The Lego Movie

Let me start by saying that we're not a movie family.  I can count on one hand the number of full-length movies that my eldest son has seen, and not one of those was in the theater.  My Lego-loving boy was naturally looking forward to seeing The Lego Movie, which comes out this weekend, and we had a chance to catch a preview of it this past Saturday.  To loosely quote the movie's catchy title song, "Everything was awesome!"

It's a seriously entertaining movie. Clever on so many levels with positive messages for kids and adults alike (creativity vs. following the rules/instructions).  It doesn't hurt to have Will Arnett in it as Batman either (Arrested Development fan here, waving my "Steve Holt" fists in the air).

The story follows Emmet, an ordinary Lego construction worker, as he works his way through challenges and adventures and realizes his full potential and that he's both an ordinary AND extraordinary guy (sounds paradoxical, but when you see the movie you'll understand).  There are appearances by many Lego "celebrities", like Super Heros, ninjas, Monster Fighters, and even Abraham Lincoln.  And there's a strong female lead character too, not at all the "damsel in distress" type.  Kudos to the writers for that.

The film stars the voices of Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson and Will Farrell as the evil Lord/President Business.

The film has an unexpected twist, which I won't reveal, but it is cleverly done.

The Lego Movie takes the heroes through a variety of Lego lands, like Middle Zealand and its knights, Wild West and Cloud Cuckoo Land, which is as wacky as it sounds.

My son LOVED the movie.  He loved picking out the sets and Minifigures that he plays with at home.  This film is a brilliant marketing move on the part of Lego; there are many corresponding sets for sale that are sure to be popular for movie goers. And considering that many of the parents viewing the movie grew up with Legos, the film is a generationally-shared experience.

We can't wait to see this film again when it opens, and probably over and over via DVD or streaming media when the time comes.  It's a highly entertaining romp, especially in 3-D.  The Lego Movie opens this Friday, February 7, 2014. 
Disclosure: I received complementary preview tickets to this film for review purposes.  All opinions are my own.