie. The Everyman has a chance to rise to the occasion, and become the Special. That might be a hackneyed premise, it may even be borrowed from movies like Star Wars and The Matrix, but that's what makes this movie so endearing, it doesn't take itself too seriously at all. It's even subtly subversive, OK obviously subversive, anti-corporate and wackily anti-conformist. The Lego Movie does lose its focus a bit when it becomes solely about product placement when Emmitt zooms around the different playsets, but unlike Transformers (Similar toy, worse movies) The Lego Movie finds its footing, and has a satisfying ending, which is neither cloying nor saccharine, but heartfelt. More important than all the adult themes kids learn the importance of individuality, and also working together when necessary. Those themes may seem contradictory, but they are not in this movie.
The voice talent is amazing in this movie. Chris Pratt plays Emmitt as a low key hero. Morgan Freeman is splendid, just hearing his golden voice as the prophet Vitruvius is worth the price of a rental. Will Ferrell redeems himself after a string of lousy movies, as the evil President Business, but there's more to his character than initially appears. Elizabeth Banks has a great voice, she conveys a sense of innocence, and yet her voice sounds sexy. Can I say she has a sexy voice in a movie aimed at kids? Well it's true. Will Arnett is hilarious as Batman, and Liam Neeson makes a nice comedic turn as Bad Cop. There are cameos by a few Star Wars stars, Anthony Daniels and Billy Dee Williams add to the laughs, and professional voice actor Keith Ferguson does a pretty serviceable Harrison Ford impression as Han Solo. Shaquille O' Neal even shows up as himself. All the actors understood how much fun this movie was, and joined in the spirit of making a truly entertaining film.
The pacing of this movie is more like an action film than an animated film, so the 1 hour 40 minute length goes by in a flash, rent it and watch it with your kids, or watch it with your friends, it's that funny.
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