The Lego Movie

Like many people who have reviewed this offering unfairly, I received an email from Amazon indicating that my order had been cancelled because THE DISTRIBUTOR would no longer be offering it. Instead, Amazon suggested this set as an alternative. If the rest of the dopes bothered to read the email in its entirety and do a little research, they would have discovered that that it was WARNER HOME VIDEO that CANCELED this release, NOT FLIPPING AMAZON. Here's what happened: Warner had already planned for the original releases that we pre-ordered well before the film was released in theaters. They knew they would have a hit on their hand but were unprepared for how big of a hit it would become. So, they scrambled to do a bunch of market research regarding this new set and discovered that consumers OVERWHELMINGLY preferred it to the original Blu-ray/3D Blu-ray/DVD/Digital (and Blu-ray/DVD) release which was made available only SEVEN days after the film was released. Amazon DIDN'T screw you (if you want to call it that, anyway), Warner Home Video screwed you. Someone said, "I guess I'll just go somewhere else" Sure, you can go somewhere else... and buy the EXACT SAME SET AMAZON IS OFFERING BECAUSE THAT'S ALL THAT'S GOING TO BE RELEASED FOR THIS TITLE FOR AMAZON AT MOST RETAILERS. Target is the ONLY retailer to offer the standard Blu-ray/DVD combo as it's their exclusive. Again, blame Warner, NOT Amazon. "Now we have to do this again for a more Expensive 3D version .....?" NO... As noted by the CAREFULLY WORDED product description, the 3D disc is a BONUS. So, if you don't like it, TAKE IT UP WITH WARNER HOME VIDEO, NOT AMAZON. You slobs are lucky that Amazon is such a decent company that they gave us all a $10 credit (or better in some cases) to purchase this when they were under no obligation to do so because they did nothing wrong. WARNER changed their mind, ya dopes, and the fact of the matter is that the set would probably have been down to what you paid for the set you initially pre-ordered by relase day anyway, or something close to it. I already had a $10 credit applied to my account over a customer service issue so I was able to apply the code and get $20 off, so score for me and if it goes down by release day I'll be paying even less than $20 for it. Bait and switch? Please. You people are embarrassing. ORIGINAL FILM REVIEW POSTED ON THE ORIGINAL PRE-ORDER SET: Please note, this is a review for the film only. Today's date is February 14, 2014 and at the time of this review, this film had only been in theaters for one week and the 3D Blu-ray/Blu-ray/DVD/Ultraviolet home video release was only available for preorder. It is a rare event that I give a film a perfect score but if there was ever a film that was more deserving in recent memory, I can't think of one. The LEGO Movie is by far the best animated film I have ever seen and that includes ANY Pixar film (yes, I know... blasphemy). It is also the first film I have seen in years in which the entire audience stood up and applauded when the credits rolled. Cleverly acted, the film showcases the comedic talents and sometimes surprising comedic talents of some of the biggest names in popular film today. Will Farrell (Lord Business/President Business) and Will Arnett (Batman/Bruce Wayne)... heck, those guys are givens as far as comedic timing is concerned but who knew that Morgan Freeman and Liam Neeson could be so funny? From the beginning, the story seems like nothing more than a rehash of the themes in Kung Fu Panda or The Matrix with the role of Po/Neo taken on by our very ordinary hero, Emmet (Chris Pratt). As the film progresses, it takes on the tone and plot of a million of other action film clichés but the visually stunning frenetic action combined with multiple clever pop-culture references allows you to forgive what seems like a generic story and just simply enjoy the awesome adventure that you and your kids are on. The level of detail is absolutely phenomenal, right down to the tiny scratches in the ABS plastic and my favorite, the visible finger prints on the minifigures themselves. And make no mistake, by design, this film was meant to be seen by families which just makes the experience that much more enjoyable. So, am I saying that the overall experience of the film makes up for the weak story? Nope. In the last 20 minutes of the film there are live-action sequences that tie the whole story together and turn what was a generic and almost mediocre plot into one of the most brilliant pieces of complex fantasy story-telling I have ever seen in a family film. It was so cleverly done that I literally slapped myself in the forehead for being tricked like I was because the film drops not-so-subtle clues as to the big twist throughout its entirety. I came out of this film realizing that though cleverly marketed as a kid's film, this is a nostalgia film for X and Y Geners (is that a word? don't care, going with it...) and the tell was with 1980s Spaceman, the insanely hyperactive Benny (voiced by Charlie Day). Anyone whoever had this minifigure (or a similar one with the space helmet) knew that within a month's time of taking that helmet off repeatedly, the bottom