The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
1.5/4
Starring (voices): Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Tiffany Haddish, Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, Stephanie Beatriz
Rated PG for Some Rude Humor
I think I can safely say that "The Lego Movie" took everyone by surprise when it was released in 2014 (myself included). What seemed like a desperate and shameless attempt at product placement and cross-marketing turned out to be one of the freshest and funniest comedies in years. Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller threw everything at the screen: meta humor, self-aware satire and as many in-jokes and references as they could fit. It was a blast and even made my Top 10 list that year. Hollywood, always eager for a new genre or approach to mine (and run into the ground with overexposure), jumped on the brand and churned out two spin-offs (neither of which were any good). But it has taken five years for a true sequel to be released. Sadly, it's just not worth the wait.
"The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part" does not get off to a strong start. The opening is so abrupt that for about ten minutes I thought it was a cartoon short. It's as if it opens with the third act without any foundation or context for what's going on. Apparently, an alien race of kiddie Legos has found Earth and are wrecking havoc when they sense anything resembling joy. Thus, the city where people like Emmett (Pratt) sing songs like "Everything is Awesome!" every day has now turned into a wasteland straight out of "Mad Max: Fury Road," where everyone has become dark and brooding like Wyldstyle (Banks), Emmet's girlfriend. But the eternally optimistic Emmet simply can't be negative and melancholy. So he builds a cheery house as a surprise for Wyldstyle and himself. That of course raises the alarm of the aliens and they come knocking. But apparently, as an emissary named General Mayhem (Beatriz) explains, this is all a misunderstanding. They want peace, and to prove it, she all but kidnaps Wyldstyle and the rest of Emmet's friends. Emmet, realizing he screwed up, is off to rescue them.
Or something like that. Narrative cohesion isn't high on the list of director Mike Mitchell. Actually, the plot is part of the problem. In just about every way, this movie feels like a carbon copy of the first film. Sure, some of the details may have changed, but it feels far too similar, and no amount of meta-humor or surprise cameos is going to make up for it.
All the cast members return, plus a few new additions from the spin-offs (such as Ralph Fiennes playing Alfred) to new additions like Sheryl Swoopes and Bruce Willis. No joke. But their hard work and energy can't change the fact that the lighting in the bottle that was the first film is gone. "The Lego Movie" came out at the right time and was a hit because it blazed a trail. Meta-humor, cameos, and pop culture adulation were a new thing in 2014. There was nothing else like it. That is no longer the case, with movies like "Deadpool" and (gag!) "Teen Titans GO! To the Movies" taking the mantle and running with it. Now all this self-aware pop culture overload is simply tiresome.
To be quite frank, "The Lego Movie" did not need a sequel. That type of movie hits like a firecracker and dissipates. Even if the script and the direction were just as good or better, it would never have captured the same magic. It's not possible without a radical reworking of the concept. But as is the case with most sequels, the filmmakers played it safe. "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part" is good for a few rushes of endorphins at the nostalgia and a purposefully catchy pop song (that isn't as catchy or funny as the filmmakers think it is). And not much else.
Starring (voices): Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Tiffany Haddish, Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, Stephanie Beatriz
Rated PG for Some Rude Humor
I think I can safely say that "The Lego Movie" took everyone by surprise when it was released in 2014 (myself included). What seemed like a desperate and shameless attempt at product placement and cross-marketing turned out to be one of the freshest and funniest comedies in years. Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller threw everything at the screen: meta humor, self-aware satire and as many in-jokes and references as they could fit. It was a blast and even made my Top 10 list that year. Hollywood, always eager for a new genre or approach to mine (and run into the ground with overexposure), jumped on the brand and churned out two spin-offs (neither of which were any good). But it has taken five years for a true sequel to be released. Sadly, it's just not worth the wait.
"The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part" does not get off to a strong start. The opening is so abrupt that for about ten minutes I thought it was a cartoon short. It's as if it opens with the third act without any foundation or context for what's going on. Apparently, an alien race of kiddie Legos has found Earth and are wrecking havoc when they sense anything resembling joy. Thus, the city where people like Emmett (Pratt) sing songs like "Everything is Awesome!" every day has now turned into a wasteland straight out of "Mad Max: Fury Road," where everyone has become dark and brooding like Wyldstyle (Banks), Emmet's girlfriend. But the eternally optimistic Emmet simply can't be negative and melancholy. So he builds a cheery house as a surprise for Wyldstyle and himself. That of course raises the alarm of the aliens and they come knocking. But apparently, as an emissary named General Mayhem (Beatriz) explains, this is all a misunderstanding. They want peace, and to prove it, she all but kidnaps Wyldstyle and the rest of Emmet's friends. Emmet, realizing he screwed up, is off to rescue them.
Or something like that. Narrative cohesion isn't high on the list of director Mike Mitchell. Actually, the plot is part of the problem. In just about every way, this movie feels like a carbon copy of the first film. Sure, some of the details may have changed, but it feels far too similar, and no amount of meta-humor or surprise cameos is going to make up for it.
All the cast members return, plus a few new additions from the spin-offs (such as Ralph Fiennes playing Alfred) to new additions like Sheryl Swoopes and Bruce Willis. No joke. But their hard work and energy can't change the fact that the lighting in the bottle that was the first film is gone. "The Lego Movie" came out at the right time and was a hit because it blazed a trail. Meta-humor, cameos, and pop culture adulation were a new thing in 2014. There was nothing else like it. That is no longer the case, with movies like "Deadpool" and (gag!) "Teen Titans GO! To the Movies" taking the mantle and running with it. Now all this self-aware pop culture overload is simply tiresome.
To be quite frank, "The Lego Movie" did not need a sequel. That type of movie hits like a firecracker and dissipates. Even if the script and the direction were just as good or better, it would never have captured the same magic. It's not possible without a radical reworking of the concept. But as is the case with most sequels, the filmmakers played it safe. "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part" is good for a few rushes of endorphins at the nostalgia and a purposefully catchy pop song (that isn't as catchy or funny as the filmmakers think it is). And not much else.
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