'The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part' Review

Synopsis: The citizens of Bricksburg face a dangerous new threat when LEGO DUPLO invaders from outer space start to wreck everything in their path. The battle to defeat the enemy and restore harmony to the LEGO universe takes Emmet, Lucy, Batman, and the rest of their friends to far away, unexplored worlds that test their courage and creativity.

Runtime: 106 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG (for some rude humor)

Who should see it? Appropriate for all ages.

The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part may have one of the most redundant subtitles ever, but thankfully The LEGO Movie 2 is nowhere near being an unnecessary sequel. Since Phil Lord and Chris Miller were preoccupied producing Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse and *sigh* developing Solo: A Star Wars Story before leaving the project late in production due to creative differences, Mike Mitchell's wound up in the director's chair. It's undoubtedly an unenviable task to build a better sequel considering everyone's unexpected obsession with The LEGO Movie, but Mitchell leans into Lord and Miller's frenetic style that made the original so beloved. However, Lord and Miller are still solely responsible for the sequel's screenplay while Matthew Fogel lent the duo a hand constructing the story.

Picking up right where The LEGO Movie left off, audiences are treated to an opening sequence of the DUPLO destruction teased in the original's ending. After a five year time jump (mirroring the distance between The LEGO Movie 2 and its predecessor), viewers discover that Bricksburg has become a Mad Max: Fury Road-esque apocalyptic wasteland in the wake of said mayhem. Consequently, every citizen of Bricksburg is now edgy and battle-hardened, paralleling the newfound teenage angst of their owner Finn, except for Emmet... Emmet still has the cheery, naive disposition audiences will remember from the last movie, so Lucy asks him to change with the times, believing a tough exterior is the only way to survive in their world. When Lucy and co. are kidnapped, this all sets Emmet's arc into gear.

Also voiced by Chris Pratt, Rex Dangervest enters the picture as an amalgamation of Pratt's live action roles and a fascinating foil to Emmet. Dangervest is the prime example of a hyper-masculine tough hero Lucy wants Emmet to be. Now, EVERYTHING I've mentioned thus far is showcased prominently in the trailers, but I thought it ought to be regurgitated before I continue. I'm about to touch on story elements which could be considered somewhat spoilery, but I can assure you these are things you will quickly pick up on in the first fifteen minutes or maybe have already gleaned from the trailers. They aren't bombshell revelations in the slightest, but if you're sensitive to knowing story information beforehand, I figured I'd give you the courtesy of a warning so you can click away and come back once you've seen The LEGO Movie 2. With that said, the sequel's thematic material is a progression of the original's message to be yourself. This time around, it's more about staying true to yourself and not compromising your identity when growing up. Additionally, The Second Part trades in the parental-child dynamic for an allegory about sibling relationships.

Coexistence is key, and as someone with three younger sisters, I relate to the depicted central struggle between siblings. I've witnessed many overblown misunderstandings firsthand where both sides were well-intentioned. This fits together nicely with the arc mentioned above. Maturing doesn't mean you have to ditch the compassion in favor of cynicism. There's room for skepticism, but also a healthy dose of optimism. It's up to us to find the balance. 

Lord and Miller haven't abandoned the witty meta-humor that popularized the first though. From the get-go, they satirize the concept of darker sequels by offering the antithesis and poking fun at the notion in their dialogue. The LEGO Movie 2 often delves into self-parody by becoming a full-blown cheery musical. If you thought "Everything is Awesome" was an obnoxious ear-worm, you better prepare for a soundtrack filled with upbeat, original pop-tunes (I promise there's a narrative purpose). "Catchy Song" in particular delivers on the promise of its lyrics and WILL get stuck in your head for a while. The music may alienate viewers who perceive it as annoying, but I found the lyrics in most songs to be utterly hysterical. On that note, there's not a post-credits scene, but stick around during the first part of the credits and just listen carefully to the song playing over the credits. Trust me, you won't regret it.

Otherwise, the animation offers plenty of sensational spectacle. In addition to improving on the LEGO animation style, the animators ensure the sequel's more colorful, dynamic, and eye-catching than the original. There's extraordinary attention to detail in the mini-figure's restrictive movement and the reflection of light off the brick-built people which enhances the authenticity of the animation. Regarding the music, Jon Lajoie's responsible for the aforementioned original songs while Mark Mothersbaugh's score serves as an excellent accompaniment to the whole ordeal.

