The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part stars Chris Pratt as Emmet (Right) and Elizabeth Banks as Wyldstyle (Left)
The Lego Movie should never have been a success. It was a feature length animated movie about a toy. A toy that was quite expensive and a lot of kids demand to have. Because of this, a lot of people saw The Lego Movie as just an elongated advert that would brainwash their children into wanting more Lego, and yes, why it may have done that, it was also a success in itself. Receiving praise from critics and fans alike, The Lego Movie raked in a massive $469 million worldwide and spawned a couple of spin-offs: The Lego Batman Movie and The Lego Ninjago Movie. Whilst the latter wasn’t as successful, the Lego Movie Universe was in full swing by the time it’s sequel, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, finally hit cinemas 5 years after the original.
The story picks up after the Duplo invasion that ended the first movie, whilst our characters go about their new daily lives, a scout from the SiStar System arrives and takes captive the bulk of our heroes including Wyldstyle and Batman, leaving Emmet to go out into space and try to bring them home.
Although a seemingly simple plot at the start, towards the end of the movie the film does take a few narrative turns that might confuse a few of the younger members in the audience. But that’s not to say that they won’t have a good time. The film itself spreads the simple message of sharing and equality, something which all children (and some adults) should pay close attention to, especially in a world which is quickly becoming more divided.
Unlike the first Lego Movie, which featured more nods to the adults leading to a more well-rounded family movie, the sequel seems to be aiming more towards the younger demographic and sometimes that does hurt the movie. Some jokes seem overly simple and rely a lot on jokes previously set-up in the first feature. Not only that but the increase in musical numbers turns this movie more into a musical than a standard animated feature. Where The Lego Movie only featured ‘Everything is Awesome’, The Lego Movie 2 now features multiple songs including the new number ‘catchy song’ which is exactly what it says on the tin (honestly, if that song is not stuck inside your head when you leave the cinema, then you must have fallen asleep).
On the technical side, the film is incredibly animated. Down to the little details of scratches and fingerprints on certain Lego bricks to show that they are part of a real universe. It’s these kinds of details that make the Lego Universe different to other animated movies as it adds a sense of realism, and makes you believe that your own Lego figures could be living their own unique lives in this reality.
Finally, the cast of this movie once again do a stellar job. Returning actors such as Elizabeth Banks (Wyldstyle), Alison Brie (UniKitty) and Will Arnett (Batman) bring life to their characters once again, but the main focus is on Chris Pratt who returns as Emmet but also has his role as newcomer Rex Dangervest. The fact that Pratt can deliver both of these roles to such a high standard whilst effectively having a conversation with himself for the majority of the films run time is incredible and really shows the acting range that this man has. The other newcomers to the sequel include Tiffany Haddish as Queen Watevra Wa’Nabi and Stephanie Beatriz as General Mayhem and they do a great job, but they are pushed aside by the scene-stealing Richard Ayoade who plays a small role as Ice Cream Cone (literally an ice cream come with a face).
Overall, If you’ve enjoyed the previous Lego movies you will enjoy this one. Whilst it may not reach the same heights as the first, the references to pop culture (including some nice Batman and Marvel nods), brilliant art style and wholesome plot make this a worthwhile film for any member of the family, not matter what age.
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part – 4/5