“The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part” Movie Review

    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+

“Solo: A Star Wars Story” Movie Review

    From the very beginning of it's announcement, things started looking not so hot for "Solo: A Star Wars Story".  To say the movie was riddled with problems is an understatement.  Heck, just the idea of a young Han Solo film divided fans.  It seemed either fans loved the idea or felt Han Solo's past should remain a mystery.  I am of the school of thought that if there is a good story to tell, nothing should be off the table so I was personally open to a young Han Solo film, that is until of course all the drama with the production happened.
    When Kathleen Kennedy announced that the directing duo of Lord and Miller were directing this movie, I was excited.  The pair had just come of the successful Jump Street franchise as well as the hugely popular LEGO movie so they seemed like the perfect filmmakers to help lead Star Wars into a new era.  Rumor is that Lord and Miller even turned down a big money deal to direct a Flash movie at Warner Bros. to make this film for Lucasfilms.  Then news broke that the pair had been fired (which seems to be an ongoing pattern over at Lucasfilms) from the project after completing most of the film.  Ron Howard was hired to finish the film and reshoot it to more align with Kathleen Kennedy's "vision" of the film.  I had no idea what to expect from this film which seemed like a mixing pot of different creative directions.  Luckily, by some miracle, the film works.  I was actually pretty entertained throughout most of the movie.
    There were several rumors going around about Alden Ehrenreich needing an acting coach because he was doing such a poor job but if that were true, bravo to the acting coaches because he definitely did a better job than I thought he would.  While I didn’t think of Harrison Ford during his performance, I definitely felt a Han Solo vibe and that is what is important in a young Han Solo movie.
    As far as the supporting cast, the highlight was definitely Donald Glover as a young Lando Calrissian.  He brought the charm and swagger of Billy Dee Williams to his performance in a way few could.  Woody Harrelson was also a welcomed addition to the Star Wars family as a mentor to Han.  Emilie Clarke also co-stars as Han’s love interest.  Unfortunately, Clarke doesn’t add much to the movie but she also doesn’t take anything away either.
    My favorite aspect of the movie was the origin of Han and Chewbecca’s friendship.  The bond they share throughout the movie enhances the friendship they have  in the Star Wars saga films.  This movie could have been a Chewbecca origin film and I would have been happy.  Have I mentioned how awesome Chewbecca is yet?
    Now on to some gripes about the film.  First, the cinematography in the first ten minutes of the film  was terrible and you could hardly see what was going on.  I understand it was supposed to be dark, but the audience needs to see what is going on.  Also, while I liked the secret cameo, I am not sure the reason for his inclusion.  Do they plan to explore the character in a future film?  They will also need to explain his apparent rise from the dead somewhere down the line in a film (and not an animated show).
    The film turned out to be a flop of Lucasfilms part and lost the studio money which is a shame since it wasn’t a bad film.  It was definitely better than the last few Star Wars films.  I just hope they give the Obi-Wan Kenobi movie a shot down the line.  Too bad Han always has to shoot first.

Grade: B+