Just because an idea sounds stupid, doesn't mean it is in fact... stupid. That's what we all learned when the first Lego Movie was released and surprised everyone on earth and space (do astronauts have Netflix?). What could have been a giant commercial for Legos ended up being... a giant commercial for Legos, but a damn good one with a lot of charm. The writing was what stood out the most. It knew exactly what it wanted to be and it didn't take itself seriously for the most part. So here we are now with a sequel that begs the question: Is the world getting tired of Lego movies?
Honestly, after the Ninjago movie, I thought the answer was yes. There's a certain style of humor these movies ALL have now. That self-aware and making tons of references style of humor that was great in the first one, but has become in danger of becoming stale now after three movies. Going into this new sequel I was worried it would start to wear on me and it just wouldn't be as charming. Honestly, it kind of was the case with Lego Movie 2. The jokes definitely hit a lot less in this movie, but there's still a lot of times I laughed out loud. The characters are still very charming and lovable, so that really helps the movie a lot.
This time around, the story picks up right after the first movie. It revolves around the idea of the son from the first movie who played with his dad's Legos, but this time he has to share with his little sister. It leads to a conflict between the Legos from the first movie against all the kiddie and girly toys that the sister is bringing in. It ends up being a pretty predictable story, but that's not really a problem because it's done well enough to excuse that... for the most part. The thing that makes it less impactful than the first one is that we already know that they are being controlled by humans in the real world, so the moments where we might see the human aspect of the story aren't as cool and shocking as the first time it was revealed. It makes the story a lot more predictable, but it also adds to the humor since you understand the world a lot more.
The animation is still top-notch. Everything looks like Legos, and it's all highly detailed. The movement of the Legos is still really well done and funny even after three other movies. After this movie was done though, I think I would be okay with if the Lego Movie franchise took a little break, at least for a few years. Either that or try something different with the style and humor, The problem with making movies based on Legos from this point on is that they will all have to look the same because they are all based on the same Lego toys. So it will be a challenge to make that visually interesting after four movies now that all share the same visual style and animation.
Lego Movie 2 was a really good time despite some flaws. It had a lot of good laughs and a decent enough story with some good messages for the kids. The franchise is in danger of becoming stale if it keeps going the way it is at this point, so I hope it takes a break for a few years. BUT if you enjoyed any of the other Lego movies, then this one is an easy recommendation.
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