"The Lego Movie" Review

If it were possible for a movie to drink five gallons of pure caffeine, I would say "The Lego Movie" did just that.

It is a fast-paced, high-energy film set in a world made up entirely of Legos. This includes everything from houses and roads to fire and water. Whenever a machine explodes, it appears as a cluster of red and orange pieces. It was made through a mixture of stop-motion animation and CGI. The result is the most visually appealing animated feature since "The Nightmare Before Christmas."

Watching the story unfold is like watching a child come up with it while playing with toys. There is a point to this that becomes apparent in the end. While it is simple, it is far from dumb. It is tightly written, the characters are well-developed and it strongly teaches that living life to its fullest involves being creative and true to oneself. Furthermore, it heavily implies that this creative individuality is how Legos should be used.

The voice of Emmet, the main character, is "Parks and Recreation's" Chris Pratt. There could not have been a better fit. In the NBC sitcom, he is Andy, a big goof who people do not take seriously. In "The Lego Movie," no one -- including him -- thinks he will ever amount to anything. There is only one original idea he has ever had, and to everyone else it is a stupid one. However, it eventually proves useful.

As the story progresses, he comes to the realization of what makes him unique and what his value is. Emmet becomes very useful in the resistance against Lord Business (voiced by Will Ferrell), an evil dictator who wants everything to stay the same. He gives everyone a set of instructions everyday telling them how to live their lives. His evil plan is to unleash the ultimate weapon called the "Kragle," which ensures that no one does anything unpredictable ever again.

This potentially dark concept is done with surprising lightheartedness. Everyone the villain rules is excited and happy all the time. The problem with the way these characters live is their individuality is stifled. They are not able to express themselves or explore their creativity. They live their days ignorant of the fact that their lives could be so much better.

The jokes in this movie are very witty. Some are situational and others are funny because of the characters. Some of the most hilarious moments involve DC superheroes like Batman, Superman and the Green Lantern. This film is one of the funniest parodies of Gotham City's hero. He is portrayed as an overly confident jerk who always throws his personal problems in people's face.

I give this movie five out of five stars. It will one day join the ranks as one of the great American animated classics. It is definitely worth seeing at full price in the theatre. Words cannot give it justice. In order to understand why it is so good, it needs to be seen.

Content: Rated PG. There are some mild innuendos that will go over children's heads. The only language is comprised of words like "gosh" and "dang."

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