Movie Review: The Lego Movie 2

“The Lego Movie: The Second Part”

Release Date: Feb. 8, 2019

Running Time: 107 mins

Directed by: Mike Mitchell

Starring: Chris Pratt

                  Elizabeth Banks

                  Will Arnett

                  Tiffany Haddish

The 2014 box office hit, “The Lego Movie,” caught critics and audiences off guard. Hardly anyone was expecting it to be any good. Was Hollywood really so desperate for ideas that they were making a movie about Lego bricks? When “The Lego Movie” came out, it turned out to be a sharp satire of exactly the kind of movie people were expecting. It was filled to the brim with creativity, social commentary and non-stop jokes. It had strong themes of individuality and the benefits of creative thinking. It was an entertaining and profound work of art enjoyed by both children and adults.

Given the roaring success of the first film, a sequel was inevitable. “The Lego Movie 2” had a lot to live up to. Unfortunately, it does not quite live up to the expectations set by its predecessor. It is a better than average animated family film, but it is nowhere close to being as ambitious, funny or impactful as the original movie.

The characters have seemingly forgotten the lessons they learned five years ago, and they go through the same arcs as they did in the first film, the only difference being this time it is far less interesting.

Another aspect, which suffers in this sequel, is the live-action segments. In the first film, the fact the setting and characters are actual Lego toys being played with by a father and son is not revealed until more than halfway through. It posed the events of the story as the allegorical struggle between a child with boundless creativity and a playful spirit, and a man with a narrow goal in mind and a desire for things to stay as they are. It was a risky move, which worked brilliantly and added depth to the story.

The sequel attempts to do something similar, but it just does not work nearly as well. It seems forced when done another time, not to mention is predictable. The story only makes sense if you take the outside world into account.

The song “Everything is Awesome” from the first film appears several times in the sequel. Whereas it was used in the first film to represent the vapid and empty nature of modern popular music, it is used here without much thematic purpose.

Despite my problems with “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part,” it still has plenty to enjoy about it. The animation is superb and charming. Everything is made of Lego blocks, and this gives the movie a unique aesthetic.

Most of the new characters were welcome additions. Queen Watevra Wa’Nabi (Tiffany Haddish) and General Mayhem (Stephanie Beatriz) are both fun characters who worked well within the film’s universe. If anything, they could have used a bit more development.

The film’s villain is also pretty good. What they did with the relationship between him and our main character Emmet (Chris Pratt) was really interesting. I cannot say much without getting into spoilers, but I do wish the conflict between the two could have tied up in a better way. As it is, the resolution seemed too convenient, lazy and anticlimactic.

As is usual in these movies, Will Arnett’s Batman steals every scene he is in. I only wish he played a larger role. The song between him and the Queen was probably my favorite moment in the film. The only competition comes with the end credits sequence featuring a song by The Lonely Island.

“The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” pales in comparison to its predecessor. I imagine I will enjoy it more on a second watch since I will be able to enjoy the film for what it is, rather than what it is not.

Drew Eckhart is a sophomore history and pre-law major from Edmond, OK. He has loved movies for as long as he can remember but thinks his passion really began when he watched “The Dark Knight” for the first time in theaters. His favorite type of movie blends comedy and drama seamlessly, and he loves great action films. In Drew’s free time, he enjoys reading and playing video games, as well as watching TV and movies. His favorite TV show is “BoJack Horseman” and his favorite movie is “Whiplash.”

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