WARNING
This review contains spoilers from The LEGO Movie. If you haven't seen the original, please don't go any further.When The LEGO Movie was released in 2014, no one expected it to be as good as it was. Not only was it a financial success, making over $400 million worldwide, but critics were generally positive towards the film. It was even nominated for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards for the insanely catchy Everything is Awesome. Naturally, with that kind of success, more LEGO movies were sure to come out, including a much-anticipated sequel. The first major LEGO spin-off was The LEGO Batman Movie in 2017, focusing on Will Arnett’s character from the original. Later that same year, The LEGO Ninjago Movie was also released, but neither were as successful as the first. So, five years after the original film, a sequel has finally been released, the original cast and crew returning. With that out of the way, let’s talk about The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part.
%
Rating
After the ending of the first film, the world of LEGO has become a post-apocalyptic wasteland ala Mad Max. Turns out the residents of the Systar System, known as Duplos, have been invading and destroying everything in sight. Our heroes now reside in a makeshift town called Apocalypseburg, where everyone is tough, gritty, and brooding. One day, a visitor from the Systar System named General Mayhem (Stephanie Beatriz) arrives to deliver a message. Queen Watevra Wa’Nabi (Tiffany Haddish), ruler of the Systar System, intends to marry their leader so as to join forces. Mayhem captures Wyldstyle, Batman, UniKitty, Benny, and Metalbeard, and it’s up to Emmett (Chris Pratt) to save them. He soon runs into Rex Dangervest (Pratt), and the two fly off to rescue Emmett’s friends and stop the Queen. With the threat of “Our-Mom-Ageddon” looming, will they succeed or will something more sinister be revealed?
If you’ve read my review of the original film, you can surmise that I was more than excited for this. Before going into more detail, this sequel definitely met my expectations, though it also fell short in some aspects. First off, all the returning characters from the first film are just as fun and enjoyable as ever. Unfortunately, many of the fun side characters from the original aren’t given as much screen time as before. However, many of the new characters introduced, such as General Mayhem, Queen Watevra, and Rex Dangervest, are welcome additions. Also, like the first film, this has plenty of meta humor, mostly at the expense of the previous film. Plus, the scenes between Emmett and Rex’s velociraptors are easily more enjoyable than Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom in its entirety. That alone should make this film a more enjoyable watch, or at least a better sequel.
While the film has some great jokes, some of them don’t quite land and some even seem slightly dated. For example, one inhabitant of the Systar System is a sparkly vampire who’s sensitive and talks about unrequited love. Obviously, this is meant to be a jab at the Twilight series, but in 2019, this joke feels very dated. Also, while the new songs here are fun and catchy, they don’t quite resonate as well as Everything is Awesome. However, much like the original film, this one presents a very positive message that kids and adults can relate to. And just like the original, this one still has tons of heart and is brimming with creativity all throughout. While it seems like I was pretty negative, I still really enjoyed this film in spite of its problems. Overall, The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part is a fun and enjoyable time.
