5 Reasons to Watch The Lego Movie

From the first trailer I watched, I thought The Lego Movie would be good. I was right. However, not everyone agrees with me. Some people think it's the stupidest movie they've ever seen. (How dare they?)

If you are one of those people, and have no intentions of giving it another try, go ahead and click away now. But if you have never seen it or are thinking about giving it another try, here are five (extremely excellent) reasons to watch it.

1. Fun characters

There's a pretty big ensemble in this movie, around 8 major characters, but they're handled well. You come to like each of them for their unique traits. Wildstyle (Elizabeth Banks) is a tough girl with a soft interior. Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman) is the wise old blind man. Batman (Will Arnett) only works in black. And sometime, very, very dark grey. And not only are the characters great, but also the actors who do their voices. This thing is chock full of celebrity voice cameos. Lord Business is the villain of the story, voiced by Will Ferrell, which means you know he's going to be funny.

The best is Emmet, the main character. He's voiced by Chris Pratt, so what other reason do you need to watch the movie? (Just kidding. Mostly.) Emmet is a perfectly normal, average Lego figure, until a piece gets stuck to his back and gets thrust into a world he never knew existed. He's easy to empathize with and absolutely hilarious.

2. Nice plot

One of the best things about The Lego Movie's plot is that it completely turns the Chosen One cliche on its head. The inciting incident is Emmet finding the Piece of Resistance and having it get stuck on his back. That makes him the Special, the minifig who will save everyone according to Vitruvius's prophesy. Except he isn't. I won't say how because- "Spoilers".

From when he finds the Piece, he is wanted by the Master Builders, who enjoy using their imagination to build all sorts of things, and Lord Business, who wants everything to stay the same. All he's asking for is total perfection, and that's why he's relatable. Everyone knows that feeling. Emmet must put the Piece on the Kragle before everyone is forced to remain the same forever.

The whole plot clearly follows three act structure, and even manages to rock a prologue. Even better, the ending turns into a dual-story line in two separate worlds. It has some awesome twists you never see coming too.

3. Amazing animation

One of the most amazing things about this movie is that the whole thing, except a few live action scenes, is completely made of Lego bricks. Buildings, trees, ground, clouds, water, dust- it's all Lego. Even more astounding, it's all computer animated Lego, since there aren't enough bricks in the world to build all the sets.

The Legos give this film an unique look and feel. The way things work and the way the characters react to the environment is all defined by the way bricks are put together. (Fun fact: Did you know there is over 900 million ways to combine six, eight studded bricks? Amazing, right?) They can do whatever they want with their world, which is why Lord Business is so unhappy. This same animation has been used in The Lego Batman Movie and will also be used in The Lego Ninjago Movie, with the new pieces Lego keeps creating being added.

First try!

4. Beautifully balanced

Like The Lego Batman Movie, this movie also hits that perfect balance of funny and serious. Yes, it is one long laugh fest. From ships making that sound when you vibrate your lips, to the gags and jokes, you'll keep laughing. It's a great movie to cheer you up.

But it also has serious scenes. Emmet's struggle with being the Special, then not being the Special. The dark night of the soul and the climax. It's beautifully done.

5. Great message

And I can't do a post on The Lego Movie without mentioning the theme. The theme is that we are all special and we can all create things. All we have to do is believe that. That is what Emmet learns on his journey and what he teaches Lord Business. This message is especially important because everyone has times they want to be special, but feel like they aren't. We all need to be reminded that there is no one like us and we are special in our own ways.

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So I encourage you to give this film a try. Just because it's inspired by plastic bricks, doesn't mean it isn't a great movie. Young or old, you can enjoy this film.

Let's talk! Have you seen The Lego Movie? Have you ever played Legos, and if you have, what's your best memory of them? Tell me in the comments.