Category: Animation

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When The LEGO Movie was released in 2014, no one expected it to be as good as it was. Not only was it a financial success, making over $400 million worldwide, but critics were generally positive towards the film. It was even nominated for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards for the insanely catchy Everything is Awesome. Naturally, with that kind of success, more LEGO movies were sure to come out, including a much-anticipated sequel. The first major LEGO spin-off was The LEGO Batman Movie in 2017, focusing on Will Arnett’s character from the original. Later that same year, The LEGO Ninjago Movie was also released, but neither were as successful as the first. So, five years after the original film, a sequel has finally been released, the original cast and crew returning. With that out of the way, let’s talk about The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part.

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After the ending of the first film, the world of LEGO has become a post-apocalyptic wasteland ala Mad Max. Turns out the residents of the Systar System, known as Duplos, have been invading and destroying everything in sight. Our heroes now reside in a makeshift town called Apocalypseburg, where everyone is tough, gritty, and brooding. One day, a visitor from the Systar System named General Mayhem (Stephanie Beatriz) arrives to deliver a message. Queen Watevra Wa’Nabi (Tiffany Haddish), ruler of the Systar System, intends to marry their leader so as to join forces. Mayhem captures Wyldstyle, Batman, UniKitty, Benny, and Metalbeard, and it’s up to Emmett (Chris Pratt) to save them. He soon runs into Rex Dangervest (Pratt), and the two fly off to rescue Emmett’s friends and stop the Queen. With the threat of “Our-Mom-Ageddon” looming, will they succeed or will something more sinister be revealed?

If you’ve read my review of the original film, you can surmise that I was more than excited for this. Before going into more detail, this sequel definitely met my expectations, though it also fell short in some aspects. First off, all the returning characters from the first film are just as fun and enjoyable as ever. Unfortunately, many of the fun side characters from the original aren’t given as much screen time as before. However, many of the new characters introduced, such as General Mayhem, Queen Watevra, and Rex Dangervest, are welcome additions. Also, like the first film, this has plenty of meta humor, mostly at the expense of the previous film. Plus, the scenes between Emmett and Rex’s velociraptors are easily more enjoyable than Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom in its entirety. That alone should make this film a more enjoyable watch, or at least a better sequel.

While the film has some great jokes, some of them don’t quite land and some even seem slightly dated. For example, one inhabitant of the Systar System is a sparkly vampire who’s sensitive and talks about unrequited love. Obviously, this is meant to be a jab at the Twilight series, but in 2019, this joke feels very dated. Also, while the new songs here are fun and catchy, they don’t quite resonate as well as Everything is Awesome. However, much like the original film, this one presents a very positive message that kids and adults can relate to. And just like the original, this one still has tons of heart and is brimming with creativity all throughout. While it seems like I was pretty negative, I still really enjoyed this film in spite of its problems. Overall, The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part is a fun and enjoyable time.

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In the 1930s, Ole Kirk Christiansen started a toy company he called “Lego” from the Danish phrase for “play well”. Originally making wooden toys, the company started making plastic toys in 1947, and introduced new interlocking brick toys in 1949. Known as the “Automatic Binding Bricks”, these simple toys would go on to become a worldwide sensation. Throughout the 20th century, Lego’s have become one of the most popular toy lines still to this day. There are all kinds of licensed Lego sets, there are theme parks, competitions, video games, and, of course, movies. Warner Bros. first became interested in the idea after purchasing Traveler’s Tales, the company responsible for many Lego video games. Writers Dan Lin and Kevin Hageman penned the script, and directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were onboard to direct. And so, in 2014, we were given what was simply called The LEGO Movie.

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Synopsis

Emmet Brickowski (Chris Pratt) is a simple LEGO construction worker who enjoys following the rules and fitting in with others. However, one night after work, he finds a mysterious woman searching in the construction site and follows her. After falling into a cave, Emmet finds an object known as the “Piece of Resistance”, giving him weird flashes. Upon waking up, he’s captured by Good Cop/Bad Cop (Liam Neeson) who starts asking him The Piece. Soon, Emmet is rescued by the mysterious woman, named Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks), who further elaborates on what’s going on. Years ago, the villainous Lord Business (Will Ferrell) stole a super-weapon known as “The Kragle” to take over the world. Only the Piece can stop the Kragle, and it’s prophesied that he who finds the Piece is “The Special.” Along with the old sage Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman), they must stop The Kragle before it’s too late.

