The LEGO Movie

[no one]

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_lego_movie/

 

Holy fuckbunnies. This movie looks fun as can be. I'm really looking forward to this. Part of me wishes they could've squeezed in Bionicle somehow...

[Milo]

Reposting this from Jackstraw's status, Batman has a theme song for the movie. Performed by Batman himself. And it is exactly what you would expect from a GRIMDARKGOTH song.

 

http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2014/02/06/exclusive-batmans-untitled-self-portrait-from-the-lego-movie

 

The strokes of comedic genius this movie has is freakin' astounding.

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_lego_movie/

 

Holy fuckbunnies. This movie looks fun as can be. I'm really looking forward to this. Part of me wishes they could've squeezed in Bionicle somehow...

same here a bionicle world would have been an awesome nod to us long time lego fans

[Gabz Girl]

Why on earth is there no reference to Bionicle? D:< That's like one of LEGO's most popular franchises! Maybe the sequel...

Anyways I know I said before that from the trailer this looked like a fun and colourful film, but dayum I didn't know it was gonna be THAT good! Maybe I should go and see it after all?

[Willsy]

Review:

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/02/05/the-lego-movie-videogame-review-travellers-tales-title-expands-on-the-film

Sounds great, I have it pre-ordered.

[no one]

Why on earth is there no reference to Bionicle? D:< That's like one of LEGO's most popular franchises! Maybe the sequel...

Anyways I know I said before that from the trailer this looked like a fun and colourful film, but dayum I didn't know it was gonna be THAT good! Maybe I should go and see it after all?

There's a brief 1 second frame of Tahu during the line "... and other that don't need to be mentioned."

 

I think they're avoiding plugging any actual toylines seeing as it would seem like they're trying to advertise.

 

Also, yeah, I saw it today and may god have mercy on the soul of anyone who doesn't see it. It was extraordinarily fantastic.

[Iggy]

You guys are getting me interested in this. Our family doesn't go see movies in Cinema very often unless it's something we all want to see, so I can't promise I'll be able to see it soon, as sad as I am to say it. When the chance comes, I'll definitely see it.

[...]

I just got back from seeing a movie a few hours ago, so it is time for my thoughts on it.

I love LEGO, I played the hell out of them when I was a little one, spending hours and hours building the newest set I bought time to time from my local Toys R' Us, whether they be big or small. I watched stop-motion videos and shorts on YouTube growing up, and I'm an avid fan of the many LEGO Star Wars TV specials they release on Cartoon Network.

I've been following this movie since the beginning, the animation technique of CGI emulating stop-motion looked beautiful (sorta like what Flushed Away did, but to wayyy better effect.) and it just seemed like a super energetic, colorful and fun romp for me to watch. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller also delivered with one of my surprise favorite animated films, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs with it's energetic & witty writing along empowering messages and heart (the excellent character animation as well), so I was really, really excited. As the release date closed in, and with all the early acclaim the film was receiving (it has a 97% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes right now, and an 8.8/10 on IMDb), I was even more hyped, and now I had idiotically high expectations at this point. So... did the movie live up to them? In short, HELL TO THE YES.

You may think that the plot is generic and exhaustingly overdone plotline #453 about an ordinary guy raising up against the odds to be an extraordinary hero. Well, that is not the case here. Unlike most of those stories, Emmet, the main construction worker that lives a normal and everyday life as anybody else in Bricksburg goes through actual maturation and character development throughout the plot, and I can easily relate to his feelings of just being the bland guy in the background nobody thinks is special. I felt what he was going through, and it connected with me. Since I've got onto one character, it's time for me to talk about... y'know, characters. The characters were some of the greatest things in this movie, every single one of them is endearing and has some sort of purpose. The gratuitous cameos throughout the film are a joy to behold as well, and the interaction between the main characters and them is pure hilarity. Each and every one of the cast did an exceptional job voicing their characters and bringing them to vivid life, they literally fit like Legos click together...

