| The Lego Movie | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Phil Lord Christopher Miller |
| Screenplay by |
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| Story by |
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| Based on | Lego construction toys bythe Lego Group |
| Produced by | |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography |
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| Edited by |
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| Music by | Mark Mothersbaugh |
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Running time | 101 minutes[4] |
| Countries | |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $60–65 million[6][7] |
| Box office | $470.7 million[8] |
The Lego Movie is a 2014 animatedadventurecomedy film based on theLego line of construction toys, written and directed byPhil Lord and Christopher Miller. The film stars the voices ofChris Pratt,Will Ferrell,Elizabeth Banks,Will Arnett,Nick Offerman,Alison Brie,Charlie Day,Liam Neeson, andMorgan Freeman. The story focuses on Emmet Brickowski (Pratt), an ordinaryLego minifigure who helps aresistance movement stop a tyrannical businessman (Ferrell) from gluing everything in the Lego world into his vision of perfection.
Plans of a feature film based on Lego started in 2008 after a discussion between producersDan Lin andRoy Lee before Lin left Warner Bros. to form his own production company, Lin Pictures. By August 2009, it was announced that Dan and Kevin Hageman had begun writing the script. It was officially green-lit by Warner Bros. in November 2011 with a planned 2014 release date.Chris McKay was brought in to co-direct in 2011 with Lord and Miller, and later became the film's animation supervisor. The film was inspired by the visual aesthetic and stylistics ofBrickfilms and qualities attributed toLego Studios sets. While Lord and Miller wanted to make the film's animation replicate astop motion film, everything was done through computer graphics, with theanimation rigs following the same articulation limits actual Lego figures have. Much of the cast signed on to voice the characters in 2012, including Pratt, Ferrell, Banks, Arnett, Freeman, and Brie, while the animation was provided byAnimal Logic, which was expected to comprise 80% of the film. The film was dedicated to Kathleen Fleming, the former director of entertainment development of the Lego company, who had died inCancún, Mexico, in April 2013.[9][10]
The Lego Movie premiered in Los Angeles on February 1, 2014, and was released theatrically in the United States on February 7. It became a critical and commercial success, grossing $470.7 million worldwide against its $60–65 million budget, and received acclaim for its animation, writing, story, humor, score, and voice acting. TheNational Board of Review namedThe Lego Movie one of thetop-ten films of 2014. It received a nomination forBest Original Song at the87th Academy Awards, amongnumerous other accolades.The Lego Movie is the first entry in what became thefranchise of the same name, which includes three more films—The Lego Batman Movie,The Lego Ninjago Movie (both 2017), andThe Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019). It has since been recognized as one of the greatest animated films of the decade and of all time.[11][12][13][14]
In aLego universe, the wizardVitruvius is blinded when he fails to protect asuperweapon called the Kragle—a misreading ofKrazy Glue—from the evil and maniacalLord Business, but prophesies that a person called theSpecial capable of stopping the Kragle will find the Piece of Resistance.
Eight and a half years later, in Bricksburg, an optimistic but unimaginativeconstruction worker namedEmmet Brickowski encounters a woman searching for something at his construction site. Emmet falls into a pit and finds the Piece of Resistance. Compelled to touch it, he experiences visions, including one of a giant called "the Man Upstairs" and passes out. He awakens in the custody ofBad Cop, Business's lieutenant, and discovers that the Piece of Resistance is stuck to his back. Emmet learns of Business' plans to freeze the world with the Kragle; the Piece of Resistance is the glue tube's cap. The woman,Wyldstyle, rescues Emmet, believing him to be the Special. They escape Bad Cop and travel to "The Old West", where they meet Vitruvius. He and Wyldstyle are Master Builders, capable of building anything without instruction manuals, who oppose Business' attempts to suppress their creativity. Though disappointed Emmet is not a Master Builder, they are convinced of his potential when he recalls visions of the Man Upstairs.