As I previously mentioned, Chris Pratt voices both Emmet and Rex Dangervest, effectively differentiating the two while often bantering back-and-forth with himself. In the meantime, Elizabeth Banks lends Lucy an abundance of spunk to further downplay the character's insecurities. Pratt and Banks once again have a wonderful on-screen dynamic. 

Reprising their roles, Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, and Nick Offerman click into the grand picture as quality comic relief, playing Batman, Unikitty, Benny, and Metal Beard respectively. Joining the cast, Stephanie Beatriz's General Mayhem and Tiffany Hadish's Queen Watevra Wa'Nabi prove to be exciting additions. As a fan of The Florida Project, I was also VERY delighted to see Brooklynn Prince show up in the live action segments as Finn's younger sister Bianca. Acting alongside her are Jadon Sand, Will Ferrell and fellow franchise newcomer Maya Rudolph.

Though it may not be quite as groundbreaking as the original due to some convoluted plot contrivances, The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part is a well-constructed sequel with plenty of heart, meta-humor, and exquisite eye-candy!

Film Assessment: A-

Recollection Reflection Review: 'The LEGO Movie'

It's been a while since I last reviewed a non-recent film release, but I wanted to revisit The LEGO Movie before I discuss The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part later this week. The reasoning behind this is that the sequel releases this weekend and the first review I ever shared here was for The LEGO Movie almost five years ago (we're days away from that anniversary where I'll share a 5th-year-anniversary post). In other news, I saw The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part at an advanced screening and hoped to complete and share my review Wednesday, but I may wind up seeing it a second time tonight and just wait till Friday. It really depends on when I finish writing this review.

'The LEGO Movie' Review

Nominated for: Best Original Song "Everything is Awesome."

Recollection- The LEGO Movie Review.

Reflection- I can recall seeing The LEGO Movie with especially low expectations because I figured it would be a feature-length advertisement for LEGOs, but being pleasantly surprised to discover an excellent animated feature brimming with heart, humor, and creativity. My opinion of it honestly hasn't changed much since I first saw it almost five years ago, but I'm excited to share a more in-depth review this time around.

Review-

Synopsis: An ordinary LEGO construction worker, thought to be prophesied as "The Special," is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil tyrant from gluing the LEGO universe into eternal stasis.

Runtime: 100 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG (for mild action and rude humor)

Who should see it? Appropriate for all ages.

Co-written and co-directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, The LEGO Movie is the third feature from the writer-director duo and one of the most unique animated films to emerge in recent years. Moving at a breakneck pace, the brick-built flick is a remarkably kinetic, witty, and self-aware feature that encapsulates the core concept of LEGO better than a commercial ever could. However, the film takes on a much deeper meaning when the central conflict is revealed as an allegory for a struggle between father and son. Rewatching it with that perspective actually reveals layers-upon-layers of subtext about conformity vs. expressive individuality. However, it's very encouraging that a movie about toys which include an instruction manual is endorsing kids to be creative, and more importantly, be themselves.

Lord and Miller take the stock out of Chosen One prophecies by revealing no one in the film to be THE special because everyone is special in their own unique way. What makes you you is what makes you special, and sometimes a simple heart-to-heart conversation is all it takes to cultivate change. Everyone has the potential to be great and the capacity to make a difference in their home life, community, or even the world at large. All that's required of them is self-acceptance and initiative. With the proper motivation, anyone can complete a journey of self-discovery that will maximize their potential and ultimately make the world a better place. Cynics can criticize that optimistic perspective all they'd like, but it doesn't make the message any less meaningful because there's no harm in being yourself.

Stepping down from my soapbox, I must applaud the animators for materializing a brick-built world that's true to the brand. I've said it before, but I'll say it again... The animators captured the stilted, restricted movement of LEGOs so authentically that I often forget The LEGO Movie isn't a stop-motion production while watching it. Additionally, it all takes place within the imaginative mind of a child, so I love the little storytelling flourishes like the casual mixture of various IPs, the incorporation of common household products as mythic objects, and all the lasers, blasters, and weaponry going "pew pew" whenever fired. Each of these subtle details foreshadows the big twist in addition to giving that reveal much more credence. They're nice touches which flesh out the world in a fun, idiosyncratic way. 