C'mon, it's still a nice analogy. >:I

Anyways, onto other matters. The animation is also another excellent aspect of this movie. It was done by Animal Logic (who some of you may know were behind the animation for Happy Feet and Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, two previous Warner Bros. animated films.). It's simply amazing how well they emulated the movements of stop-motion, I was even entirely convinced it was in fact stop motion when I saw the first trailer for it until I learned it was CG. Another thing, the scenery is drop-dead gorgeous. Every single landscape and vista looks like it was made all down to the brick, and some of the environments are just downright jaw-dropping to witness, and the sense of scale in some scenes just adds to it. I also love the little details on the characters like the dust and small scratches on their bodies and plastic lines in their hair and such, it really makes you feel like you're seeing LEGO figures actually moving around instead of just the usual smooth and rounded out CG in most films nowadays. One of the directors of Robot Chicken, Chris McKay, supervised the animation and co-directed, so I guess that's something that explains the film's look.

Now, it's time for me to emphasize more on the story, since I just mentioned it and left it hanging. The plot of the movie rides along like injecting high-fructose corn syrup into your veins. My friends, I mean that in the best way possible. I can say with utter confidence that it was one of the most exhilarating and just plain fun experiences I've had watching a movie. The first 15-20 minutes may seem just merely okay for your tastes, but it soars from then on there and keeps going sky high. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller both write and direct the film with the same kind of irreverent humor and great sense of fun they brought to Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and 21 Jump Street, but this time up to eleven. This is seriously one of the most gut-bustingly hilarious films I've seen in my life, literally the entire audience in the theater was laughing their asses off every two minutes. How both Lord and Miller wrote a screenplay with such comedic genius is just amazing, they're some of the most talented people in the film industry right now and this film is no exception in showcasing that.

Since this is a non-spoilery review, I'm not going to mention much of what happens near the end, but I'll just talk about the messages the film sends. What I really have to applaud this film for is sending the message that everybody is worth something, and that thinking for yourself and not being a sheep to others is the best way to go, and whatever ideas you have can someday change the world. It encourages the freedom of imagination, the embracement of self-worth and independence, and the film's message is universal to everyone. Again, not spoiling the ending, but I'll drop this by. Near the end, I did one thing I haven't done for an animated movie (or a movie in general) since I saw Toy Story 3 in theaters... I was crying. Tears falling down my face, my nose stuffy, wiping my eyes, you name it. One woman next to me even asked if I was alright... Point is, I was profoundly emotionally touched by the sequences that played near the end of the film, they really hit me hard. These sequences I've mentioned could've easily derailed the entire experience, but Lord and Miller direct them with such poignancy that it successfully achieves in giving the film another layer of meaning and emotional complexity.

Once the film ended, everyone (myself included, duh) stood up and clapped, cheered and hollered, it really was a great theatrical experience, one I'll never forget for sure. Stay for the credits as well, the animation in it is very nice to look at. No after credits scene, though. Sorry to burst your bubble.

So, with all of this said, I can say that after years of faltering and trying to find a place in the feature animation industry, this just might be the first big franchise (The Polar Express and Happy Feet were rather successful, but still) for Warner Bros. that might give them the identity they've been looking for. The LEGO Movie is a simply delightful experience with stunning animation and visuals, endearing characters with the perfect voice actors to match them, a fast-paced spectacle laced with a surprising amount of emotional complexity and empowering messages, and of course, it's fucking hilarious.

Easily one of my favorite animated films now, and for good reason. Go see it now (or one of these days), I promise you that you won't regret it. I'm seeing it again tomorrow with my entire family in 3D, and I have no problem with that.

One more thing, "Everything is Awesome" (the movie's de facto theme song, if you will) will be stuck in your head for weeks. I know for sure it'll happen with me, I've been humming and singing it ever since I got out of the theater.

[Emperor Robrainiac]

This was a movie that when it was first announced, I rolled my eyes and thought "Oh boy, another crappy movie based off of toys." However, upon seeing the trailers and learning that Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the minds behind "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" (Derped the name up there at first, whoops.) and "Clone High," were involved, my interest began to spark. Eventually, I found myself getting hyped for it. 

 

And so months passed and then came February 7th. I met up with some friends and we all went to the theater to see this movie. Did it live up to my hype?

 

Er.. Well... You know what? Eff it, I'm gonna say it: Everything was awesome. (HurHurHurHur)

 

Yeah, the plot is a bit cliche, your typical "This guy's supposed to be the chosen one?" type story. but this is one of the times where good writing, humor and characters really make it into something memorable. Not to mention, this movie is freaking insane and sometimes even a bit trippy at times, which I might add is not a bad thing... In fact, it makes the movie all the more fun! It's one hell of a roller coaster ride.