Emmet, Wyldstyle, and Vitruvius evade Bad Cop's robot police with the help of Wyldstyle's boyfriend,Batman, and escape to "Cloud Cuckoo Land", where all the Master Builders are in hiding. After Emmet says that he is not a Master Builder and "the least qualified person in the world to lead", Master Builders are unimpressed with Emmet and refuse to help him fight Business. Soon after, Bad Cop's forces attack and capture everyone except Emmet, Wyldstyle, Vitruvius, Batman, and fellow Master BuildersMetalBeard,Unikitty, andBenny. After saving the group with his double-decker couch invention, Emmet devises a plan to infiltrate Business' headquarters and disarm the Kragle. The heist almost succeeds until Emmet and his friends are captured and imprisoned. Business decapitates Vitruvius and throws the Piece of Resistance into an abyss before arming a device to electrocute the captured Master Builders. Before he dies, Vitruvius reveals he made up the prophecy, but his spirit returns to tell Emmet that his self-belief makes him the Special. Strapped to the mechanism's battery, Emmet drops off the edge of the tower and into the abyss, disarming the device and saving his friends and the Master Builders. Inspired by Emmet's sacrifice, Wyldstyle—who revealed to Emmet that her real name was Lucy—rallies the people across the universe to embrace their creativity to build machines and weapons to fight Business' forces.
The abyss transports Emmet to thehuman world, where the current events are being played out in a basement by a boy namedFinn on his father's Lego collection. Finn's father, revealed to be the Man Upstairs, chastises his son for creating hodgepodges of different playsets and begins to glue his creations into place. Realizing the danger, Emmet wills himself to move and gains Finn's attention. Finn returns Emmet and the Piece of Resistance to the Lego world, where Emmet finds has gained the abilities of a Master Builder, and confronts Business. In the human world, Finn's father notices his son's creations and realizes he is suppressing his creativity. Through a speech by Emmet, Finn tells his father that he is special and says he has the power to change everything. Finn's father reconciles with his son, which plays out as Business reforming, capping the Kragle with the Piece of Resistance, and freeing his victims withmineral spirits. After the world is restored, Lucy and Emmet enter a relationship with Batman's blessing. Finn's father grants Finn and hisyounger sister permission to play with the Lego sets, causingDuplo aliens to arrive in the Lego universe and threaten destruction.
Additionally,Anthony Daniels,Keith Ferguson, andBilly Dee Williams appear as protocol droidC-3PO, and smugglersHan Solo andLando Calrissian from theStar Wars franchise.[a] Other appearances from licensed Lego iterations of franchises includeGandalf from theLord of the Rings and theHobbit franchises;Dumbledore from theWizarding World franchise;The Flash andAquaman from DC Comics;Milhouse fromThe Simpsons;Michelangelo from theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise andSpeed Racer from the Lego tie-in sets released alongside the2008 film adaptation of theeponymous animated television series.
Shaquille O'Neal portrays a Lego version of himself as a Master Builder alongside two generic members of the2002 NBA All-Stars.Will Forte (credited as Orville Forte) portraysAbraham Lincoln (whom he had previously voiced onClone High, another Lord/Miller production).Dave Franco,Jake Johnson, andKeegan-Michael Key portray Emmet's co-workers Wally, Barry, and Foreman Jim, respectively. DirectorChristopher Miller voices a TV announcer for the Octan comedy showWhere Are My Pants?; his son Graham Miller voices theDuplo alien.
