The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part [Blu-ray] [2019]

This Movie Was Great, Batman Was So Funny I Was Just Laughing Every Time He Spoke. Great 3D Effects Loved It.

It was a given The LEGO Movie would eventually get a sequel, but it's kind of crazy it took five years for that sequel to actually happen. That said, Warner Bros. has certainly expanded the LEGO brand by giving LEGO Batman his own feature as well as delivering their only misstep thus far, The LEGO Ninjago Movie. And while there was some trepidation going into this delayed, but inevitable sequel given original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were no longer at the helm there was some hope given it was still their minds that conjured up the screenplay. Thankfully, Trolls director Mike Mitchell was brought on board and has successfully converted Lord and Miller's screenplay into a sequel that keeps things in step with if not necessarily surpassing the original. Of course, given the precedent set for the original and what it turned out to be versus the raised bar for the sequel and what it has turned out to be-that's a solid accomplishment and a resounding endorsement. That is to say, upon initially hearing there was going to be a movie based solely around the LEGO brand and the toys and properties they owned it seemed obvious the eventual movie would turn out to be little more than a cash grab; nothing more than one big commercial, if you will. To expect this was ultimately foolish given the creative team behind it as Lord and Miller delivered a witty, colorful, and (per usual) meta piece of cinema that took some unexpected themes and conveyed them in a manner that allowed the children to enjoy the toys coming to life while the adults latched onto those ever fleeting moments of innocence that come with raising children and attaching certain memories to their playthings. The LEGO Movie intentionally evaded everything audiences expected it to be, disrupting the status quo and turning heads, but how was something so inventive and appropriately rowdy supposed to then follow itself up with something as conventional as a sequel? Especially given the abstract qualities of the first and having to continue the same narrative while holding tight to the themes the first film so perfectly encapsulated? It turns out, the trick is to lean into such things even further; deliver the same goods in a different package and through different techniques. And though The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part might feel redundant in certain ideas, the ideas it's pedaling never don't need to be heard...especially when they're this creatively catchy.

'The LEGO Movie' was an unexpected treasure! Despite being snubbed by the Academy, the film has been highly successful ever since its theatrical run, often continuing to air on Cartoon Network, bringing new fans into the world! Of course, with its financial success, there was going to be a follow-up! How is it? It's pretty great, but it is not as great as the first film. Maybe it's the expectations people had for it after thoroughly enjoying the first film? I don't think so. I just think that the fact that this film relies more on the live action scenes than its predecessor and the fact that the central conflict in those scenes, while understandable I suppose, just does not work for me. Seeing Emmett, however, become more comfortable with himself as a hero and truly being able to define who he wants to be works better than the live action sequences. The musical numbers make up for the live action sequences, and Chris Pratt pulling double duty is a delight! Although I wish there were more special features, I have no legitimate complaints about the Blu-Ray set itself. With the film having left us with a new revelation at the end, I could definitely see us being in store for another sequel or maybe even a prequel, but I hope that the team takes the time to craft us a better story than we received here.

