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It’s been five years since a mild-mannered plastic construction worker accidentally became a freedom fighter in the clever animated adventure The LEGO Movie. Now, in the sequel, The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, everyone’s favorite Master Builders find themselves facing off against a new, sparkly, pink enemy.
The LEGO Movie 2 catches up with Emmet (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Lucy (Elizabeth Banks) five years after their last adventure ended and a new battle began. Ever since the aliens from the planet DUPLO made their first appearance, Emmet and the others have lived a kind of dreary, post-apocalyptic existence, constantly in fear of the aliens’ next invasion. But when a visitor from the Systar System kidnaps his friends, usually sweet and naïve Emmet is forced to toughen up in order to save the day.
The best sequels are able to take what made the original such a success and build on it—and that’s what The LEGO Movie 2 sets out to do. The animation is just as clever and imaginative as before, creating an eye-catching world of bricks and LEGO creations. This time around, though, the settings are different. It all begins in the dark, gritty, Mad Max kind of post-apocalyptic city, filled with demolished buildings and amusingly brooding characters. But, once the characters are kidnapped, the story moves to the Systar System, where everything is bright and colorful and dipped in glitter.
The writing, too, is just as witty and entertaining as it was in the original. Writers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller once again fill the screenplay with wacky humor and hilarious references for the grown-ups in the audience. The story also offers a creative twist, occasionally popping back to the live-action world (an aspect of the movies that’s grown on me in the last five years) to explore sibling rivalry through the eyes of plastic LEGO figures. And as Emmet and the others find themselves facing off against the ever-changing Queen Watevra Wa’Nabi (Tiffany Haddish), viewers will wonder what the queen and her young creator have up their sleeves. Still, the writers try to get a little too clever, throwing in one more twist that’s both unsurprising and frustrating. And despite the lovable characters and catchy tunes and clever animation, it falls apart a bit in the end.
The LEGO Movie 2 isn’t necessarily the perfect sequel to the wildly clever animated adventure. It has its share of flaws and missteps. But it’s still fun-filled and action-packed, with a story that’s both entertaining and charmingly grounded in reality.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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