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Here's a look at the movie I saw this week.

The Lego Movie
Starring: Voice talents of Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Morgan Freeman, Will Ferrell, Will Arnett, and Liam Neeson
Synopsis: Who among us hasn’t been drawn to the world of Legos at some point? Legos are a fun, universal toy with so many applications. They can be used to create worlds of your own imagination, or to revisit familiar worlds and change the outcome. The makers of “The Lego Movie” obviously have an appreciation for the depth and diversity of Legos. You see all kinds of different Legos in the film, and that’s part of the fun and fabric of it. Another success — the fact that the film makes you want to go out and build new Lego worlds of your own, no matter your age. That, of course, is affirmed by the multi-generational play that’s a part of the film. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have an understanding of bridging those age gaps. The directing duo worked on the TV series “Brooklyn-Nine-Nine” and helmed the “21 Jump Street” film revival and its sequel. But they also were the directors responsible for the kids film “Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs.” Their work on “The Lego Movie” falls somewhere in between. Sure, it’s a kid movie that’s kid-friendly. But there are also plenty of jokes for adults, and riffs on popular culture from the 1980s and 1990s that’s aimed squarely at the adults who brought said kids to the movie. That makes it a fun experience for audiences of all ages, in that way similar to the toys the film salutes. This is a fun movie for audiences of all ages, as I noted. There is something that will appeal to a lot of different generations, there are amusing cameos and fascinating Lego worlds created for the film. There is a reason it has dominated at the Box Office for three straight weeks. That being said, this isn’t a deep film. It’s not hard to figure out where it’s going — though there is a bit of a plot twist that adds to the multi-generational feel in the last act. The film is amusing, it’s colorful and it’s filled with a lot of imagination. Going into “The Lego Movie,” it might have been hard to imagine how a feature film would be made about these toys. But Legos are so many different things to so many different people, and have been for decades. This movie really captures that in a fun and relatable way. “The Lego Movie” feels like the perfect piece of family entertainment. Plus, the way they film uses digital technology to create these worlds, focuses on the idea of family and the wonder of imagination work well. This is a fun and inspiring movie in a lot of ways. The only drawback is that tickets should come with a bucket of Legos so you can start building your own adventures once the movie ends.
Rating: PG for mild action and rude humor.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

Upcoming Releases:
Friday, February 28 — "Son of God," "Non-Stop"

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