With numerous new characters and story ideas to expand its original concept, “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” proved that everything is awesome again five years later. Through a catchy pop music soundtrack, consistent humor, and radiant animation, it was worth nearly two hours of watching.
Following the cliffhanger from the first film, Bricksburg has transitioned into a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Only Emmett Brickowski (voiced by Chris Pratt) remains optimistic, much to girlfriend Lucy/Wyldstyle’s (voiced by Elizabeth Banks) chagrin. But Emmett must be ready to change his attitude when a new threat begins to wreak havoc and takes away his loved ones.
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There to assist Emmett is adventurer Rex Dangervest (also voiced by Pratt). The inclusion of Rex into Emmet’s life reminded me of the adventures in “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2”, given their crazy journeys through space and to return home as heroes.
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| Emmett Brickowski and Rex Dangervest (both voiced by Christ Pratt) are looking for adventure. Courtesy of Warner Bros, Pictures. |
One of the things I loved watching was allowing the character of Emmett to mature from his usual, peppy self. His interactions with Rex allowed him to become a more fierce combatant. Their clashing personalities was one source of a good laugh.
Another source of the humor came from adding the character, Queen Watevra Wa’Nabi (voiced by Tiffany Haddish) into the plot. Her charismatic behavior and influence over the other Master Builders was a major highlight. But what was probably the funniest part was her denouncing of Batman’s (voiced by Will Arnett) loner outlook and her attempts to build chemistry with him.
Audiences will get an earful when they listen to “Catchy Song” by Dillon Francis ft. T. Pain and That Girl Lay Lay.
The different Lego trucks, ships and planets were phenomenal to see. Those scenes reminded me of Disney’s “Wall-E”. And witnessing Lego minifigures who work hard in their own universe to build these contraptions still leaves me with wonder.
While it was nice to see the cliffhanger resolved, there is one thing that confused me about the sequel. For starters, if Emmett is the main character, the story could try focusing on him and how he handles becoming “The Special”. With there being other plots about Lucy, Batman, or Watevra Wa’Nabi, it’s difficult to know what/who the film is truly about.
To elaborate my point, the previous film was about standing up against normality in the Lego city and everyone coming together to make a stable, happy environment. So the producers may want to try a different story to tell, something new and fresh for audiences who want to see something bigger.
‘The Second Part’ could use a little more action as much as there are memorable pop music or pop culture gags. And given the motifs of family and friendship throughout ‘The Lego Movie 2’, this sequel might be geared towards young children ages 6-10, because they could use these inspiring moments more than anyone else.
In conclusion, “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” is a vibrant, humorous film that is best for the whole family. It has some improvements it could make, but nevertheless, it still delivers strong entertainment one little brick at a time. If you’ve seen the first film and want to see more, then Warner Bros. has the answer to your question. “Everything is Awesome”.
