“The Lego Movie”: A Speculation

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Will “The Lego Movie” be any good?

Anyone who has known me for the past fourteen years can probably guess that my answer will almost definitely be yes. However, not everyone is so convinced that the upcoming CGI/stop motion film based on the popular interconnecting block toy will be high quality. However, many on the internet believe otherwise.

The major argument that it’ll be bad is that it’s a movie based on a toy. Most critics agree that movies obviously designed to sell toys, like the “Transformers” trilogy and “Planes,” are rarely good at telling a story.

And selling toys seems to be a main concern of “The Lego Movie.” More than a month before the film itself comes out, Lego has already put toys based on the movie on its shelves.

Another major criticism is that it is, essentially, a kids movie. Now, Pixar works have more or less proven that a movie can be high-quality and still target a younger audience, but a movie about little, colorful, block-shaped plastic people can’t possibly hope to have much in the way of sophistication.

The problem with these criticisms is that they all assume that “The Lego Movie” will be like other movies that have come out before it and that flat out isn’t true. In fact, as more details about the movie emerge, more and more of these fears are being put to rest.

The lead character is to be Emmett (voiced by Chris Pratt of “Parks and Recreation”), a run-of-the-mill Lego construction worker who is accidently made part of the rebellion against the evil CEO of the Lego world, Lord Buisness (voiced by Will Ferrell).

The fact that two talented voice actors are in this film give a trace of hope that it will appeal to older audiences. But there aren’t just stars in the acting team, though. It is being directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the duo that teamed up for the two previous critical successes “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” and “21 Jump Street.”

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The cast of the upcoming movie reveal something of the aesthetic that it will probably be aiming for. Besides Emmett and Lord Buisness, the trailers have revealed that “The Lego Movie” characters will include Batman, a cross between a unicorn and a cat, a giant robotic pirate, a cop with conflicting personalities, and a horde of flamboyantly-dressed dancing construction workers.

Gleaning from what can be seen in the trailers, it seems like the visuals of “The Lego Movie” are going to be great, mostly since they’re made out of Legos. In most movies, breath-taking CGI visuals are so common that they almost become boring. In “The Lego Movie,” however, everything is made out of Lego pieces, from water to steam to fire to explosions. For me at least, it makes one appreciate the time and effort that went into making it because I know what it’s like to try to make something like it.