The original Lego Movie remains an ingenious, beloved film that brilliantly mashed up humor for both the target audience of youngsters and the adult parents that brought them to the theater to watch it. The Lego Movie 2 is another fun romp with Emmet, Wyldstyle, Batman, Unikitty, and company. As the aforementioned parent to a youngster who loves the Lego movies, and who enjoys them just about as much, who also greatly appreciates the consistent acknowledgments in the humor for us older moviegoers, the Lego Movie 2 largely continues that tradition. It continues, quite valiantly, the same quantity of humor for the parents, but the quality, for the first time among their big budget releases, staggered a bit. It's not all misses, but it's not all hits, either. Hopefully, this is a one-off rather than the beginning of showing cracks in the foundation with the well running dry. In that regard, the effort was appreciated, it was just a shame more of the attempts didn't stick the landing. On the kid's side of the film, my son enjoyed it very much. The efforts here paid off much more than on the aforementioned parents' side, but... and I have to state that it's both to be expected with such a near-perfect film such as the original, AND it's not nearly a "miss" that should be concerning, but even here, the kids' side didn't quite resonate as strongly with my son. Enjoy it, he most certainly did, but the continuation of joy after the credits rolled didn't last nearly as long. I think a good portion of this is due to more predictability. There isn't much here that will come as a genuine surprise, despite several attempts. It's almost all easy to figure out where it's going- again, not due to a lack of attempt (while my son, at age 5, didn't audibly state "he knew that" (which he does at a (non)shockingly high rate, nowadays, lol,)) he also wasn't floored by any of it, and the adults will quickly see the clues, it's just THAT LITTLE of a "letdown" that it's impossible not to compare it, rather than view it as a continuation, to the original. Now, let none of this scare you off. On a whole, LM2 is a worthy film to add to the collection, to keep as one of those rarely listed family films that truly is designed to entertain the ENTIRE family. It has a hard time keeping up with the original, and what film wouldn't? But, considering its pedigree, it can't help but be just a bit of a letdown in that regard. In 4K, and this is also important, some of the best usage currently available is found in animation. Lego Movie 2 looks downright gorgeous, particularly combined with HDR. Plenty of brilliant uses of lighting and color really pop here, and if you have the setup for it, it's the best way to enjoy the movie.

The Lego movie universe might not be as complicated and circuitous as the Marvel one that has dominated the box office for the past decade, but it is getting there. For the record, this is the official sequel to 2014's "The Lego Movie," the one that introduced everybody's favorite building blocks toy to the big screen and made a bona fide star of Chris Pratt as Emmet, the solidly unspectacular and unwitting hero of Lego Land. That movie's surprising success spawned two spin-offs in 2017 ("The Lego Batman Movie" and "The Lego Ninjago Movie") that let some other pieces steal the limelight from good old Emmet, so it is nice to have him back in "2: The Second Part" along with his pals Wyldstyle (voiced by Elizabeth Banks), Benny (Charlie Day), and Batman (Will Arnett), this time battling space aliens that want to literally devour the residents of Bricktown. The story is, of course, preposterous. What counts are the one-liners and laughs, and they come in rapid-fire fashion from a variety of directions, with Maya Rudolph and Tiffany Haddish joining the cast. If you liked the first part and the spin-offs, you'll click smoothly into this one--not because it offers up anything new but because, like Lego's toys themselves, they're an enjoyable diversion for a couple hours.

As a fan of the first film, I kept my expectations in check, but the sequel managed to surpass them. A fun movie for the entire family. It's definitely recommended to have seen the first to fully understand the universe, but that's not a sandbag in any way. A wonderful story expanding on the world of the first film, expanding beyond just the Lego bricks much like a kid brings other toys into their creative playtimes, and it works beautifully. If I had one complaint, a VERY minor one, it's that this one doesn't quite have the level of imagination or creativity as the first. But again, that's a very, very, very minor note at best. The film adds in more musical sequences, a bit like your traditional animated Disney films, but the songs are fun, catchy, and one quite literally is about the song getting stuck in your head. The underlying message is nice, driving home to be who you are and not attempt to change just to please others (and by the same token not try to change those around you), a message of acceptance that even younger fans can understand. It's a wonderful sequel, building on the foundation of the first, with nearly the same level of imagination and creativity. Catchy music, wonderful humor, and a positive message to boot. Get the family on the ol' double-decker couch and see how awesome everything is once again.

Can't live up to the first movie, but really, how could it? Unlike the Lego Batman movie that went very meta plus sight gag humor, this one takes the story, moves the timeline up a bit and throws in...let's just say an Endgame-esque spin. Songs in this one are much better. Instead of one hit, they have a lot of very catchy, good songs. The song's gonna get stuck inside your head....You've been warned

I thoroughly enjoyed the first Lego Movie (and the Batman Lego Movie; Lego Ninjago Movie - not so much). The original was new and a lot of fun. We got to meet a lot of characters and see their journey. In the sequel a lot of those folks are back but it's a darker place than it was. Everything was not awesome. But, of course, bad was fun and getting better was, well, funner. I gave it only four stars as it was not as joyous as I'd hoped but the writing and delivery was great and watching both on a rainy Seattle afternoon was a lot of fun for my family.