Review

Right off the bat, just the very idea of a movie based on LEGO’s seems like a bad idea. It’s based off something with no story, and it might come across as a shameless plug for the toys. However, thanks to the talented people working on it, this film exceeds all expectations and is actually very heartfelt. First off, the animation is stunning, at times almost seeming like stop-motion animation, but on a much bigger scale. Also adding to the charm, everything is made of LEGOs: the clouds, the water, fires, explosions, smoke, etc. What’s also surprising is how funny it is, both the more kid-friendly humor and the more subtle adult humor. There’s some very biting social satire, especially with all the rules Emmet goes through at the start. There’s rules like, “Root for your home sports team”, “Drink Over-Priced Coffee”, “Listen to Popular Music”, and plenty more.

As with any great animated movie, this one has really fun and loveable characters, all of them very well-acted. Chris Pratt is funny as always, Elizabeth Banks does a great job, and Morgan Freeman’s voice is perfect in anything. Will Ferrell makes for a surprisingly funny, charismatic, and sinister villain, and even has more emotional moments towards the end. There’s also Will Arnett as Batman, Nick Offerman as Metalbeard, Alison Brie as Unikitty, and Charlie Day as 80s spaceman. Each of these characters is given their moment to shine, and not one of them falls flat. If there are any problems, the action and humor sometimes move too fast without much room for breathing. Also, the movie can’t seem to stick to one plotline for more than a few minutes, always jumping forward. Despite that, The LEGO Movie has heart and creativity, and appeals to audiences young and old.

Buy The LEGO Movie from Amazon: https://amzn.to/4oMclqa.

Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at no additional cost, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and make a purchase.

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Where to watch The LEGO Movie (2014)

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In 2012, Walt Disney Animation Studio released the 3D animated movie, Wreck-It Ralph, a send up of retro arcade games. It was the story of Wreck-It Ralph, the villain of a popular arcade game called Fix-It Felix who wanted more. Having grown tired of always being the bad guy, he decided to go into other games to be a hero. Eventually, he winds up in Sugar Rush, a candy-themed racing game, where he meets Venelope Sweet, a spunky young racer. Together, the two learn a valuable lesson in growing as people and taking pride in who they are. When it was released, the film was well-received by both critics and audiences, and was a major financial hit. Given its success, naturally a sequel was to follow, but it would take six years for one to happen. Flashforward to 2018, where the sequel, Ralph Breaks the Internet, has been released.

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For six years, things have been good for Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly) and Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman). However, Vanellope is getting bored doing the same thing again and again, and she yearns for something different. Things take a turn for the worse when Sugar Rush is threatened to be sold for parts when it breaks. With few options left, Ralph and Vanellope decide to travel to the internet to try and find a replacement part. They manage to find the part they’re looking for on eBay, but they need the money for it. Along the way, they stumble into a violent racing game called Slaughter Race and meet Shank (Gal Gadot). Soon, they meet the algorithm Yesss (Taraji P. Henson) who helps Ralph become a viral hit. While Ralph becomes popular enough to earn enough money, Vanellope wants to stay in Slaughter Race, feeling more at home there.

While I did enjoy the first film, I wasn’t as crazy over it as a lot of other people were. My biggest issue was that it started as a Wreck-It Ralph movie, but then became a Sugar Rush movie. I was really hoping the whole movie would be Ralph hopping between multiple games, but he only goes into two. That said, I still thought it was an enjoyable enough movie, and I understand why so many loved it. This one does have some of the same problems as the first one, but they’re not as bad as before. For one, while the plot does somewhat revolve around Vanellope, there is a fair balance between her and Ralph. They both go through their own characters arcs and enough time is devoted to both that it works well enough. It also helps that Vanellope is not as annoying as before.