 

And I wont spoil anything here, but there were some cameos that I didn't even expect to see, and there's even some scenes in the final act that really warmed my heart. In fact, very much like how the first Kingdom Hearts reminded me of how much Disney was a part of my childhood, this one reminded me of how Legos were a part of my childhood as well.

 

Sadly, I was probably a lot like Emmet near the beginning, always following the instructions rather than building things on my own. XD Heck, the most creative thing I've ever made was putting a lego block with eyes on a minifig and calling him "Mr. Legohead..." Erm.. Anyways. 

 

So overall? This movie is one insane, trippy, hilarious and overall creative rollercoaster ride. Definitely check it out, especially if you've ever been a fan of Legos, love the works of Chris Miller and Phil Lord, or even if you're just an animation fan.

 

Edit: Also, didn't they confirm that a sequel is already in the planning stages? Bring them on I say! 

[SuperStingray]

So I just got back from seeing it.  I don't think I've seen a more perfect family movie.  It has a foundation of boundlessly expressive and imaginative innocence with surprisingly mature self-awareness and focus.

 

The comedy is Arrested Development-style mile-a-minute jokes that are almost too fast to keep up with, and I'm sure that's no accident.  In a universe where literally anything can happen, it's fitting that anything can just happen.  If you fall off a train track in the old west, Batman can just show up and save you.  The Millenium Falcon can just show up.  Shaquille O'Neal can build a catapult to fight robots.  The concept and setting is in and of itself is just so anarchic it would've been a disservice to overlook any of the hilarious potential that it had.  I don't usually get amused by pop culture references and cameos, Lego has such a diverse history that it would be dumb of them to not tap into it.  Nowhere else would you see a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, Abraham Lincoln, Dumbledore and Superman in the same room.

 

The characters in this story have such varied personalities that both dynamically play upon and subvert stereotypical archetypes like the "Joe-everyman", the "reckless gadget girl", the "wise prophetic mystic," etc.  Emmet was a great protagonist- in this modern connected age, he's the guy every one of us is afraid of being: the guy with no special qualities who just blends into the scenery.  But at the same time, he's not someone we want to dissociate ourselves with either; he's cheery, kind and well-mannered.  His evolution is extremely natural.  He doesn't suddenly become the master builder he wishes to be; he learns to use his mediocrity to his advantage and find his place before discovering his true potential.  "Believe in yourself" and "anything is possible" are tried and true platitudes, and the movie even acknowledges this, but it's cynical to think they're not true just because so many kid's movies repeat it over and over.  This movie backs up its theming with strong, believable characters and surprisingly clever metaphors.

 

I think the most impressive thing is that this movie had every right to be a mediocre hour-long advertisement yet completely subverted all expectations by being legitimately amazing.  The animation, the set design, the comedy, the theme- it was so explosive and yet so cohesive.  But I shouldn't expect anything less from Lego.

[Willsy]

Big spoiler! Apparently...

Theres a live action sequence during the film with real people that ties into the story.

[ElectricAngel]

So, like most people on this topic, I recently saw the movie with a friend (however I lost like the first 2 minutes because he was late uggghhh). Anyways I don't think I can type paragraphs upon paragraphs about the movie. I'll just give my thoughts on it although I probably won't write that much. The movie to me was a pleasant surprise. I expected it to just be a simple comedy but it turned out to be more than that. Yes, there's a joke every 5 seconds and I'll admit, they made me laugh out loud. I can't remember a movie that made me laugh so hard in theaters. The whole house was laughing the whole way through. The story actually has a fantastic moral and the message is just so good. I feel like it speaks to every human out there. You relate to the main character, Emmet. I'm not sure how to explain it without spoiling the story, but let's just say that it's something everyone should learn and it's quite heartwarming. There's something there for the adults and the children. Ah, I feel like I'm not explaining much but I really don't want to spoil the story. This is also probably the first time I've reviewed a movie. Eh, I think you get what I mean. The movie is funny, has a great moral and is loads of fun. I highly recommend you watch it with friends or family for maximum enjoyment.

