Review: The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

PLOT: Five years after the first film, Emmet and friends have a brand new challenge. After a horde of deadly aliens destroy everything faster than they can rebuild, the plucky and kind-hearted hero must once again save his happy home from destruction. However, this time he must face off against a new and unexpected enemy.

REVIEW: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have the impressive talent of bringing a smile and a laugh to audiences, both young and old. This is evident whether you are talking about the R-rated 21 JUMP STREET franchise, or family movies like CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS. One of the biggest surprises that the two creative filmmakers offered was the shockingly delightful THE LEGO MOVIE in 2014. This exceptionally charming tale of an unlikely hero was funny and heartfelt, and it was all based on a simple children’s building toy. However, instead of just putting together a safe and pandering animated story, Lord and Miller gave us something truly special. Now we have a brand new chapter in the Lego-verse, and frankly, THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART will have you cheering for another hilariously exciting adventure with Emmet Brickowski (Chris Pratt), Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) and the rest of the gang.

Five years can be a very long time in the world of Legos, and it seems quite a bit has happened to Emmet’s cheerful little home. After alien invaders take over and destroy their world leaving it looking like a desolate wasteland – think MAD MAX – the contagiously endearing hero with a heart of gold tries to convince himself that everything is still awesome. It is not. When a badass alien named General Mayhem (Stephanie Beatriz) arrives, she demands to take five of the most influential people to meet the powerful Queen Watevra Wa’Nabi (Tiffany Haddish), Emmet is left behind. Thankfully, the plucky little fella is desperate to save his friends from an unknown fate. While on his mission, he happens upon a tough guy named Rex Dangervest (also Pratt) who offers to help him on his quest. Will Emmet save the day? Can things be awesome once again?

Since the last film, much has changed for Emmet, Wyldstyle, Batman (Will Arnett), Unikitty (Alison Brie), MetalBeard (Nick Offerman) and Benny (Charlie Day). What once was a joyful place – one where a pop song like “Everything is Awesome” reminds the Lego-verse inhabitants just how great things are – is now a clever apocalypse style world. All of it changed when a group of visitors attacked their home with tiny little star and heart shaped grenades, and insane beasts that sound a bit like a young child. Not surprisingly, things have changed for the young Finn (Jadon Sand) who learned to make things right with his father, aka President Business (Will Ferrell). Since the last film, there is focus on the younger sister named Bianca (Brooklynn Prince). Now, the two toy factions battling tend to resemble something that anybody with a brother or sister will understand… and that is sibling rivalry.

The relationship between Bianca and Finn is where the imagination begins. Finn has become a teenager that has graduated to making a more rough and tumble, but certainly inventive, landscape, while his sister conjures up a place that is bright and colorful. Yet deep inside the two creatively merging stories is the undercurrent of a realistic family dynamic. And isn’t that what makes these films work? The idea that our imagination can play out through a world created by the real life characters and their own challenges? While in the sequel, the actual human beings are called upon a bit less than before, it still manages to give an emotional context to the story. As well, we finally meet “Mom” (Maya Rudolph) who faces a grim and horrible tragedy that will have all of us cringe in terror… if you have children or younger siblings and you’ve stepped on a Lego piece, you’ll know her pain.

When General Mayhem takes Wyldstyle and pals, they are introduced to a powerful Queen (Haddish) who has suspicious plans for the gang. While at first the original players are fearful of this strange shapeshifting creature, she has the ability to seduce them with positive energy and a little tune called “Catchy Song.” I mean, by repeating the lyrics “This song is gonna get stuck inside your head” over and over, this damn tune does exactly what it promises to do. That leaves Emmet to try and rescue his friends, and he is far from ready. When he by chance meets Rex Dangervest – who happens to look a whole lot like himself – the two head off to the Queen’s lair. The relationship between the two Pratts’ is especially enjoyable and the actor does a nice job of separating the two with a slight vocal shift. And Haddish’s take on the Queen is amazing to watch, especially when she attempts to convince her guests that she isn’t a bad guy with “Not Evil” – one of the many entertaining musical numbers on the soundtrack. Wait until you hear the end credits tune that is almost worth the admission on its own.

The sequel may lack some of the originality and surprise of the first film, yet it is still a delightfully hilarious feature. The voice cast is terrific, especially with the addition of both Haddish and Beatriz. And while Lord and Miller gave the directing duties to Mike Mitchell, the director is perfectly able to bring a sense of wonder and amusement to this second chapter. He, along with the animation director Trisha Gum, keep the new material fresh and invigoratingly watchable. And with the introduction to Lego's Duplo blocks, as well as paper creations, it continues to entertainingly expand the world introduced in the first film. Thankfully, the script by Lord and Miller still brings a whole lot of laughs and heart to the inspired insanity on display.

THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART is a joy to behold. This latest chapter in the Lego-verse explores brand new territory as Finn and his younger sister maneuver through their own issues under the guise of the adorable Lego cast. Considering the original film was such a massive surprise for so many, the only real issue here may be that this sequel isn’t quite as fresh and new. Even still, the humor is witty, and it is sure to connect with all audiences. And once again, this story manages to tug at your heartstrings while always maintaining its sense of wonder and guffaws. With the many cameos and the inclusion of a number of cool side characters, it will be exciting to see where this excellent cinematic franchise could go from here. Yes… Everything is still awesome when it comes to Emmet and his lovable gang!