As for the stacked voice cast, everyone constructs a memorable min-fig from the pieces of Lord and Miller's script. Chris Pratt provides the ideal excess of optimism and naivety required for the role of Emmet while also selling the character's self-doubt. Opposite Pratt, Elizabeth Banks' Wyldstyle (Lucy) is the sidekick who's clearly a more qualified hero. Banks strikes a wonderful balance juxtaposing Lucy's go-getter attitude with her underlying insecurities. Of course, I'll also never pass a chance to hear Morgan Freeman's voice share sagely wisdom through the mini-fig form of Vitruvius. Amongst the ensemble, Alison Brie's bipolar Unikitty, Charlie Day's space-ship obsessed Benny, and Nick Offerman's swashbuckling body-less pirate captain Metal Beard each serve as effective comic relief.

If there's a stand-out of the bunch though, it's undoubtedly Will Arnett's LEGO Batman. Arnett's narcissistic, self-serious take on the Dark Knight is legitimately a stroke of satirical comedic genius. Listening to him brag about his edginess will never cease to make me chuckle. It's no wonder he was the first to get a LEGO Movie spin-off!

Meanwhile, Will Ferrell delightfully chews the scenery as the megalomaniac Lord Business and even explores a more nuanced side to the character towards the film's conclusion. Serving as dual-personality law-enforcement, Liam Neeson quite literally spins his head around between voicing Good Cop and Bad Cop which remains an utter treat.

With plenty of heart, humor, and worthwhile messages to impart, The LEGO Movie proved itself to be much more than an hour and forty-one minutes of product placement. Impeccable animation, a charming voice-cast, distinct direction, and a smart script all worked in tandem to build a solid franchise foundation that likely won't get knocked down any time soon. After all this time, I'm happy to report that everything in The LEGO Movie is still awesome!!!

Film Assessment: A

'Pacific Rim: Uprising' Review

In the decade since the Pan Pacific Defense Corps sealed the inter-dimensional breach and ended the Kaiju War, humanity has continued developing Jaeger technology as a contingency to combat Kaiju. Pacific Rim: Uprising drifts alongside Jake Pentecost, a once-promising pilot-turned-petty scrapper whose father heroically sacrificed himself to ensure the monstrous Kaiju would be defeated once and for all. When Jake is caught with fellow scrapper Amara Namani, the two are presented with the choice of either joining the corps or going to jail. They choose the former, so Jake is then tasked with training a new generation of Jaeger pilots (including Amara) alongside rival ranger Nate Lambert. However, everything changes once a rogue Jaeger bursts onto the scene and prompts a Kaiju resurgence.

Did that plot synopsis seem needlessly convoluted? Well, I made my best effort to streamline the plot and that long-winded paragraph was all I could conjure... Pacific Rim: Uprising is in fact needlessly convoluted, which is actually odd when considering its predecessor (Pacific Rim) met the criteria of a unique flourishing franchise by being simultaneously stylish and simplistic. Visionary director Guillermo del Toro was largely responsible for that film's success since he was passionate about the project and well aware of the reality he was making a "B" movie centered on mechs fighting monsters. Unfortunately del Toro didn't return to direct Uprising, so the sequel sorely lacks the creative spark that made the first film special. Instead, Steven DeKnight took command of the franchise for his feature length film debut while del Toro went on to win a few Oscars for his work on The Shape of Water. Not a bad trade-off on del Toro's end, but del Toro's absence lead Uprising to become a far less interesting, commoditized imitation of the original so it was franchise fans who wound up suffering. On the bright side, The Shape of Water got made!

