Everything is awesome.

Rating: 8/10 (22 July 2014)

When I first saw this movie's trailer I was very conflicted inside. On one hand, this film could be very fun and visually inventive. On the other hand, however, it could have been nothing more than a giant advertisement for LEGO products. And then the reviews came in. HOLY SMOKES THIS IS A WELL-REVIEWED MOVIE! I don't think people realize just how well-received this film is. It is just as critically praised as any of the Pixar classic films. And after finally seeing this movie for the first time, I can see why. The first thing I should mention is its statements on how society works. It is simple and extremely inventive at the same time. The leaders dividing the land and taking out creativity puts a lot of purpose into the conflict and makes the conflict seem more realistic because humans have and still do divide up their land for their own purposes. The writers take this concept and roll with it, adding plenty of humor to boost. Speaking of the humor, this film is also very funny. It's one of those laugh-a-minute gag sort of movies, which is both a good and bad thing. Good because most of gags really work. Bad because these gags taking away from developing any character in the film. Like I'm pretty sure few people could explain more than two things about each character. Both the main character and villain are rather weak and not that entertaining because there is very little time to develop either of them. Speaking of that adding a clique "You've got to believe in yourself" isn't creative in the slightest and doesn't add to the main character's personality at all. The character I connected to the most wasn't Emmet, wasn't Wyldstyle, but that Uni-Kitty thing. The Uni-Kitty lost its entire home and did its best to always have a smile on its face. It was depressing to watch her almost lose it. This is a problem because the most relatable character was a side character with little purpose or dialogue. I can't go any further without any spoilers, so SPOILER ALERT. If you want to see this movie but haven't yet, skip the following paragraph.
The fact that the kid is controlling the LEGOS is very creative don't get me wrong, but it's also very confusing. The kid is controlling everything, but then whispers to Emmett "It's up to you." ...what?! Weren't you controlling him the whole time? Because I'm pretty sure the film made it clear that Emmett struggled moving in real life.
That being said, this is a visual masterpiece. The LEGO Movie is a mix of stop-motion and CGI, and it is gorgeous to watch. The film's highlights are easily the awesome action scenes where the Master Builders are building and/or rearranging legos. I know it seems like I have a lot to complain, but the thing about the parts I enjoyed is that I don't have to explain them that much. The humor is at some points hilarious and the visuals are absolutely stunning. It's just that these LEGO characters need to build up some character. So "everything is awesome" may be a bit of an overstatement, but the LEGO Movie certainly shows why LEGOS are still popular after all of these years.