Movie Parliament
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • This House
  • Articles
  • Foreign Affairs
    • Cannes 2017
    • Cannes2016
    • 2016 Oscars Predictions
    • 2015 César Awards
    • 2014 César Awards
    • 2014 French Bloggers Awards
    • Top10 2014
    • 2013 César Awards
    • 2013 Cannes Coverage
    • European Film Awards 2012
    • (50) Films of Summer
    • 2012 Cannes Coverage
    • 2011 César Awards
    • 2011 Cannes Coverage
  • Film History
    • Classic Films
    • Cult Movies
    • Foreign Masterpieces
  • Awards
    • Awards Decade 2011-2020
    • Awards2020
    • Awards2019
    • Awards2018
    • Awards2017
    • Awards2016
    • Awards2015
    • Awards 2014
    • Awards 2013
    • Awards 2012
    • Awards 2011 >
      • FYC - Best 2011 Film
  • Top 50 of the Decade
    • 2009
    • 2008
    • 2007
    • 2006
    • 2005
    • 2004
    • 2003
    • 2002
    • 2001
    • 2000
  • Summer Movie Wager
  • 2018 Most Anticipated

The Lego Movie

3/10/2014

0 Comments

 
Photo
Writers: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Directors: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Starring: Chris Pratt, Morgan Freeman, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson

Review written by: Arnaud Trouvé (Minister of Foreign Affairs)
 

The Lego Movie is 100 minutes of fun at the speed of light. Based on the beloved toy property, you enter a Lego world where every little plastic character seems to live a happy life, while following the guidelines and enjoying its daily routine. Emmett Brickowski is a random construction builder whose whole world may come upside down as an ancient prophecy tells hims he's the chosen one: the only one able to save the world from the evil Lord Business.

That's all you need to know to enjoy to the fullest this freewheeling animated feature, one of the most exhilarating from the past years. Yes, the Lego Movie may work as a giant ad for the Danish toy maker but, no, it can not be reduced to that. The directors Phil Lord & Christopher Miller were the helmers of "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" (2009), a CG animated feature that I was surprised to find laugh-out-loud funny. It worked as a homage to the old school cartoons with its non sense dialogues and slapstick humor, and was genuinely heartfelt and tender. Both directors then showed their strength on live-action direction with "21 Jump Street" (2012) and  the pilot of TV sitcom "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" (2013). It seems like "Lego" is now a huge opportunity for them to blend those skills learned on these shows, and create what may be the ultimate pop experience.

With plenty of cameos, punchlines and arresting action sequences, the film may seem hyperkinetic at times, and it's my only negative feeling towards it. The sets and lighting are gorgeous: Australian animation studio Animal Logic did a tremendous job replicating the "real" aspect of this plastic world. They even say that you could freeze frame anytime in the film, and entirely replicate the world depicted in the image with only Legos. I immensely enjoyed the score by Mark Mothersbaugh: light, fun, mixing orchestra and electronics. It contains what may be the most catchy tune of the year: "Everything is AWESOME !!!" whose use and covers in the film are hilarious.
With this and the upcoming "Guardians of the Galaxy", 2014 may be the year of the Chris Pratt breakthrough. He is impeccable as Emmett, the lead character. I have a tenderness for Charlie Day's character, as well as Cobie Smulders, Channing Tatum and the ubiquitous Jonah Hill.

In the end, the film displays that it can sometimes get rid of its tongue-in-cheek humor and references, and be more of an earnest tribute to the fun of creating things. That's maybe what's most heart-warming in this whole operation: among their dozens of video games adaptations of franchises and now that they've stepped to the big screen, Lego people would sure like to sell us more toys, but they would also love to see us play more and think freely, without boundaries. Like imagining a world where a kitty-unicorn teams up with Batman.

Photo
Summary: Containing a catchy soundtrack, gorgeous animation and stunning designs, the Lego Movie may be the funniest film of recent times. It is, simply put, just AWESOME.

Movie Parliament Rating: MAJORITY GOVERNMENT

By Movie Parliament Minister of Foreign Affairs,  
Arnaud Trouvé 

Agree/Disagree with this review? Give us your thoughts in the comments below !

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Authors

    Movie Parliament Prime Minister: Michael Dalton

    Minister for Foreign Affairs: Arnaud Trouve

    Minister for History: Leonhard Balk

    Archives

    March 2019
    October 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    January 2016
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    March 2014
    December 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012

    Categories

    All
    Brad Pitt
    Chris Hemsworth
    Dredd
    Film Review
    Gangster Film
    Kristen Stewart
    New Release
    Sci Fi
    Sci-fi

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.