Movie Review: "The LEGO Movie" (2014)

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Movie: "The LEGO Movie"
Director: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

An ordinary LEGO construction worker named Emmet (Chris Pratt) finds out he is the prophesied 'Special' when he stumbles upon the 'Piece of Resistance.' Now, Emmet and a group of 'Master Builders' must use the 'Piece of Residence' to stop the evil President Business (Will Ferrell) from destroying the world with his secret weapon known as 'The Kragle.'

Now THIS is the kind of movie kids need to see!!

"The LEGO Movie" is one of those animated films which appeal to both kids and their parents or even adults without kids. We grew up playing with Legos, so to see them come alive on the big screen is very nostalgic and groovy for us! It's a really fun and happy adventure movie with an inspiring message. It enforces the need for creativity in young kids, and that people of all ages should challenge the norm with their imaginations. Kids will enjoy the Legos as the toys they love to come to life, and adults will laugh and pick up on the many pop culture references and nuances. The entire plot of the movie is based on the fact that even the plainest Lego character is unique, and even though Emmet, voiced by Chris Pratt, thinks he doesn't have any talent, he really does, it's just different than everyone else's.

One of the best parts of this movie are the voices. Everyone is AWESOME, to borrow a line from the film! Morgan Freeman as the God-type character? Hilarious! Featuring old-school LEGO sets like the 80's style spaceship? Woohoo!! Batman, Gandalf, cowboys, AND Shaq?! HELL YEAH!!! This really is Chris Pratt's year for film, he has been making quite a name for himself lately. The animation here is great and very creative, especially when imagination takes hold. Even though this is basically one gigantic product placement for LEGO, it doesn't matter. All the pieces fit together to make a very fine movie. The script is not only witty but serves up a host of laugh-out-loud moments, too.

So often in new cinema, we serve the children of today sheer and utter crapola that doesn't expand their minds beyond flashiness and fart jokes. It is our belief that kids NEED to see this kind of movie, one that's smart, doesn't dumb them down, and challenges them to be creative all at the same time. It's got enough in it to keep everyone interested and is a delight for the whole family.

My Rating: 9/10
BigJ's Rating: 8/10
IMDB's Rating: 8.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 96%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!