Jun 142014
 

The LEGO Movie is easily one heck of a fun flick with a sharp script that appeals to both kids and adults, masterful voice casting (especially Will Arnett as Batman) and the animation is absolutely wonderful.

 

 

The Lego Movie
Everything is Awesome Edition
(2014)


Genre(s): Animation, Action, Adventure
Warner Bros. | PG – 101 min. – $49.99 | June 17, 2014

MOVIE INFO:
Directed by:
Phil Lord & Christopher Miller
Writer(s): Dan Hageman & Kevin Hageman and Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, Phil Lord & Christopher Miller (screenplay)
Voice Cast: Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman


DISC INFO:
Features:
Commentary, Featurettes, Outtakes, DVD Copy, Digital Copy
Number of Discs: 3


Audio: English (DTS-HD MA 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Video: 1080p/Widescreen 2.40
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Disc Size: 28.5 GB (2D BD), 33.3 GB (3D BD)
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Region(s): A, B, C

 

THE MOVIE – 4.25/5

The LEGO Movie is easily one of the most creative, entertaining and fun movies to come out in quite a while… not to mention one hell of an advertising tool for the company!

The story begins when the wizard Vitravius (voiced by MORGAN FREEMAN) attempts to stop Lord Business (WILL FARRELL) from obtaining a super weapon known as the “Kragle” but fails. Before being disposed of by Business, Vitravius warns of a “Special”, a chosen one who will find the Piece of Resistance which can stop the “Kragle”.

We fast forward 8½ years later and meet hapless Emmet Brickoski (CHRIS PRATT), a construction worker who, like the others in this Lego Land, goes about his day following the instructions from greeting fellow commuters and citizens, watching lame sitcom “Where’s My Pants” and listening to his, and everybody’s, favorite song, “Everything is Awesome!” Life is good but changes when, after work, he sees a Jedi-like figure revealed to a woman named Wyldstyle (ELIZABETH BANKS) who is at the construction site tracking down the Piece of Resistance, but through a series of tumbles and sheer luck, Emmet instead finds it where the Piece gets attached to his back.

Of course, Wyldstyle believes he is the Chosen One as prophesized by Vitravius and Emmet for his part has fallen hard for Wyldstyle. But the pair is being pursued by the corrupt Bad Cop/Good Cop (LIAM NEESON), henchman for President Business, leader of the city who has special plans set to go down on “Taco Tuesday”.

However, despite not being the special chosen one as prophesized being unable to build anything constructive without instructions, Emmet, along with Wyldstyle, Vitravius, Batman (WILL ARNETT), who happens to be Wyldstyle’s boyfriend, Wonder Woman (COBIE SMULDERS) and others set out to stop Lord Business’ diabolical scheme, going up against all odds and overcoming many obstacles in the process.

This review will be simple:

The LEGO Movie is one of the most creative movies to come out in some time and best of all, it’s a whole lot of fun, great for both the kiddies, families and the single folk out there. It’s also a blast from the past for anyone who played with Lego bricks and frankly, if the sets weren’t so expensive, not to mention numerous, I’d be collecting them today including the variety of Lego figures that can be purchased online.

Sure, this movie is certainly a huge and successful marketing tool for the LEGO Corporation, but the story is so well done, the voice casting is amazing, the animation itself is incredible and the entire film is simply a whole lot of fun. Not much more to say but that this is well worth a day one purchase!

SPECIAL FEATURES – 3.5/5

The “Everything is Awesome” Edition comes in a clear plastic case and contains a Vitruvius LEGO® Minifigure, a 3D Emmet Photo, a Digital Copy redemption code and a DVD Copy, the latter two in a standard Blu-ray case (the 3D and 2D BDs are stacked on one side, the DVD on the other).

Commentary – Director Phil Lord & Christopher Miller and Actors Chris Pratt, Alison Brie, Will Arnett and Charlie Day offer their thoughts on the movie with some minor details but all in all it’s just a fun party.

Batman’s a True Artist (1:12; HD) is a music video, probably made by fans, sung by Batman.

Michelangelo and Lincoln: History Cops (1:21; HD) is a mock action trailer starring Abe Lincoln and Michelangelo.

Enter the Ninjago (2:13; HD) – This is a mock Lego Hollywood pitch with a studio head wanting to add ninjas to the movie… Not surprising, but there is a Ninjago feature film set for release in 2016.

Bringing LEGO to Life (12:36; HD) offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the movie came together with interviews by the creative team

“Everything is Awesome” Sing-Along (3:19; HD) – Want that jingle to be stuck in your head? Then try this out!

See It, Build It (TRT 12:20; HD) shows how the Double-Decker Couch and Emmet’s Car were created both in real life and digitally.

Stories from the Story Team (4:02; HD) are some of the storyboards with commentary by the storyboard artists.

Top-Secret Submissions (3:51; HD) are a collection of some fan-made films.

Outtakes (2:33; HD) are some “line flubs” and alternate lines.

Additional Promotional Content (3:51; HD) are some TV spots to promote the movie.

Alleyway Test (0:55; HD) – This is the first animation test done for the movie.

Deleted Scenes (3:20; HD) are two scenes that didn’t make it to full animation.

Dream Job: Meet the LEGO Builders (13:28; HD) allows the viewers to hear from the people, or master builders, behind the LEGOs are who put their talents to use for the movie.

2D VIDEO – 5.0/5 | 3D VIDEO – 5.0/5

The LEGO Movie on Blu-ray looks nothing short of amazing. Details are of course clear as one would expect from an animated film but what’s most impressive is how the Lego’s look… and that’s not animated and like actual Lego parts from the reflections on the plastic faces to the Lego pieces that make up the sets. Colors are also incredibly vibrant while darker scenes are stark and show no signs of artifacting or compression.

The 3D picture is thankfully equally appealing. The depth of field is amazing and especially enhanced during the action scenes where Lego pieces are flying at and all around you and even the non-action parts offer something to look with characters and the sets. Also impressive is the colors which are not at all drab or toned down and make the 3D experience even better. It’s an amazing 3D transfer and most certainly reference quality for anyone who hasn’t been impressed with the format.

AUDIO – 4.75/5

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track offered up has a wide range from quieter, more dialogue-driven scenes to the many action sequences which helped encompass every channel with excellent depth to go along with the score and, of course, the hit and painfully hypnotic song, “Everything is Awesome”. It’s an impressive lossless track that only helps to boost the viewing experience.

OVERALL – 4.5/5

Overall, The LEGO Movie is easily one heck of a fun flick with a sharp script that appeals to both kids and adults, masterful voice casting (especially Will Arnett as Batman) and the animation is absolutely wonderful. This 3-disc set offers some decent amount of features while the audio and video (both 2D and 3D) are incredible and alone worth the price. Whether or not you were a Lego kid, this is a fun film for the entire family.

 

The Movieman
Published: 06/14/2014

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