Directed by Mike Mitchell

Starring the voices of Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Tiffany Haddish, Stephanie Beatriz, Charlie Day, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, and Maya Rudolph

Backstory

The Lego Movie surprised a lot of people when it came out five years ago. What could have been a cynical toy commerical of a movie had a large amount of heart and some unexpected twists. It wound up being a huge hit, and a lot of people were upset that it didn’t score an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Film. But, with all that critical acclaim and box office gold, you knew a sequel would be inevitable. First, though, we had to get through two pretty good spinoff films. Now, the sequel is finally here. Was it worth the wait?

Plot

It’s been some years since our last adventure. The Lego metropolis of Bricksburg has become the wasteland of Apocalypseburg, thanks to constant attacks by beings from the Systar System. But, our hero Emmet is still as chipper as ever, trying to make the best of this new life. But then, General Mayhem of the Systar System kidnaps Batman, Unikitty, Benny the Spaceman, Metalbeard, and Emmet’s love Lucy. Emmet panics, as this all resembles his visions of the forthcoming Armomageddon. Emmet decides he must venture to the Systar System to save his friends. Along the way, he gets an ally in the grim and gritty adventurer Rex Dangervest. Meanwhile, Lucy and the rest have become prisoners of the Systar System’s ruler, Queen Watevra Wa’Nabi, as she tries to tempt them over to her kingdom. Can Emmet save his friends? Is Queen Wa’Nabi really the villain? And can they stave off Armomageddon?

What I Liked

Well, the meta humour that made the first film so memorable is back in full force, and it’s good to see it again. The voice acting is still top-notch, and we’ve got some great new characters. We’ve got a great catchy soundtrack again, building on Everything is Awesome, from the first film. This time, though, the sweetness is dialed up by about ten percent, as they try to re-create the emotion that made the first film such an expected treat.

What I Didn’t Like

Well, just the usual problems that tend to plague sequels. The freshness was gone, and a lot of the twists that were unexpected in the first film are now part of the formula this time out.

Final Verdict

A very worthy sequel that expands and builds upon the Lego Cinematic Universe. A very fun film.

3 Nibs

Directed by Robert Rodriguez

Starring Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, Jackie Earl Haley, and Keenan Johnson

Backstory

It seems that Alita: Battle Angel is one of those films I’d been reading about online for years. About 15 years ago, James Cameron, he who gave us The Terminator and Titanic, announced he was developing two films that would rely heavily on the new field of performance capture animation. One was an adaptation of the manga Gunnm (English title Battle Angel), and the other an original project he was working on, Avatar. Avatar got made first, and it was assumed that Battle Angel would be next. However, Cameron got wrapped up in developing four or five sequels to Avatar, so he gave Battle Angel to Robert Rodriguez, he who gave us Spy Kids and Sin City, to carry across the finish line. And now it’s finally here! Was it work the 1.5 decades of waiting?

Plot

In the 26th Century, 300 years after a world war known as the Fall, in a city known as Iron City, which sits beneath the last floating city of Zalem, we meet Dr. Dyson Ito, a doctor and cybernetics expert. While scavenging a scrapyard for parts, he finds the discarded remains of a cyborg. He gives her a new body, and a new name — Alita. Alita has no memories of her past life, but she instinctively knows an ancient martial art known as Panzer Kunst. Intense combat situations seem to trigger memories of her past life, so she soon signs up to be a Hunter-Warrior (this world’s name for bounty hunters), and her new friend Hugo introduces her to the sport of Motorball. And there’s no shortage of intense combat situations, as many people start coming out of the woodwork to kill Alita. Will she regain her memories? Why do people want her dead? Will Hugo achieve his dream of making it to Zalem?

What I Liked

The film is visually stunning. Again, with Cameron on board, you knew it was going to look fantastic, and again, probably the most seamless blend of live-action and performance capture characters in a long time. And Rosa Salazar is absolutely charming as our heroine Alita, as she starts learning who she is and living life for the first time. And it was good seeing Christoph Waltz playing against type, as a kindly father figure rather than the scary German villain he usually plays.

What I Didn’t Like

Well, I had the same problems that I had with John Carter many moons ago. You really get the feeling that, with some plot threads, Cameron and Rodriguez were behind the camera going, “Aw, man! I can’t wait to get into that in the sequel!” And when such threads start piling up, you start feeling a little…unfulfilled.

Final Verdict

But don’t let my above objection turn you off. It does have a pretty satisfying conclusion and remembers to focus on the story at hand. “Leave them wanting more,” is the old showbiz adage, and I truly felt that way with Alita.

3 Nibs