When it was first announced what the concept of the film would be, many compared it to The Emoji Movie. Thankfully, this is movie isn’t nearly as bad or as cynically-made as that was, and it has something to say. For one, while The Emoji Movie seemed to glorify the internet, this at least addresses some of the lesser aspects. There are jokes about annoying pop-up ads, negative internet comments, viral video trends, online gaming, and internet viruses. Of course, this being a family film, there’s no way they could portray the really awful parts of the internet. The only part that felt cynical was the Disney website, which seemed like Disney flaunting all the properties they own. Granted, it only takes up about 10-15 minutes of screentime, and it does help to advance the plot. In summation, Ralph Breaks the Internet, much like its predecessor, is decent at best.

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In 1962, comic book writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko introduced the character Spider-Man in Amazing Fantasy #15. After his introduction, Spider-Man soon became one of Marvel’s most popular characters and has remained popular to this day. While there had been both live-action and animated versions of Spider-Man before, his first feature-length film wouldn’t be until 2002. Directed by Sam Raimi, the film was a massive success and led to two sequels in 2004 and 2007. After the disappointing reactions to Spider-Man 3, the series was rebooted in 2012 with The Amazing Spider-Man. A sequel followed in 2014, but it received similar backlash to Spider-Man 3 and was rebooted again. After being introduced in Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man introduced the character to the MCU with Spider-Man: Homecoming. Now, after Sony’s somewhat disappointing spin-off Venom, we now have the animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

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Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is a typical teen living in Brooklyn adjusting to life at a new elite boarding school. Things change however when he gets bit by a radioactive spider and starts developing similar powers to Spider-Man (Chris Pine). One night, Miles uncovers a secret lab being overseen by Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin (Liev Schreiber), who has big plans. Turns out Fisk has developed a machine to access parallel dimensions to try and bring back his wife and son. Unfortunately, Spider-Man gets killed by Fisk, but not before handing Miles a thumb drive that can deactivate the machine. Soon, the machine is activated and suddenly an alternate Spider-Man (Jake Johnson) arrives and reluctantly agrees to train Miles. Before long, more arrive, including Gwen Stacy, aka Spider-Woman (Hailee Steinfeld), Spider-Man Noir (Nicolas Cage, and Spider-Ham (John Mulaney). Together, they have to stop Fisk and try to repair the altered dimensions.

Given that plot synopsis, there is so much to this movie that my summary only scratches the surface. This is by far one of the most imaginative, breathtaking, and visually stunning animated movies I’ve in quite some time. It’s very stylized and blends different types of animation together, including anime, Warner Bros. era cartoons, and pulp-style animation. Sometimes, movements appear somewhat jittery and it seems like the frame rate drops, but overall it’s not a deterrent. With how much life and energy there is in the animation, it’s easy to overlook some of the minor flaws. Overall, this movie perfectly captures the look and feel of a comic with its vibrant colors and creative character designs. Not only does this work as a fun animated superhero adventure, but it also provides great Spider-Man fan service. There are so many easter eggs and references sprinkled throughout that fans will gush over.

Shameik Moore does a great job making Miles feel like a real kid trying to figure his life out. Not only does he have funny moments, but he also excels at the more dramatic moments. Jake Johnson lends his great comedic timing to make Peter B. Parker feel like a real loser who’s given up. Hailee Steinfeld exudes confidence in her portrayal of Spider-Gwen, perhaps being the best Spider-Man out of everyone here. Nicolas Cage has some of the best lines given how out-of-touch Spider-Man Noir is, especially when using a rubix cube. Liev Schreiber makes for a great Kingpin, and Lily Tomlin is one of the best Aunt May’s seen so far. The action sequences are a sight to behold, and the animation makes them all the more breathtaking. Overall, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse not only pleases fans but also pleases anyone looking for a fun animated adventure.

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Following the massive success of The Incredibles and given its open ending, many people were excited about a possible sequel. However, Pixar decided to focus on other projects instead, many good, i.e. Ratatouille, Up, WALL-E, Toy Story 3, and Inside Out, and some not so good, i.e. the Cars movies, Monsters University, and The Good Dinosaur. In the meantime, there was a massive resurgence in superhero movies following the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. When it was finally announced that a sequel was in the works, Brad Bird faced many challenges, such as making this film distinguishable from other superhero movies, as well as following up such a beloved movie. So, 14 years later, we finally have The Incredibles 2. Is it a worth successor to the first film, and was it worth the wait?