The development ofThe Lego Movie began in 2008, whenDan Lin andRoy Lee discussed it before Lin leftWarner Bros. Pictures to form his own production company, Lin Pictures.Warner Bros executiveKevin Tsujihara, who had recognized the value of the Lego franchise by engineering the studio's purchase of Lego video game licenseeTraveller's Tales in 2007, thought the success of the Lego-based video games indicated a Lego-based film was a good idea, and reportedly "championed" the development of the film.[23][24]
By August 2009,Dan and Kevin Hageman were writing the script described as "action adventure set in a Lego world".[25] In 2008, Lin visitedThe Lego Group's headquarters in Denmark to pitch his vision for the film, later remarking uncertainty among executives. "They weren't rude or anything […] but they didn't feel they needed a movie. They were already a very successful brand. Why take the risk?" Nevertheless, Lego's vice president of licensing and entertainment Jill Wilfert responded positively to the Hagemans' treatment that Lin pitched. "Once we heard the pitch, how Dan felt he could bring the values of the brand to life, we started to think, 'This could be interesting.'"[26]
In June 2010,Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) writers and directorsPhil Lord and Christopher Miller were in talks to write and direct the film.[27] Warner Bros. green-lit the film by November 2011, with a planned 2014 release date. Australian studioAnimal Logic, who did the animation for previous Warner Bros. released animated films such asHappy Feet andLegend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, was contracted to provide the animation, which was expected to comprise 80% of the film. By this time, animatorChris McKay, one of the directors, producers, and editors ofRobot Chicken andMoral Orel, had joined Lord and Miller to co-direct.[28] McKay explained that his role was to supervise the production in Australia once Lord and Miller temporarily left production to work on22 Jump Street (2014).[29] In March 2012, Lord and Miller revealed the film's working title,Lego: The Piece of Resistance, and a storyline.[30]
"We wanted to make the film feel like the way you play, the way I remember playing. We wanted to make it feel as epic and ambitious and self-serious as a kid feels when they play with LEGO. We took something you could claim is the most cynical cash grab in cinematic history, basically a 90 minute LEGO commercial, and turned it into a celebration of creativity, fun and invention, in the spirit of just having a good time and how ridiculous it can look when you make things up. And we had fun doing it.'"
By June 2012,Chris Pratt had been cast as the voice of Emmet, the lead Lego character, andWill Arnett voicing a Lego version ofBatman; the role of LegoSuperman was offered toChanning Tatum.[31] By August 2012,Elizabeth Banks was hired to voice Lucy (later getting the alias "Wyldstyle")[15] andMorgan Freeman to voice Vitruvius, an old mystic.[31][32] In November 2012,Alison Brie,Will Ferrell,Liam Neeson, andNick Offerman signed on for roles. Ferrell voices the main antagonist President/Lord Business; Neeson voices Bad Cop/Good Cop, Business' right-hand man; Brie voices Princess Unikitty, cat-unicorn hybrid and a member of Emmet's team; and Offerman voices Metalbeard, a pirate and another member of Emmet's team who seeks revenge on Business.[33][34]
Warner Bros. already owns the film rights to intellectual properties from which key characters appear in the film (i.e.DC Comics;Wizarding World), but the filmmakers still ran their depictions by other creatives; this includedChristopher Nolan andZack Snyder, who were respectively directingThe Dark Knight Rises (2012) andMan of Steel (2013) at the time of the film's production, as well asHarry Potter creatorJ.K. Rowling. Lord recalled that Superman was omitted for an extended period of time due to a lawsuit against Warner Bros. by the heirs of co-creatorJerry Siegel, before being reinserted at the last minute. The film also featuresBilly Dee Williams andAnthony Daniels reprising their roles as Lego iterations of theirStar WarscharactersLando Calrissian andC-3PO respectively from the original movies whileKeith Ferguson reprises his role as a Lego version ofHan Solo fromRobot Chicken, replacing original actorHarrison Ford. Lin recalled the closure of their deal to feature the characters as hectic, asThe Walt Disney Company announced their purchase ofLucasfilm a few weeks after the filmmakers had traveled there and received permission to include them.[26]
