Film Review: ‘The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part’ is Flat Out Funny

Submitted by PatrickMcD on February 8, 2019 - 3:52pm

CHICAGO – There are two things I love as a film observer. The pretty colors of modern animation … and to laugh. I got both in the appropriately titled “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.” Picking up where the first first left off, the gang of Lego brick figures, including Emmet, Wyldstyle and Batman, have a new adventure.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

As in the first film, it’s not what’s going on necessarily – because the movie is rooted in a parallel imagination – but how the story gets there that counts. In taking that journey, there are plenty of opportunities for the witty, wiseacre and pop culture reference humor of producers and writers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (who wrote and directed the first Lego film). And as the film’s narrative moves along, the jokes seem to pile up to surreal level, but even the less-that-funny ones still land. And as animation evolves higher and higher into visual possibilities (and the budgets remain enormous), this type of entertainment is seeking those new heights. The only reason “Lego2” is not as good as the first one is that the concept of a Lego universe no longer is surprising.

It’s been five years since the imagination of Finn (Jadon Sand) created the Lego universe, and at the end of the first film, his sister Bianca (Brooklynn Prince) was given the opportunity to blend her universe into his. That has not worked out, and in their lack of cooperation their mother (Maya Rudolph) threatens to put the Lego bricks away. This situation creates the parallel universe.

This clash of brother and sister wills creates “Apocalypseburg,” a barren Mad-Max wasteland that still includes optimistic Emmet (voice of Chris Pratt), Wildstyle (Elizabeth Banks) and Batman (Will Arnett), and Emmet has a recurring dream that the barren-like land is headed toward Our-Mom-ageddon. How will the gang, with help from Unikitty (Allison Brie), Metal Beard (Nick Offerman) and Benny (Charlie Day) defeat the twisted Queen Watevra Wa-Nabi (Tiffany Haddish)?

‘The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part’ opens everywhere on February 8th, in 3D, IMAX, RPX and regular screenings. See local listings for type of screening format and show times. Featuring Will Ferrell, Maya Rudolph, Jadon Sand and Brooklynn Prince, and the voices of Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman and Charlie Day. Written by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Directed by Mike Mitchell. Rated “PG”