The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019 Film) Review
"The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part" begins right where the first one ended. Visitors from the planet Duplo invade and destroy the city of Bricksburg. Cut to five years later, Emmett, Lucy, and the remaining survivors live in the dystopian community of Apocalypseburg. While everyone has adapted to the dour environment and have taken on edgy attitudes, Emmett remains the cheerful, happy-go-lucky person he normally is. Though Lucy tries to get him to change, that's put on hold when she, Batman, Benny, Unikitty, and MetalBeard are captured by General Mayhem and taken to the Systar System. In an effort to save them, Emmet teams up with Rex Dangervest, a new character whose personality is derived from Chris Pratt's other roles.
Pratt returns to voice Emmett and also provides the voice for Rex Dangervest. Elizabeth Banks returns as Lucy/Wyldstyle as does Will Arnett as Batman, Charlie Day as Benny, Alison Brie as Unikitty, and Nick Offerman as MetalBeard. As for other new characters, General Mayhem is voiced by Stephanie Beatriz and Tiffany Haddish joins as the Queen of the Systar System, Watevra Wa-Nabi (Whatever I wanna be).
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller did not return to direct "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part." That responsibility was given to Mike Mitchell, who is best known for directing "Sky High," "Shrek Forever After," and "Trolls." Lord and Miller did, however, write the script for the sequel and also produced it with Dan Lin, Roy Lee, and Jinko Gotoh. "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part" was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures through their animation division.
Introduction
Initially thought to be a glorified advertisement for a well-known toy company, "The Lego Movie" impressed in 2014 when it was revealed to be anything but. Similar to what "Toy Story" did for Pixar, "The Lego Movie" put Warner Brother's animation division on the map as one of the major companies out there. With so much creative capital to spend, we all looked to see what their next projects would be. To give them credit, at least they tried to produce original films, but neither 2016's "Storks" or 2018's "Smallfoot" reached the same ballpark as "The Lego Movie." 2017 saw the release of two Lego movies from Warner Animation, but instead of sequels to that first hit, they were spin-offs. Will Arnett's version of Batman got his own solo film as did the Lego company's Ninjago brand. While "The Lego Batman Movie" was a modest success, "The Lego Ninjago Movie" was the first in the franchise to receive underwhelming responses from critics and audiences, leading many to believe that the franchise had already exhausted it's assets. With an official sequel in "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part," will the franchise return to what made it great, or be the confirmation that this franchise was over before it even began?For the record, I want to state that this film's title is confusing. Either it's "The Lego Movie 2" or "The Lego Movie: The Second Part." Calling the film "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part" means that this is the second part of "The Lego Movie 2." The title is either intentional or a sign of ignorance on the part of the people who made the film, but I digress. Let's get to what really matters. That being the review itself.
Overall Thoughts
I got good news and bad news. The good news is that "The Lego Movie 2" restores the franchise to a more prestigious glory. I write that instead of "former glory" because the glory of this sequel is a tad lesser than that of the first film. The only element missing is the surprise factor.
It cannot be overstated what a surprise the first film was. A film that had no business being a movie turned out to be one of the best animated movies of all time, regardless of what the Academy told you. (For shame, Academy.) While the sequel possesses many powerful themes and ideas, things don't feel the same anymore. The wonder of seeing the intricately detailed Lego vistas has been slightly diluted, likely because of the two spin-offs that followed the first film. Despite such a loss, the film still fulfills its potential. Beyond a rushed first ten minutes, the film goes at its own steady pace. It's not fast, nor is it sluggish. The lesson the film teaches is a highlight with it being tied to a universal problem that everyone who's every played with toys can relate to.
The inventive writing of the original film's directors is by far the best quality the film possesses. Phil Lord and Chris Miller know how to write great comedy. "The Lego Movie 2" is the most meta the franchise has been to date. We're talking several in-jokes. The Rex Dangervest character is essentially one giant in-joke. There are references to many other films, actors, and studios and though it doesn't stop until after the credits finish, they always retain a level of intelligence. Not all jokes work. There was one running gag that wasn't at all funny, but that was the only exception. The rest is up to the standards of the first. Following their work on "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," Lord and Miller are on fire with scripting inventive and comedic entertainment. All this success leaves me to wonder what could've been had they not been fired off of "Solo: A Star Wars Story."
