Great Toy - Great Movie

Rating: 9/10 (19 August 2014)

Before I go into this review, there are a few things you should know about me. I love Lego. As a kid I could not get enough, and today, I have to be held back in the store from buying it. I will do a lot to get my hands on Lego. Perhaps even more important, I love stop-motion animation, and naturally have an extremely soft spot for Lego-based stop-motion, or brickfilms as they are affectionately called from time to time. It seems then that it would be reasonable to think I would rather like the Lego Movie, but perhaps it is worth noting that I did not personally expect the Lego Movie to be any good, even after friends of mine insisted on its brilliance. I went into the film expecting a mediocre bag of jokes, an abundance of obvious CGI and generally nothing good.
But as is so often the case I was thankfully proved very wrong in my guess. I would, without hesitation, rank it among the better films I've seen in quite some time. I personally believe, for example, that it stands well over the head of the Hunger Games and a few other recent and extravagantly popular films. But never mind, I must move on into the actual review.
The Lego Movie, what can you say? It's a movie about Lego. Some might call it an hour long commercial, which is partly true. It's an extremely effective one as well, I might add. But even if one considers it a commercial, it can still tell a story, which the Lego Movie very much does. Emmet, the main character in this film, is very much your run-of- the-mill person. He does as much as possible not to stick out. In a sense, he sticks out, only because he is so dedicated to not trying to, but this is for later analysis. Furthermore, he embodies the spirit of so many of us. Emmet is so generic, that he can encapsulate anyone as a person. And yet, he's oddly unique for it. It presents a very intriguing characterization, one which works to a remarkably wide extent. Furthermore, Emmet, in his complacency and willingness to follow rules marks a fascinating commentary on the nature of society and in particular on how businesses and corporations seemingly dictate a large portion of our lives. The "villain", a word I ironically hesitate to use about Mr. Business, a man in a suit that shrieks evil, happens to represent them. A man in a suit, with plans to control everything and keep the world still and fixed in place, using the mythical Kragle to accomplish this, Mr. Business is a well-constructed antagonist. Simultaneously wicked and evil, yet understandable and sympathetic. There is a lovely sequence in the film that demonstrates this, but it would spoil far too much for me to talk about it already, so I shall save it.
Now, while Emmet illustrates the extreme end of conformity, we have Wild Style, a lady so packed full of energy, ability, and cool that Emmet can't help but fall for her instantly. Indeed, for a piece of plastic, they do a remarkably good job of making her seem far more human than some actors can make the living flesh seem. There's far more to her than initially meets the eye, and the eventual reveal is remarkably well executed. Furthermore, her representation of ultimate individualism almost forces the viewer to adopt a middle-ground or come to their own conclusions as to what end is better, for while it seems the Lego movie favours the latter, it makes no obvious moral decision as to which is superior; a move that I find to be a highly respectful of viewers, who ought hardly be thought of as unthinking or unable to decide upon things themselves. No, the only message that is made obviously clear comes near the end, and it works so well for what it is, that I dare hardly tell what it actually is. Suffice it to say that the Lego Movie is a brilliant celebration, not just of itself, but of culture, popular and otherwise, play and most importantly creativity. An understanding that everyone is special, everyone is unique, everyone has something to contribute, even Emmet who seems so utterly deprived of anything unique; the Lego Movie is very heart-warming.
I feel it is necessary to point out that the Lego Movie is visually a masterpiece, combining stop motion animation and CGI in a way I thought almost impossible, and with set and character design that fills one with inspiration and a lust to build away. The numerous references to culture, nods towards various aspects of today's circles of jokes, particularly through its celebrity casting and choice of settings as well as characters, and even quite a number of references to Lego itself, make the Lego Movie approachable to more or less anyone. There is a wonderful level of self-awareness with the Lego Movie, and a constant feeling of it being not unlike the adventures of Lego as a child one likely had. It strikes a wonderful tone that simply can't be disdained.
I suggest you purchase this film at your nearest opportunity, regardless of convenience and sit down to watch it.