The Lego Movie was strongly inspired by the visual aesthetic and stylistics ofBrickfilms and qualities attributed toLego Studios sets. The film received a great deal of praise in the respective online communities from filmmakers and fans, who saw the film as an appraising nod to their work.[35] In the film's live-action segment, Finn returns Emmet to the Lego world via an arts-and-crafts-covered tube labeled "Magic Portal", which production designer Grant Freckleton confirmed was a direct reference to Australian filmmaker Lindsay Fleay's 1989 animated short filmThe Magic Portal, which similarly incorporated live-action segments. Fleay went on to work at Animal Logic, though he left before production onThe Lego Movie began.[36]
Animal Logic tried to make the film's animation replicate astop motion film although everything was done through computer graphics, with theanimation rigs following the same articulation limits actual Lego figures have. The camera systems also tried to replicate live action cinematography, including different lenses and aSteadicam simulator. The scenery was projected throughThe Lego Group's ownLego Digital Designer (formerly) (created as part ofLego Design byME, which people could design their own Lego models using LDD, then upload them to the Lego website, design their own box design, and order them for actual delivery), which as CG supervisor Aidan Sarsfield detailed, "uses the official LEGO Brick Library and effectively simulates the connectivity of each of the bricks."[37]
The saved files were then converted to design and animate inMaya andXSI. At times theminifigures were even placed under microscopes to capture the seam lines, dirt and grime into the digital textures.[38] Benny the spaceman was based on the line of Lego space sets sold in the 1980s, and his design includes the broken helmet chin strap, a common defect of the space sets at that time.[39] Miller's childhood Space Village playset was used in the film.[37]
The Lego Movie was the first theatrical feature film produced byWarner Animation Group and the first animated film to be made directly by Warner Bros. Pictures afterWarner Bros. Feature Animation shut down in 2004 following the box office failure ofLooney Tunes: Back in Action (2003). The film's total cost, including production, prints, and advertising (P&A), was $100 million.[7] Half of the film's cost was financed byVillage Roadshow Pictures, and was the only film in the franchise that Village Roadshow ever had involvement working on.[7] The rest was covered by Warner Bros., withRatPac-Dune Entertainment providing a smaller share as part of its multi-year financing agreement with Warner Bros.[40] Initially Warner Bros. turned down Village Roadshow Pictures when it asked to invest in the film.[7] However, Warner Bros. later changed its mind, reportedly due to lack of confidence in the film, initially offering Village Roadshow Pictures the opportunity to finance 25% of the film, and later, an additional 25%.[7]
The film's original score was composed byMark Mothersbaugh, who had previously worked with Lord and Miller onCloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) and21 Jump Street (2012).The Lego Movie soundtrack contains the score as the majority of its tracks. Also included is the song "Everything Is Awesome" written byShawn Patterson,Joshua Bartholomew,[41] andLisa Harriton,[42] who also perform the song under the name Jo Li. The single, released on January 23, 2014, is performed byTegan and Sara featuringThe Lonely Island (Andy Samberg,Akiva Schaffer, andJorma Taccone), who wrote the rap lyrics, and is played in the film's end credits. The soundtrack was released on February 4, 2014, byWaterTower Music.[43]
Lego released a number ofbuilding toy sets based on scenes fromThe Lego Movie.[44][45]The Lego Movie premiered on February 1, 2014, at theRegency Village Theatre in Los Angeles.[46] It was initially scheduled for release on February 28,[47] but was later moved up to February 7.[34] The film was released in Australia byRoadshow Films.[3]
