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.