[...]

The film grossed over $69 million in its opening weekend, opening at #1! It has the second-highest February opening of all time, behind The Passion of the Christ ($83 million) It's also garnered an "A" grade among audiences at CinemaScore.

 

I'm really glad the film had such a great opening, especially how it went over expectations of it grossing only $40-50 million during the weekend. Hopefully the great word of mouth the film is having will carry it along the month of February or maybe be a month-after-month holdover like Frozen is (but there's still gonna be some competition, DreamWorks' Mr. Peabody and Sherman is coming out March 7th). Even if it does beat The Lego Movie by the time March comes around, I'm pretty sure this film has the month all to itself. It honestly deserves to make as much money as possible. I'm very hopeful for the future of feature animation at Warner Bros., and if this is the starting point of a new era of WB animation getting back in full kickstart, I'm very excited.

[Willsy]

So when can we expect the DVD to release? Here it says it's estimated for a May release:

http://www.dvdsreleasedates.com/movies/5921/The-Lego-Movie-2014.html

I really really want to see this, but I can't get access to it in English in the area. I live in France, and they only show animated films in English in the summer. Would the DVD take longer to come out, or will it be around that time?

I'm getting the video game though.

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

So when can we expect the DVD to release? Here it says it's estimated for a May release:

http://www.dvdsreleasedates.com/movies/5921/The-Lego-Movie-2014.html

I really really want to see this, but I can't get access to it in English in the area. I live in France, and they only show animated films in English in the summer. Would the DVD take longer to come out, or will it be around that time?

I'm getting the video game though.

just a forewarning, from what I have heard the game has almost the entire movie plot in it

[Willsy]

just a forewarning, from what I have heard the game has almost the entire movie plot in it

That's one reason I'm getting the game. I might go see the film in French afterwards though.

[nintega137]

Well wasn't expecting to hear this. Guess I'm going to see this movie. Then again people said Frozen was awesome to, and I thought the movie was good but not as great as people made it out to be. So we'll see what happens.

[Kevin]

Speaking as someone who used to play with Legos all the time as a kid, this has to be one of the best animated films I've seen in a long time. I admit, I was skeptical after seeing the trailer, but I'm glad I was proven wrong and that the glowing reviews about this movie turned out to be right. It wasn't cynical, it wasn't dumbed down, and I loved the characters' various personalities. It's really hard to talk about this movie without giving so much away, but trust me when I recommend that this is a movie that should be seen.

[Willsy]

For those of you in the UK, you can get a free Pyjamas Emmet minifigure if you watch the film at Odeon and buy a kids meal. It's while stocks last btw. I'll probably ebay him.

On the subject of the movie, I'll be getting the videogame and watching it in French in the cinema. Better than nothing I guess.

[Willsy]

Wow, the soundtrack for this film is exceptional! This track was very emotional for me;

Really looking forward to seeing this, even if I have to wait for the DVD!

[Emperor Robrainiac]

Wow, the soundtrack for this film is exceptional! This track was very emotional for me;

Really looking forward to seeing this, even if I have to wait for the DVD!

 

I just recently bought the soundtrack. Man oh man, the soundtrack is a terrific blend of Chiptune and Orchestra, a perfect fit for this movie.

 

Interestingly, the composer of this film was Mark Mothersbaugh the lead singer and co-founder of Devo... You may or may not know them as the folks who sang the hit 80s song, "Whip It."

 

Guess that explains the catchiness of "Everything is Awesome."

[no one]

So when can we expect the DVD to release? Here it says it's estimated for a May release:

http://www.dvdsreleasedates.com/movies/5921/The-Lego-Movie-2014.html

I really really want to see this, but I can't get access to it in English in the area. I live in France, and they only show animated films in English in the summer. Would the DVD take longer to come out, or will it be around that time?

I'm getting the video game though.

I took your quiz.

 

I'm Lord Business.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

Here's a nice treat. An epic and official outtakes and bloopers reel!

 

http://youtu.be/WTP9U0oDDKg

[no one]

So many "thwacks"

 

God this movie is so much fun.

[LunarEdge]

Took my gf to go see it yesterday since she wanted too. It was nothing I was expecting it to be..........................................................................................................................................

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....................................................................and it was fantastic....................................................................