The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
Director: Mike Mitchell
Stars: Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Charlie Day, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, Will Ferell
Duration: 107mins
Class: U
KRS Releasing Ltd
Film not reviewed
It was one of the most unlikely movie successes in recent history. Who’d have thought, when The Lego Movie was released in 2014, that it would be one of the best-reviewed films of that year, Rotten Tomatoes summing up its 95 per cent approval rating by describing is as a film “boasting beautiful animation, a charming voice cast, laugh-a-minute gags and a surprisingly thoughtful story”.
It was that and much more, a colourful explosion of fun and poignance, proving that with lots of imagination and inventiveness, even the most bizarre of ideas can work and find a place in audience’s hearts, showing how to go about turning toys into success stories without too much over-bloatedness (Transformers, I’m looking at you…)
The unadulterated success of The LEGO Movie spawned a franchise that includes myriad sequels, video-games, short films, TV series and more. And following the success of The LEGO Batman Movie and also The LEGO Ninjago Movie, now comes The LEGO Movie 2.
Fans will recall that not so long ago, in a town called Bricksburg, a super-friendly, upbeat and endlessly optimistic guy named Emmet rose from a most ordinary life to become The Special. Overcoming his doubts and an apparent lack of any notable skills or experience, this LEGO mini figure in the bright orange vest bravely followed his destiny to become a Master Builder and – with the help of his friends – save the city and win Lucy’s heart… while creating in Everything is Awesome a song that is near impossible to get out of one’s head!
Five years on, Emmet still has a spring in his step, a smile on his bright, shiny face and 25 sugars pumping up his coffee every morning
Now, five years on, Emmet still has a spring in his step, a smile on his bright, shiny face and 25 sugars pumping up his coffee every morning. But everything else has fallen to pieces. A surprise DUPLO invasion has reduced Bricksburg to a wasteland of rubble known to its battle-weary (but still quite witty) citizens as Apocalypseburg.
“Everyone has grown more mature, grittier, harder, tougher,” says Christopher Miller, one of the original architects of the inventive LEGO movie franchise, who returns, alongside creative partner Phil Lord, as screenwriters and producers of the latest chapter. “Everyone except for Emmet, of course. He’s still the same gee-whiz, aww-shucks, naïve guy he ever was.”
“He’s the only person in this world that dust doesn’t seem to stick to,” adds Lord. But all that is about to change, as the shocking capture of his best friends and his beloved Lucy forces Emmet back into hero mode with all the grit he can muster and sends him on a perilous journey to the outer limits of the universe to save them…in typical Emmet fashion.
Although a fully standalone adventure, this sequel builds on the existing narrative from the original movie, happily reuniting the eclectic gang of LEGO mini-figures with maxi personalities that fans everywhere have embraced: the duo of tender-hearted but stalwart Emmet (voiced by Chris Pratt) and hard-charging Lucy (Elizabeth Banks); the hilariously full-of-himself Batman (Will Arnett); unpredictable, glitter-crazy Unikitty (Alison Brie); half-pirate, half-utility knife, Metal Beard (Nick Offerman); and the spaciest spaceman ever, Benny (Charlie Day)
This new entry in the franchise also introduces intriguing new characters including the wickedly funny, shapeshifting Queen Watevra Wa’Nabi (Tiffany Haddish); her formidable female lieutenant General Mayhem (Stephanie Beatriz) and the enigmatic space cowboy Rex Dangervest, also voiced by Pratt.
Together, this reassembled LEGO crew will take audiences on a unique intergalactic journey to worlds never seen before… and in doing so undoubtedly ensure the franchise’s continuing success.