Despite not being the standout, the cast turn in good work. Chris Pratt continues to play Emmett as a lovable and innocent-to-a-fault character that he was established as in the previous film. Though he does go on an interesting journey in this sequel, the character doesn't dramatically change from where he started out. As for Pratt's other role, that being Rex Dangervest, the character is full of personality, if basic. As a spoof on many of Pratt's own roles, Rex provides excellent comedy and commentary. Since a large part of the film is Emmett and Rex talking with one another, a large chunk of the film involves Pratt talking to himself and fortunately, the actor is able to carry his scenes. Elizabeth Banks has more do as Lucy/Wyldstyle. Her character has more involvement in the story and goes through a notable change. Will Arnett's Batman, Charlie Day's Benny, Alison Brie's Unikitty, and Nick Offerman's MetalBeard don't have much presence by comparison. The actors come in to say their lines and end up doing very well, but none of them have much of a role in the heart of the story. The film even acknowledges it with a hilarious joke that you've already seen in the trailers. Stephanie Beatriz's General Mayhem and Tiffany Haddish's Queen Watevra Wa-Nabi have some of the best lines of the film, but they're lines that support the message and not their characters. They don't have much personality outside of a good sense of humor.
Director Mike Mitchell and his team of animators conjure up exceptional creations that elevate what the first film did while also supplying the sequel with its own separate identity. The builds, while less ambitious, are still inventive and full of detail. There's Rex's spaceship, the Rexcelsior, that looks like a fist and the Systar System, a colorful land of various Lego-based figurines. While it's no longer the most original thing in animation anymore, the franchise continues to produce imaginative Lego constructions.
Score
Though Mark Mothersbaugh's score has its moments - those moments are when it emphasizes the film's irreverent attitude, the score goes largely unnoticed as it's the original songs that are given the most focus.
Speaking of which, I did not expect this sequel to be a musical. Of course, the first film had the iconic tune "Everything is Awesome," yet nothing about that remotely indicated that this franchise could be a musical. At first, the choice was jarring, but as one musical number followed another, I was sold on the idea and thoroughly enjoyed each of the songs.
Speaking of which, I did not expect this sequel to be a musical. Of course, the first film had the iconic tune "Everything is Awesome," yet nothing about that remotely indicated that this franchise could be a musical. At first, the choice was jarring, but as one musical number followed another, I was sold on the idea and thoroughly enjoyed each of the songs.
Let's not kid ourselves, these songs aren't trying to elicit any emotions outside of laughter. For as genuinely powerful as some songs are, they mostly serve as ways to incorporate meta gags. Songs like "Welcome to the Systar System," "Not Evil," and "Gotham City Guys" are songs that only exist to poke fun at tropes seen in other movies. They are effective as the clever bits of humor sprinkled throughout their lyrics are on-point and never lose sight of their intention. They all have got a wonderful beat, each of them different from one another.
And then there's "Catchy Song." You know, there once was a time when I thought that these Lego movies could never produce a song that would be catchier than "Everything is Awesome." Well, here we are and I was dead wrong as "Catchy Song" is just as it name implies, a catchy song. All it does is repeat the same lyric for a majority of the song's length. It's designed so meticulously that you'd swear it was conjured up by some brainwashing artists, which is apt considering the use of song within the film. However, I find it a little funny that the song I found the most catchy was the end credits song, "Super Cool."
And then there's "Catchy Song." You know, there once was a time when I thought that these Lego movies could never produce a song that would be catchier than "Everything is Awesome." Well, here we are and I was dead wrong as "Catchy Song" is just as it name implies, a catchy song. All it does is repeat the same lyric for a majority of the song's length. It's designed so meticulously that you'd swear it was conjured up by some brainwashing artists, which is apt considering the use of song within the film. However, I find it a little funny that the song I found the most catchy was the end credits song, "Super Cool."
Grade: B+
Though not as awesome as the original film, that does not impede "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part" from becoming a delightful animated film that appeals to both young and old through its universal message, terrific animation, and quick-witted script.
Without reservations, I strongly recommend "The Lego Movie 2" for both children and adults. No need to pay extra to see it in 3D. This film is wonderful to look at in the standard format. If you're a parent, this a great movie to see as a family. If you loved the original, you'll like this follow-up. If you haven't seen the first film, I suggest catching up on that film before going to see its sequel. Moreover, as my concluding remarks, bring on "The Lego Movie 3," Warner Bros. Let's see if you can make a great trilogy with these characters.
Conclusion
That has been my review of "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part." I look forward to hearing any thoughts you have regarding the film and/or my review. Do you plan to see it? Perhaps, you've already have seen it. Regardless, share your thoughts in the comments below. Feel free to recommend a film for a future review as well. Thanks for reading, I'm Dallin, the Film Fanatic, and I'll be back again soon with another editorial.
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