The LEGO Movie

THE LEGO MOVIE

Director : Phil Lord & Chris Miller

Year : 2014

Genre : Animation

Rating : *****

While at first glance 'The LEGO Movie' may seem like the most blatant example of product placement in cinema history, it actually turns out to be one of the best animated films I have ever seen thanks a great script, extrememly likable characters and an infectious good heart. Featuring the voices of Chris Pratt, Elizabath Banks, Liam Neeson, Will Arnett, Will Ferrell and Morgan Freeman, 'The LEGO Movie' is a hilarious and heart warming story about the dangers of conformity, the need for friendship and the ultimate desire to be the best that we can be and this immediately allows it to shine above the recent crop of cookie cutter and generic aimations that the major studios have spoonfed to us over the past decade or so. Beautifully realised, perfectly directed and standing as a true testament to good filmmaking, 'The LEGO Movie' could possibly be the greatest animated film since 1995's groundbreaking magnum opus 'Toy Story'.

Emmet (Pratt) is an everyday guy. Content to conform with the instructions that explain how to lead a perfectly simple and quiet life, he blissfully passes through time while not caring about the future and living each day as if it was the last. However, his peaceful existence is soon shattered when he informed by the tough as nails Wyldstyle (Banks) that he is destined to stop the evil tyrant Lord Business (Ferrell) from destroying the world with the lethal 'KRAGLE'; a strange substance that has the power to freeze the entire universe. With the help of Wyldstyle, the old wizard Vitruvius (Freeman), LEGO Batman (Arnett) and a host of cameos from some of the most famous faces in popular culture, Emmett must face his destiny and become the man he was prophecised to be. 

With a laugh a minute script, 'The LEGO movie' is easily one of the funniest animated movies in recent years. Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the humour is very reminscent of Monty Python and with references to everything from current pop culture to relatable nostalgia, the film works as a genuine comedy; just as the pairs first film 'Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs' did.  Watching the film in a crowded cinema with dozens of kids and their parents, it was obvious that the adults were having just as much, if not more fun as their children and this atmosphere of unified joy and communal hilarity made the screening of 'The LEGO Movie' of the best I have ever had.

To me, LEGO is possibly the most inanimate toy possible and this is why I never enjoyed playing with it as a child (I was much more of a K'Nex kid). However despite this, Miller and Lord use the geometry of the blocks and the colours of the plastic to their advantage by creating beautifully realised landscapes and breath taking moments of ingenious visual invention. From explosions to water droplets, from the buildings to the characters, every single frame of the film is made of virtual LEGO and this lends the picture an aesthetic that is extremely eye catching and hugely entertaining to watch. The imagination that has gone into the design of 'The LEGO Movie' is simply stunning and I am so glad that the directors have used the medium of LEGO and the nostalgia that surrounds it to such great effect. I was sat in my seat in a state of simultaneous joy and wide mouthed awe at the scope of the film and the effort that has gone into making this universe so layered and full of character while still maintaining the core modus operandi of the toy; to build worlds beyond our wildest dreams. Shot in a magnificent stop motion style, 'The LEGO Movie' is a triumph of computer effects, technical proficiency and the art of animation.

While the film may look visually stunning, it would be nothing without the pitch perfect voice casting and every single actor does a bang up job of making their characters instantly likable and insatiably funny. As the lead, Chris Pratt does a great job as Emmett; a small but ambitious man who wants to make the world a better place but is held in check by forced conformity. His blissful naivety is greatly contrasted by the rest of the cast who are forthright and determined to stop the danger that is coming to their universe. These include a feisty but empathetic Elizabeth Banks, a hilarious blind wizard voiced by Morgan Freeman and of course, Batman. Easily one of the funniest characters in the entire movie, his character pokes fun at the superhero's iconic legacy and moody idiosyncracies while still maintaining an air of respect for the characters million of  fans. Will Ferrell is great fun as the villainous Lord Business who wants to freeze the world for reasons which aren't fully explained and Liam Neeson is a personal highlight as the uproarious (literally) two faced Irish policeman BadCop. 

Poking fun at many current conventions of animated films while still somehow maintaining them, 'The LEGO Movie' is the perfect family film for the true film fan. Those who frequently visit the movies will immediately recognise the well written and hilariously executed send ups of the current cinematic climate giving 'The LEGO Movie' a much more cine-literate edge than many of it's animated counterparts. Don't get me wrong, kids will love it and unlike much of the child friendly fare released around half term, parents should love it to. But as a person completely absorbed in the film world, 'The LEGO Movie' is a piece of animated genius. Absolutely hilarious and featuring an unexpected but underlying heart, it stands up shoulder to shoulderagainst some of the most respected childrens films ever made.