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To put it simply, yes! This film is both a worthy successor to the original and is definitely worth the wait. Before going any further, just a fair warning: this review will contain spoilers for the first film. If you haven’t seen the first Incredibles, STOP READING THIS REVIEW and go watch the original. Then you can return and read this further.

Synopsis

Anyway, the film opens right where the first movie left off with the Parr’s fighting with The Underminer, once again voiced by John Ratzenberger. While being unable to capture him, the family manages to stop his giant drill from destroying City Hall. However, instead of being treated as heroes for saving the day, they’re arrested since this is still a world where superheroes are outlawed. Since their house was destroyed at the end of the first movie and the “Superhero Relocation” program has been shut down, the Parr’s have to live in a motel for two weeks. Hope seems lost until Bob (Mr. Incredible), Helen (Elastigirl), and Lucius (Frozone) are invited to meet with a multi-billionaire and head of DEVTECH Winston Deavor, voiced by Bob Odenkirk. Along with his sister, co-owner and designer Evelyn Deavor, voiced by Catherine Keener, Winston is a major fan of superheroes and wants to get the law against them turned over. They hire Elastigirl, since she’s the least destructive of the three, to be their ambassador and do her thing as a superhero while wearing a camera on her costume to show her super-heroics in action. In exchange, Winston has the Parr’s move into a brand new home, a huge mansion that Winston happens to own as a summer home. While Helen goes off to save the day, Bob offers to stay home and raise the kids. As the movie goes on, Helen has to fight off a new supervillain known as the Screenslaver, while Bob has to learn how to raise three kids on his own, especially when Jack Jack starts showing off his numerous powers.

Review

That’s all I can say about the plot without giving away spoilers. Suffice it to say that the movie has a few twists throughout that, while somewhat predictable, can throw people for a loop. To get into the positives, basically everything that worked in the first film is still here. For one, this has most of the returning cast from the first film, including Craig T. Nelson as Mr. Incredible, Holly Hunter as Elastigirl, Samuel L. Jackson as Frozone, Sarah Vowell as Violet, and Brad Bird as Edna. While they did replace some of the actors, including replacing Spencer Fox with Huck Milner for Dash and replacing Bud Luckey with Jonathan Banks as Rick Dicker, unless you’re really looking for it, it’s practically night and day. Also returning from the first film is composer Michael Giacchino, whose score retains that 60s spy caper feel from the first film. The original actors definitely fit into their roles almost as if this sequel came out just two years after the first film, and the new actors are a welcome addition. It is also refreshing to see Elastigirl getting the spotlight since the first film was primarily Mr. Incredible’s story. There’s also some great slapstick involving Jack Jack as the family tries to deal with the numerous powers he has. Like the first one, this movie does explore a lot of similar themes, such as the struggles a family can go through, how difficult it can be to balance family life with work life in a way, and the struggle single parents especially go through in raising kids on their own.

Now while I do enjoy this film as whole, there are a few issues I had with the film. The film does play like a bit of reversal of the first film, just replace Mr. Incredible with Elastigirl, to the point where much of the film feels like an animated version of Mr. Mom. That being said, it is still fun seeing Bob struggle with helping Dash with his homework, getting on Violet’s good graces after a date gone bad, and again dealing with Jack Jack’s new powers. Also, there’s a point in the movie where the kids are the main heroes and, while they’re not necessarily bad or annoying, it is a shame to not see Mr. Incredible or Elastigirl doing any heroics, even if it’s for a short while. Lastly, this might be a personal thing, but part of me feels like this movie was more so made for audiences who grew up with the first film rather than being for both them and today’s kids. Not that there’s anything necessarily wrong with that, but I think it would’ve been better if there were more of a balance.

Problems aside, I am still glad this movie was made in the first place. While it certainly would have been alright if the first one was just a standalone film, it’s great that we at least have some kind of follow-up where we get to see the family in action one again. In summation, The Incredibles 2 is a worthwhile sequel that still has the fun and spirit of the first film, even if it doesn’t quite live up to the original.

Buy The Incredibles 2 from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Xdxr5m.

Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at no additional cost, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and make a purchase.

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Where to watch The Incredibles 2 (2018)

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