THE LEGO MOVIE written and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, from a story by Lord, Miller, Dan Hageman and Kevin Hageman, with voices of Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Ferrell and Will Arnett. A Warner Bros. release. 100 minutes. Opens Friday (February 7). For venues and times, see Movies. Rating: NNNN
Sweet, funny, preposterously complex and uniquely ridiculous, The Lego Movie feels like a quantum step up for both CG animation and movies based on marketing pitches.
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs) have created a sprawling 3D fantasy universe designed to mimic stop-motion animation. (There’s some actual stop-motion work, but good luck telling the difference.)
They’ve also folded every heroic quest into the story of Emmet (voiced by Moneyball’s Chris Pratt), an ordinary construction worker who finds himself dubbed The Special, the one person who can save the universe from the evil plans of the sinister Lord Business (Will Ferrell).
Emmet’s allies include characters from various Lego realms, including punk warrior Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) and a cockier-than-usual Batman (Will Arnett). Aiding Lord Business is the literally bipolar team of Bad Cop and Good Cop, both voiced by Liam Neeson.
Kids will be thrilled by the non-stop activity and insane creative leaps, while grown-ups will also appreciate those leaps – especially one toward the end – and delight in how the voice actors are enjoying themselves as much as the audience.