Warner Home Video releasedThe Lego Movie fordigital download, and onDVD andBlu-ray on June 17, 2014. At the same time, a special Blu-ray 3D "Everything is Awesome Edition" also includes an exclusive Vitruvius minifigure and a collectible 3D Emmet photo.[48] Overall,The Lego Movie was the fourth best-selling film of 2014, afterFrozen,The Hunger Games: Catching Fire andGuardians of the Galaxy, selling 4.9 million units and earning a revenue of $105.2 million.[49] The film was released onUltra HD Blu-ray on March 1, 2016.[50]
The Lego Movie grossed $258 million in the United States and Canada and $212.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $470.7 million.[8]Deadline Hollywood calculated the film's net profit as $229 million, accounting for production budgets, marketing, talent participations, and other costs; box office grosses and home media revenues placed it third on their list of 2014's "Most Valuable Blockbusters".[51]
In the United States and Canada,The Lego Movie was released withThe Monuments Men andVampire Academy on February 7, 2014. It earned $17.2 million on its first day,[52] including $425,000 from Thursday night previews.[53] During its opening weekend, the film earned $69.1 million from 3,775 theaters.[52] Upon its debut, it achieved the second-highest February opening weekend, behindThe Passion of the Christ.[54]The Lego Movie attracted a mostly diverse audience, with about 64 percent for Caucasians, Hispanic 16 percent, African-American 12 percent, and Asian 8 percent,[55] as well as 41 percent being under 18 years of age.[56] Its second weekend earnings dropped by 28 percent to $49.8 million,[57] and followed by another $31.3 million the third weekend.[58] The latter made it the second-highest third weekend for any animated film, trailing only behindShrek 2.[59]The Lego Movie completed its theatrical run in the United States and Canada on September 4, 2014.[60]
Worldwide,The Lego Movie earned $69.1 million in its opening weekend in 34 markets.[61] On its opening weekend elsewhere, the top countries were the United Kingdom ($13.4 million),[62] Australia ($5.7 million),[63] Russia ($3.9 million),[64] Mexico ($3.8 million),[61] and France ($3.1 million).[65] The film had the strongest start for a non-sequel animated film in the United Kingdom ahead ofThe Simpsons Movie andUp.[66] It would remain as the country's highest opening weekend for a 2014 film until it was surpassed byThe Amazing Spider-Man 2 that spring.[67] As of March 2022[update], its top international markets were the United Kingdom ($57 million), Australia ($20 million), and Germany ($13.1 million).[68]
The Lego Movie was met with universal acclaim.[69] On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 96% of 259 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The critical consensus reads, "Boasting beautiful animation, a charming voice cast, laugh-a-minute gags, and a surprisingly thoughtful story,The Lego Movie is colorful fun for all ages."[70]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 83 out of 100, based on 43 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[71] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[52]
Michael Rechtshaffen ofThe Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Arriving at a time when feature animation was looking and feeling mighty anemic...The LEGO Movie shows 'em how it's done",[72] with Peter Debruge ofVariety adding that Lord and Miller "irreverently deconstruct the state of the modern blockbuster and deliver a smarter, more satisfying experience in its place, emerging with a fresh franchise for others to build upon".[73] Susan Wloszczyna ofRogerEbert.com gave the film four stars out of four, writing, "It still might be a 100-minute commercial, but at least it's a highly entertaining and, most surprisingly, a thoughtful one with in-jokes that snap, crackle and zoom by at warp speed."[74] Tom Huddleston ofTime Out said, "The script is witty, the satire surprisingly pointed, and the animation tactile and imaginative."[75] Drew Hunt of theChicago Reader said the filmmakers "fill the script with delightfully absurd one-liners and sharp pop culture references",[76] withA. O. Scott ofThe New York Times noting that, "Pop-culture jokes ricochet off the heads of younger viewers to tickle the world-weary adults in the audience, with just enough sentimental goo applied at the end to unite the generations. Parents will dab their eyes while the kids roll theirs."[77]
