Review: 'The Lego Movie 2' is an awesome, bittersweet sequel
Let’s get the burning question out of the way before we even start discussing The Lego Movie 2 (also known as The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part). Is it as good as the original The Lego Movie? No, and to expect as much isn’t reasonable. The Lego Movie is a self-aware stroke of genius of its time (just a mere five years ago) that had references and jokes of all stripes. That style (and the realisation that audiences of any age were sophisticated enough to handle a movie like that) has since been reproduced in several movies, so it’s no longer as fresh in The Lego Movie 2. Fortunately, the sequel to The Lego Movie has the courage to forge its own path, telling a coming-of-age tale that’s bold and bittersweet.
Set half a decade after The Lego Movie, The Lego Movie 2 shows us what has happened to Bricksburg after years of nonstop alien attacks. Emmet and friends now live in its post-apocalyptic ruins, Apocalypseburg. But things get worse when Emmet’s friends are kidnapped by the very aliens who have been launching multiple attacks on them. It’s up to Emmet and his new ally Rex Dangervest to set off on a mission to rescue his friends — but there’s something sinister about this whole situation…
That sinister feeling comes, of course, from the ruler of the aliens, Queen Watevra Wa Nabi (Tiffany Haddish). Her musical number (since The Lego Movie 2 satirises the whole musical movie genre) tells us that she’s “the least evil queen in history”, which is one of the most suspicious things any film character has ever uttered. If you’re a Lego fan, then you’ll notice that the Duplo Figures and the Lego Friends Minifigures make their appearances in the film, spoofing a popular character that has a regular Lego Minifigure, a Duplo Figure, and even a Lego Friends Minifigure.
In fact, this shows how the jokes are as irreverent and self-referential as ever. There’s even a part where they poke fun at how pretentious and dumb the whole post-apocalyptic genre is (remember the giant pretentious mess that Mad Max: Fury Road was, anyone?) and various other movie tropes. But if you were to make a comparison, the jokes aren’t as copious as the ones in The Lego Movie.
That’s because The Lego Movie 2 spends more time on developing the slightly convoluted plot of the film (which is also lampshaded in several lines of dialogue). This results in a fast-paced film that has new revelations or fun action sequences unfolding every other minute, rather than trying to downplay a plot development for the sake of a joke. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Rex Dangervest (Chris Pratt).
As the deuteragonist of the film, Rex Dangervest (also Chris Pratt) is too one-dimensional and one-note to be believable, sympathetic, or even funny. He’s designed to be one big homage to Chris Pratt himself, but isn’t it going too far just to make a joke about one voice actor? It requires you to have quite a fair bit of contextual knowledge of Chris Pratt’s previous roles (and a role that he almost got) to actually understand the point of Rex Dangervest, and even so it’s not even that humorous. There’s some backstory to Rex Dangervest, but it comes far too late for it to be of any impact.
The human part of the story, where they show how events in the Lego world are actually mirroring events happening in the family of The Man Upstairs (Will Ferrell), is a rather touching coming-of-age subplot. Despite its ostensible simplicity, it’s a strong sibling story that almost anyone who’s had a brother or sister can relate to. Even though its resolution is predictable, the human element adds a stronger emotional dimension to The Lego Movie 2, making it awesome but bittersweet in its own way.
The Lego Movie 2 is definitely not as innocent or childlike as its predecessor was, but it shines in its own way. It’s pretty awesome in its own right as a movie, and leaves a bittersweet awareness of the trials and tribulations of growing up. It’s family fun for all the ages, and touches the hearts of all viewers.
Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? Yes.
Should you watch this more than once? If you really love Lego.
Score: 4.0/5
Secret ending? No.
Running time: 107 minutes
The Lego Movie 2 is a 3D-animated fantasy musical action comedy that is a sequel to 2014’s The Lego Movie. It is also known as The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.
Set five years after the first film, this movie sees our heroes living in a post-apocalyptic wasteland after numerous attacks by evil aliens. But when these aliens kidnap many of the main characters, it’s up to protagonist Emmet to launch a solo rescue mission and go where no Minifigure has gone before.
The Lego Movie 2 is directed by Mike Mitchell and written by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, with additional story credits for Matthew Fogel. It features the voice talents of Christ Pratt (Emmet/Rex Dangervest), Elizabeth Banks (Lucy/Wyldstyle), Will Arnett (Batman), Tiffany Haddish (Queen Watevra Wa-Nabi), Stephanie Beatriz (General Sweet Mayhem), Charlie Day (Benny the Spaceman), Alison Brie (Princess Unikitty), Nick Offerman (MetalBeard), Jadon Sand (Finn), Brooklynn Prince (Bianca), Maya Rudolph (Finn and Bianca’s mother), and Will Ferrell (Lord Business/The Man Upstairs). It is rated PG.
The Lego Movie 2 opens in cinemas:
– 7 February, 2019 (Singapore)
– 13 February, 2019 (Philippines)
Like Lego? You may also want to read:
Review: ‘The Lego Ninjago Movie’ stacks up with an amusing villain and funny action
Review: ‘The Lego Batman Movie’ might be the best superhero movie this year
Marcus Goh is a scriptwriter, having written for popular shows like “Lion Mums”, “Crimewatch”, “Code of Law”, “Incredible Tales”, and “Police & Thief”. He’s also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. You can find him on social media as Optimarcus and on his site. The views expressed are his own.
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