In case you couldn't already tell, Pacific Rim: Uprising pales in comparison to Pacific Rim in just about every way imaginable. While I'll admit that John Boyega's a bright spot in the cluttered cast, the visual effects are noteworthy, and the action sequences can be fun at times, Uprising's plagued by an onslaught of issues that had me dreading the possibility it was covertly Transformers 6. Michael Bay wasn't involved in this production whatsoever, but I'd have totally believed anyone who told me he was because this film is full of everything people dread about the latest Transformers installments. The humor's very juvenile and painfully unfunny, the fight sequences amount to bots bashing monsters through skyscrapers, there was occasionally a heavy emphasis on slo-motion, and they even incorporated a young girl determined to join the fight just like in Transformers: The Last Knight. Transformers wasn't the only film franchise that came to mind while I was watching though... There were several startling similarities to Independence Day: Resurgence and Power Rangers (2017) that I won't go into for the sake of length...

Now, lets take a second to talk about the sloppy script written by Emily Carmichael, Kira Snyder, T.S. Nowlin, and Steven DeKnight. The general turn of events was pretty predictable, but there were numerous occasions where DeKnight and the screenwriters presented an interesting subversion of expectations only to turn around and surprise the audience again by going along with precisely what you thought the "twist" was all along. I wouldn't mind this if it only happened once or twice, but it happened fairly often and simply grew annoying. The characters were also written fairly inconsistently as they'd frequently act differently than they did earlier without any underlying development or growth to explain why. The writers established mental roadblocks setup for the characters that weren't really dealt with at all, and one was a direct rip-off of the first that I won't expand upon to avoid spoiling anything for you. 

If there was one thing that made the entire experience unbearable though, it would have to be the cringeworthy attempts at comedic relief. One prime example is an entire scene which takes place in a kitchen where John Boyega's character is making himself a bowel of ice cream and adding various toppings while speaking to Scott Eastwood's character. It was one of the strangest scenes I've seen in a theater so far this year. The ice cream itself wasn't what was weird though... Sure, it felt out of place and unnecessary by itself, but the way it was heavily incorporated into the scene to cheekily function as a comedic device was really awkward in execution. It was laughably stupid, so I guess it achieved its purpose? Don't even get me started on the dreadful dialogue sprinkled throughout though... 

Anyways, I had no idea that a battle between monsters and mechs could become so uninteresting so quickly, but Steven DeKnight proved it's possible. Uprising's aesthetic isn't very dynamic from a visual standpoint since the film has a very flat color palette, so the fight sequences became stale quite quickly. While the action fits the fun formulaic mold audiences may be satisfied with, it's all incomprehensibly edited and I was never awestruck by any radically cool visuals, so the action is also a step-down from the first in terms of impressive spectacle. With that being said, I'm not a big fan of the sleeker Jaeger design compared to the previous rough, rugged look and the Kaiju creature design seemed to be uninspired in comparison as well. Another troublesome component was that the ending was poorly paced. In the third act, everyone takes their sweet time to really react while the world is on the brink of destruction, so you're left wondering how the Kaiju didn't successfully destroy the world in the time it takes for them to act.

As a charismatic lead, John Boyega is undoubtedly one of the sole saving graces of Pacific Rim: Uprising. It's such a shame he was stuck in such a crummy film though. Surrounding Boyega are a bunch of actors who are either obviously inexperienced or remarkably bland. Scott Eastwood's Nate is as stale as can be. Newcomer Cailee Spaeny seems to have potential to emerge as a quality actress in the years to come, but I found her character to be kind of annoying. Just about every other cast member proved to be unmemorable due to lacking development or screen time.

One thing I won't be forgetting about Pacific Rim: Uprising anytime soon though was how obnoxiously over the top Charlie Day was in the role of Dr. Newton Geiszler. I think the writing's largely to blame for this since such his character went in such a strange direction carrying over from the first film. Day did what he could with the material by trying to ham it up, but there's only so much one can do to try and save a sinking ship.

I'm sure many may be interested in seeing Pacific Rim: Uprising purely to watch Jaegers and Kaiju duke it out, but if that's the case, you'd be better off staying home and watching the first film. Pacific Rim: Uprising appears to be another attempt to commercialize a promising franchise in hopes of setting up several sequels. If that's the case, a more apt title would have been Pacific Rim: Downfall because my interest in future franchise entries is now at an all time low.