of the helmet near the chin would split because it was so thin. The reason for this is simple: it was a two part injection-molded piece of plastic and that thin little piece was right on the seam. The fact that someone thought of this very esoteric detail in and of itself is not only brilliant but it also helps achieve one of the film's main goals: taking our generation back to a time when we were seven years-old. The level of violence in this film is probably the biggest factor in the MPAA PG rating, but it's the exact same kind of violence that a seven year-old kid would inflict on their own LEGO minifigures through normal imagination-fueled play and like everything else in the film, it ties into the big twist that brings the whole film together. Is The LEGO Movie, as some have claimed, just a two-hour advertisement for a toy? Yep, but who cares? LEGO toys are a permanent part of our pop-culture and certainly no different than film franchises based on G.I. Joe or Transformers... except for the fact that I can watch a LEGO film with my kids and not scare the living crap out of them. The motivations for this film are irrelevant as to its quality despite the cynical attitudes towards it. My only regret is that we didn't see it in 3D as this is one film that it is a moral imperative to see in 3D. Oh, well... I guess we'll just have to go see it again. Everything is awesome, indeed. Read more

If you have any soul at all, you’re going to love The LEGO Movie. If you have no soul, you might just walk away with one after watching this film. The LEGO Movie opens to show Emmet Brickowski (voiced by Chris Pratt) living an ordinary life as a construction worker in his LEGO world. In fact, his life is so ordinary that he is forgotten by almost everyone who knows him. The brick world is regulated by strict rules established by President Business (voiced by Will Ferrell), and even though Emmet tries to follow all of them, he soon finds himself chasing after the beautiful WyldStyle (voiced by Elizabeth Banks) – a minifigure who breaks every rule. When Emmet accidentally fuses with the fabled Piece of Resistance, WyldStyle mistakes him for a MasterBuilder of legend. Emmet’s adventures take him all over the various LEGO worlds, and he meets a variety of other MasterBuilders, who are secretly fighting against President Business’ evil plan to turn the world solid. According to the legend, only Emmet can save the brick world from certain doom. Anyone who has ever built with LEGO bricks – and that’s pretty much everyone – will get some great laughs out of The LEGO Movie. People like me, who are lifelong fans of LEGO, will be delighted with the film. There are many cues for LEGO fans that will keep them laughing throughout the film. With a wide cast of characters lending voice talent – including Morgan Freeman (Vitruvius), Will Arnett (Batman), Charlie Day (Benny, the 1980′s Spaceman), Jonah Hill (Green Lantern) and many others – the show manages not to obsess about screen time for any non-major characters, no matter how impressive their filmography. But the real standout start of the film is Elizabeth Banks voicing WyldStyle. It seems that LEGO has suddenly realized that little girls like to build with their bricks, and they seem to have finally created a strong female character. She’s important to the film and my daughter’s eyes lit up when she watched her outdo the boys through the entire film. Banks, who you may know as the infamous Effie Trinket from The Hunger Games film series, captures the personality of the character beautifully. When the film was over, my daughter didn’t want to go buy a Batman LEGO set, or even an Emmet set – she wanted one with WyldStyle. For that, I thank LEGO and I thank the directors of this film. As you watch the film, you’ll be begging to get your hands on the video game, which fits so well with the format of past LEGO games that it seems as if the film was made to play. The action is fun and the story lends itself to the rapid building features of the game. On top of that, the film will make you want to buy the sets from the movie so you can reenact scenes from the iconic scenes of the film. And trust me, I already bought a set because I couldn’t resist that chance to build WyldStyle’s sweet motorcycle with my daughter. The style of the film is reminiscent of a slick stop-motion fan film made with LEGO minifigures. It has a slight choppiness which fits the genre and makes it look like a very impressive fan film instead of a multimillion dollar computer animated film. Keeping this spirit up, the directors are able to pull some very fun gags off, one of which includes Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman) at the end of the second act of the film. There’s so much to love in The LEGO Movie that it is guaranteed to be a great time for anyone who remembers being a kid. The humor is sophisticated enough for adults without being thinly-veiled, and the story is engaging enough to make anyone think about it long after the film stops rolling. There are many surprises and you’ll love every second of it. I give The LEGO Movie 5 stars, since I haven’t had that much fun watching a film for years! Read more