Imaginative building block fun for all ages

Rating: 10/10 (6 February 2014)

I went into The Lego Movie with eager expectations. It had the Lego brand. I expected humor, wit, and striking animation. What I didn't expect was how well executed and surprising it would actually be in all departments; the Lego movie truly knocked my socks off. Not only does it cater to the target audience, it pleases adults as well with its beautiful animation, solid voice cast and array of obnoxious humor. The storyline is engaging and its characters pop off the screen (literally) with emotion and spunk. If that's not enough, there are plenty of surprises throughout that are sure to keep you happy.
Chris Pratt voices Emmet; an ordinary construction working Lego minifigure that goes by everyday in his life thinking "everything is awesome" when in reality it is not. Little does he know he is actually part of something much bigger than himself, and Lord Business (Will Ferrell) is here to destroy it all. Emmet's adventure to become a Masterbuilder picks up quickly and we're thrown into the fray with memorable supporting characters such as the mysterious Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) and Batman himself (Will Arnett.) While the same generic 'PG' formula is present, the humor flies at you as fast as the plastic lasers on the screen, and the action sequences are drawn out to epic proportions that mimic Transformers. Lord Business reminds me of a classic Disney villain with his overbearing confidence and shiny robot minions, and there is an eye opening 'twist' at the end that even your parents won't see coming.
The Lego movie isn't a completely original film; it's based off of a toy line that has been around since the seventies. But the Lego movie is about as creative as it gets with what it has to offer; and that's the point, right? Legos are meant to be used to create and build. If you don't want to get that deep, all you have to know is the Lego movie is nothing but a good time and in my opinion, the best animated film to be released since Wreck it Ralph. (Sorry Frozen!)