The Lego Movie, by guest reviewer Cara Clarke

Year: 2014 

Genre: Animation

The parameters of this review are that it should be readable within five minutes, so I’ll forgo a prolonged introduction and jump straight in…

Avoiding any spoilers, the storyline has a twist at the end which explores the link between the real world and the Lego world. This neatly explained the background of the characters and attempted to convey a moral to the film in terms of the creative value of Lego to a child’s development. The ending also suggests that Lego can advance family bonding between parent and child. In short, the film was a not-so-subtle advertisement singing the joys of Lego which would have you believe it could save the world. However, this was not entirely unexpected – it is a film based on a branded toy; of course it will showcase it in the best possible way.

Despite this, the film can be enjoyed in various ways. Children will enjoy the animated action and seeing Lego figures they have at home come to life on the big screen. Adults may draw parallels with the storyline and a wider picture of governmental oppressions within society. I did wonder if this ‘deeper meaning’ was merely a thinly-veiled attempt to appease parents by disguising the main core of the film – advertising toys to children. In the end I decided it didn’t matter. I chose to watch the film without thinking of hidden undertones, double meanings and real world parallels, and chose to enjoy it as a simple cartoon.

My favourite section of the film was set in Cloud Cuckoo Land, a place made of rainbows and clouds where only fun and happiness exists. As a girl who likes pink and sparkles, I’d quite like to live in a place like that! Conversely, my favourite character was an old piece of Lego, the 1980s spaceman who struggled with post-80s technology. A nice piece of nostalgia, he was scuffed and tatty with a broken helmet, just as the Lego of our youth would be if we still had it today. The film was rated U, and stated that it contained ‘fantasy violence and very mild language’. I wondered how bad language could be incorporated into a film about Lego. A character accidentally standing barefoot on a piece would definitely incur a swearword or two. But no, the use of bad language is indeed ‘darny darn darn’ mild.   

Jokes are packed into this film, most of which will only be appreciated by the adults watching it. The characters are enjoyable, the plot is fun – it’s a nice piece of escapism. We saw the film in 3D and I must say I can’t recommend this. 3D technology isn’t integral to the storyline in the way it is for Avatar or Gravity. Yes, it was exploited in various scenes with bullets whizzing past and towers of Lego blocks tumbling, but was it worth the extra £3 on the ticket price? No. Being a glasses wearer I had to do the double-glasses-whammy-thing, which makes me look ridiculous. Not good.

3/5 stars