Film Assessment: D

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Pacific Rim'

I'm reviewing Pacific Rim to tie in with the release of its sequel, Pacific Rim: Uprising. Since March is almost over, I'm going to ahead and fill you in on the reviews you can expect to see through April, but I've made some changes to the previously outlined schedule because my finals are the same week that Avengers: Infinity War will be released. In order to get that review out as soon as possible for my readers, I'm easing my schedule by not reviewing anything else that week. Now that that's all cleared up, reviews you'll likely see through April include Throwback Thursday Reviews of Jurassic Park, Ocean's Eleven (2001), and The Avengers, a Triple-R for Avengers: Age of Ultron, and new reviews of Pacific Rim: Uprising, Ready Player One, Isle of Dogs, A Quiet Place, Rampage, and Avengers: Infinity War. 

'Pacific Rim' Review

Pacific Rim thrusts audiences into a far-flung future where humanity has been besieged by monstrous sea creatures called Kaiju. As the beasts emerged from a dimensional rift in the Pacific Ocean, mankind developed massive robot fighting machines to combat the Kaiju. These mechs, dubbed Jaegers, were designed to be piloted by two humans locked together in a neural bridge. However, even with weaponized robots at their disposal, humanity's efforts to extinguish the Kaiju three has proved futile. As the Kaiju approach for their final strike, a former pilot and untrained trainee pair up to pilot an old, obsolete Jaeger in a last ditch effort to save the world from an impending apocalypse.

Pacific Rim is helmed by the recent Academy Award winning director Guillermo del Toro with a screenplay co-written by del Toro and Travis Beacham. When perusing through del Toro's filmography, you'll quickly take notice that he has a knack for spearheading creature-features so it only makes sense that he would have felt drawn to a blockbuster of this nature. It's about robots fighting sea creatures after all... Which is precisely why he was the perfect fit for the project. 

Del Toro's passion seeps through every frame thanks to the exceptional work of cinematographer Guillermo Navarro and the various visual effects artists at del Toro's disposal. They each ensure the neon-infused atmosphere envisioned by del Toro was executed to the fullest. When researching the film to see if it was nominated for any Oscars, I was shocked to learn it wasn't nominated for Best Visual Effects in 2013 because I was sure it would have been, and it certainly should have been. Beyond its impressive visuals, Pacific Rim also features an epic score composed by Ramin Djawadi and some solid performances. However, the film falls a little short in the story department. 

Despite a clear effort to establish the core characters as empathetic individuals, they weren't fully fleshed out enough for me to invest myself completely in their struggle. Sure, I want humanity to emerge triumphant... But not for anything the characters did to draw my interest. Mainly because I too am human. Most of the characters are little more than two-dimensional avatars when all is said-and-done because so many of them lack a personality. With all that being said, it's difficult to fault del Toro considering he's well aware that this is a "B" monster movie all about sheer spectacle. 

For every criticism I could conjure for Pacific Rim, I'm able to come up with at least twenty more reasons why Pacific Rim is awesome as an action-oriented blockbuster. The concept behind it all is incredibly interesting, the Kaiju and Jaeger designs are unique, and the fight sequences are incredible. It's just the characters and story that are lacking. 

Leading the rock 'em sock 'em ensemble are Charlie Hunnam and Rinko Kikuchi, who each imbue their characters with the essential attributes. Hunnam portrays Raleigh as a loose cannon while Kikuchi's Mako is a troubled trainee. Even though they fit their respective roles well, I've never quite bought their romantic connection as there's not much chemistry between the two of them. The romance then feels forced into the narrative for the sake of including one.

Elsewhere, Idris Elba's magnetic screen presence as Marshal Stacker Pentecost positions him to be a cut above most movie military officials, but his stance as the most dynamic character only aids him in being the standout scene stealer.

Meanwhile, Charlie Day and Burn Gorman play a pair of eccentric geniuses whose silly side quest seems to be a contrived scheme to obtain pertinent information. Other cast members deserving of a shout out include Ron Perlman, Max Martini, and Robert Kazinski who all manage to make a unique impact with varying screen time. 

Despite adhering to the nuts-and-bolts of a traditional "B" monster movie, Pacific Rim remains an exciting popcorn movie that will scratch your itch to watch gigantic Jaegers punch it out with enormous Kaiju. While it underwhelms on a storytelling level, the interested audience members probably weren't even asking for that to begin with. 

Film Assessment: B