From straight out of the toy box comes “The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part”, the eagerly awaited followup to the original smash hit. When the first movie was announced, I thought the concept was silly to be honest. I didn’t trust Hollywood to tell a creative story with arguably one of the most creative toys on the market. Luckily, the creative team of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller delivered one of the smartest and self aware films of 2014. Could the sequel live up to the original?
The film takes place directly after the first film and shows how differently the young boys and girls play with their legos through the point of view of the toys. After Bianca (the young girl) destroys everything, the film time jumps five years and we learn that everything is no longer awesome for our lego friends as Finn (her brother) no longer feels he can build nice things. Bianca uses her Duplo legos to try and play with Finn but he has no interest in doing so. So, Bianaca’s creation Queen Watevra Wa'Nabi and General Sweet Mayhem kidnap a group of Finn’s legos including Lucy, Unikitty, MetalBeard, Benny, and Batman in an attempt to ‘unite’ the two group of toys through marriage. Only Emmet and his new ally Rex can save the day. Perhaps everything isn’t as it seems for Emmet however and his actions have consequences that reach beyond the lego world.
While the first movie had somewhat of a twist in revealing the father and son dynamic that was behind the movie, this movie instead shifts the focus to be on sibling rivalry as hinted at during the final moments of this film’s predecessor. The movie ultimately finds it’s heart by showcasing the bonding between the two children by the film’s climax.
The movie isn’t as original as the first film but it would be almost impossible and perhaps foolish to try and recapture the same magic of the first film. The film’s strength is in successfully shifting the dynamic of the theme and by being incredibly funny and witty. The film features several references and Easter eggs. It is unfortunate that Will Ferrell was reduced to such a small, voice over only, role in this particular film. Maya Rudolph instead fills in the void left by Ferrell’s absence by playing his wife and the mother of Finn and Bianca. The film once again features impressively witty music that is hilarious in the context of the movie.
“The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part” ultimately falls just shy of the greatness of the first film. That being said, it is still a very worthy sequel and a very enjoyable film overall (something that isn’t common for sequels).
Grade: B+
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