The Lego Movie
Released in theaters on February 7, 2014
Stream on Hulu and Max
Runtime: 1 Hour 40 Minutes
Rated PG
Emmet is your everyday ordinary Lego guy. He follows all the rules, gets to work on time, drinks the same coffee as everyone else, and always pays careful attention to details in the instruction manual. His ordinary life comes screeching to a halt when he is mistaken for the special, a master builder that will save the Lego multiverse. He is then drafted to lead a crew of off the wall Master Builders to keep Lord Business from ruining the Lego-verse as we know it.
Themes:
Friendship, following the instructions, rules, fitting in, creativity, super glue, believing in oneself, relationships, pop culture, brooding, playing to rough, hobbies, fathers and sons, family, parenting, Batman, thinking outside the box, and LEGO!
Language:
You will hear versions of darn and dang it a few times, what the heck cropped up about three times, and oh my gosh. There is also name calling such as ding dong.
Stuff to be aware of:
There is violence toward Lego figures in this movie, but its always meant to make you laugh. Lego minifigures get kicked off a really high place, get their heads removed, and loose limbs. One character gets his head removed, and it talks while on the ground. One character walks outside naked. Nothing is seen but little yellow Lego legs. There is talk of going to a sports bar for pizza and wings. One Lego figure gets the printing on his face removed with nail polish. One character tells another, “hard is wiping your bum with a hook for a hand.” There is a scene where Lego figures are making copies of their butts on a copier.
Overall:
I am a huge fan of Lego (as you can see on my YouTube channel) and saw this movie in theaters. I hoped this movie would be great, but I also know that it could just be a cash grab. This movie really surprised me in a good way. The story was creative, the humor was great, the voice cast was awesome, and there are a ton of Easter eggs for the AFOL (Adult Fan of Lego). The writers took simple concepts from Lego building and made them into a deeper narrative about creativity and being yourself. This is one of my favorites.