The Lego Movie

My son is a Lego crack addict.  And so for his birthday, we decided to take the kids to see The Lego Movie. Being a big fan of fun in general, I guessed that I was going to enjoy it. However, I was not prepared for how MUCH I would enjoy it!!  The Lego Movie is flat out great and I would say that even if I didn't have children.

Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, the writing and directing team that brought you the kid-friendly Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and the not-so-kid-friendly 21 Jump Street, have banded together once more to deliver The Lego Movie.  TLM is incredibly well-written, featuring a genuinely funny kid's script that is skillfully clever and smart enough for the adults in the room. It is replete with joke stacked upon joke, forcing you to pay close attention, and maybe even see it a second time. This dynamic duo will be around for a while!

Classified as an action-comedy, The Lego Movie tells the story of Emmet, an ordinary guy who gets caught up in a quest to save the Lego universe from the evil Lord Business.  Because I hate spoilers, I won't say anything other than that there is a major twist that, at least for me, spoke to me as a father.  Though the film is rated PG for some mild violence and rude humor, I never second-guessed allowing my 5 & 6 year to see it.  Nothing was too intense for young viewers. 

The Lego Movie is a visual extravaganza! I didn't bother to see it in 3D because...well, because 3D is terrible.  Featuring a blend of CG animation and actual Lego sets, what results is an incredibly rich and detailed look,  as if someone excruciatingly built and created stop-motion action akin to the old Rudolph special from my childhood. It's truly incredible cinematography and refreshingly different from anything I think I've ever seen.

The cast for TLM was simply awesome. Chris Pratt, Will Arnett, Will Farrell, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson, and Jonah Hill are only some of the notables bespectacling this star-studded triumph. And by the way, Morgan Freeman, who steals almost every scene, stars in his very first role in an animated film.

I could go on and on, but you get the idea! My ordinary opinion is to run out and see this movie! And don't worry...you'll only sing the theme song for about 2 days afterward.

300: Rise of an Empire

Directors make a difference.  A HUGE DIFFERENCE.  The decision to give that responsibility to Noam Murro for 300:Rise of an Empire was a terrible mistake. After the rousing success of 300, why the decision was made to give the director’s chair to Murro, someone who had never directed a major film before, is tremendously puzzling to me!

The director is not the film’s only flaw however.  Let me rant about 3D for a minute.  Those of you who know me are aware of my great disdain for the popular format.  There are so many scenes that are ruined because of trying to manipulate or accentuate a shot in order to maximize the 3D effect. Granted, there are a few shots that really benefit from 3D, and several films have worked, but for the most part I HATE 3D.   Much like Thor 2: The Dark World and Man of Steel, the 3D version of 300: Rise of an Empire is dark, muddy, and ultimately less attractive than it could have been.

To say this film is not as good as its predecessor is a major understatement. And for those of you who might be thinking, “Well, sequels are never as good as the original”, know this. Rise on Empire is not a sequel. Nor is it a prequel.  (The story actually runs parallel to 300.)  That sounds a little confusing, but it actually works and the result is a rather interesting one, at least as far as the story is concerned.

Ultimately, however, Rise of Empire is merely a decent movie with a decent cast that doesn’t quite resonate as well as its Snyder-directed sister film. It’s moderately well-written with much of the same sword-rattling boilerplate that feels left over from the Butler film.  The real draw of Rise lies with its visual effects and cinematography. (Honestly, many of the scenes are downright awesome.)  But even concussive drumbeats, visually stunning artwork, and incredibly well-choreographed fight scenes are not enough to save this ship from taking on water.

Sullivan Stapleton stars as Themistocles, a Greek general leading his men against the superior forces of the Persian invasion. Stapleton is not as compelling as Gerard Butler, but manages to adequately deliver in a role that will most likely lead to more action films.   Eva Green stars as Artemesia, the female commander of the Persian navy, whose character’s backstory is never fully leveraged.   For my money, Green fails to grab me as a believable villain. At times, she is quite bland, which is unfortunate because so much of the story hinges on her performance.   Lena Headey reprises her role as Queen Gorgo, the only other noteworthy character. Headey is fantastic and does her best to save the film. (Notice I don’t count Xerxes as noteworthy, due to the fact that his character is diminished and under-developed to the point of irrelevancy. And what a shame, seeing as he is the story’s primary antagonist.)

My ordinary opinion is to wait for the DVD on this one.  Fans of 300 will definitely want to see Rise of an Empire, but don’t feel like you must see it on the big screen.   If you must see it in the theater, certainly don’t waste the extra $3 on 3D.  (#3Dsucks.)