Let’s get the obvious thing out of the way. No, Lego Movie 2: the Second Part isn’t as good as the first film. But it’s still a very, very good film that tells a more mature, complex story instead of retreading the first film’s story beats.
After the disappointments of The Incredibles 2 and Ralph Breaks the Internet (which, while still better than Incredibles 2, is a lot simpler and more streamlined than the original), it’s refreshing to see a sequel which doesn’t quite lose the plot.
Everything is Not Awesome
Lego Movie 2 picks up right where the first film left off, with Finn’s sister Bianca getting to play with his Lego pieces and thus throwing the world of Bricksburg into disarray.
Now a few years older, Finn has gotten into bleak, grim and gritty things such as the Matrix and Mad Max, and thus his pieces are now tougher as well. Except for Emmet, of course, who is still singing Everything is Awesome, much to his girlfriend, Lucy’s chagrin.
Bianca’s toys, which are hybrids of Duplo and Lego, are wildly inventive, led by Queen Whatevr’a W’anabi (a brilliant Tiffany Hadish who kills in this role) with Captain Mayhem at her side. They are fighting with the denizens of Bricksburg, but no one is sure why.
Why Dark and Gritty isn’t Always Better
Written by previous directors Christopher Lord and Phil Miller and directed by Mike Mitchell, the film sets its plot into motion when most of Emmet’s friends are kidnapped by Captain Mayhem and taken to the Sistaar System, where Queen Whatevr’a is planning a huge wedding.
The sequel was always fighting an uphill battle because it was never going to have the novelty factor of the original.
However, it does many things better than the original, with a greater focus on female characters and Lucy Wildstyle playing a more integral part in the climax. The meta narrative it tackles, with Finn fighting with Bianca about whose playstyle is better, is more relatable, especially to those viewers who have had similar experiences playing with their siblings.
It’s appropriate that Finn’s new dour attitude manifests into a new character that lampoons Chris Pratt’s recent movie adventures, in the form of a dashing adventurer named Rex Dangervest, who’s a galaxy saving superhero, a Raptor trainer and also a social media influencer (among other things). Rex helps Emmet toughen up on his quest to free his friends, but as the story progresses it becomes clear that maybe you don’t need to toughen up to resolve the film’s core conflict.
This film also has two distinct musical numbers, the first being the Catchy Song and the second being Super Cool, which plays during the end credits. There are also two other songs, one where Queen Whatevr’a tries to convince Emmet’s friends that she is totally not evil, and another where Batman desperately tries to convince Whatevr’a that he is cool and can commit to a relationship.
The Verdict
When all is said and done, Lego Movie 2 is a solid addition to the Lego franchise. However, unless the next film(s) bring more ingenuity and more worldbuilding potential into the franchise, there is a very real possibility of things growing stale.