Claudia Puig ofUSA Today called the film "a spirited romp through a world that looks distinctively familiar, and yet freshly inventive."[78] Liam Lacey ofThe Globe and Mail asked, "Can a feature-length toy commercial also work as a decent kids' movie? The bombast of theG.I. Joe andTransformers franchises might suggest no, but after an uninspired year for animated movies,The Lego Movie is a 3-D animated film that connects."[79] Joel Arnold ofNPR acknowledged that the film "may be one giant advertisement, but all the way to its plastic-mat foundation, it's an earnest piece of work—a cash grab with a heart".[80]Peter Travers ofRolling Stone called the film "sassy enough to shoot well-aimed darts at corporate branding".[81] Michael O'Sullivan ofThe Washington Post said that, "While clearly filled with affection for—and marketing tie-ins to—the titular product that's front and center, it's also something of a sharp plastic brick flung in the eye of its corporate sponsor."[82] Moira MacDonald ofThe Seattle Times, while generally positive, found "it falls apart a bit near the end".[83]Alonso Duralde ofThe Wrap said the film "will doubtless tickle young fans of the toys. It's just too bad that a movie that encourages you to think for yourself doesn't follow its own advice."[84] Sandie Angulo Chen ofCommon Sense Media gives a rate of four stars out of five, saying, "It's a testament to the veteran animation filmmakers that this one is so smart, humorous, and visually fun to watch." She praised the voice cast, cameos, "laugh-aloud one-liners, and a live-action interlude that is surprisingly touching." She also noted the messages and "sophisticated criticisms of popular culture and consumerism" in the movie, but other than that, she calls it "not just your typical animated adventure."[85]
The Lego Movie was included on a number of best-of lists. It was listed on many critics' top ten lists in 2014, ranking fifteenth.[86] Several publications have listed the film as one of the best animated films, including:Insider,USA Today (2018),[87][88]Rolling Stone (2019),[11]Parade,Time Out New York, andEmpire (all 2021).[14][13][12] The film was also named by filmmakerEdgar Wright andTime film criticRichard Corliss as one of their favorite films of 2014 and acclaimed actressTilda Swinton named it her favorite film of 2014.[89]
Conservative political commentatorGlenn Beck praised the film for avoiding "the double meanings and adult humor I just hate".[90]Oscar hostNeil Patrick Harris referencedThe Lego Movie not being nominated forBest Animated Feature, which many critics considered a snub, saying prior to the award's presentation, "If you're at the Oscar party with the guys who directedThe Lego Movie, now would be a great time to distract them."[91]
U.S. SenatorRon Johnson criticized the film's anti-corporate message, saying that it taught children that "government is good and business is bad", citing the villain's name of Lord Business. "That's done for a reason", Johnson toldWisPolitics.com, "They're starting that propaganda, and it's insidious". The comments were criticized by many, andRuss Feingold brought up the comments on the campaign trail during his2016 Senate bid against Johnson.[92]
At the87th Academy Awards,The Lego Movie received a nomination forBest Original Song.[93] Its other nominations include sixAnnie Awards (winning one),[94] aBritish Academy Film Award (which it won),[95] twoCritics' Choice Movie Awards (winning one),[96] and aGolden Globe Award.[97] TheNational Board of Review namedThe Lego Movie one of theten-best films of 2014; it also wonBest Original Screenplay.[98]
In 2014, anadventure video game,The Lego Movie Videogame, was released for multiple platforms.[99]Lego Dimensions (2015) features characters from several media franchises, includingThe Lego Movie.[100][101]The Lego Movie: 4D – A New Adventure is a4-D film atLegoland Florida, that has been in operation since 2016. Written and directed byRob Schrab, the 12-minute attraction starsA.J. LoCascio as Emmet, with Banks, Brie, Day, and Offerman reprising their respective roles; whilePatton Oswalt plays President Business's brother, Risky Business.[102][103]
Warner Bros. released two spin-offs in 2017:The Lego Batman Movie andThe Lego Ninjago Movie.[104] Both films set in different universes apart fromThe Lego Movie one.[105][106]The Lego Batman Movie was considered a success,[107] whileThe Lego Ninjago Movie was a failure.[108] A television seriesUnikitty! (2017–2020) focuses on the eponymous character (Tara Strong) and her friends.[109]The Lego Movie was followed byThe Lego Movie 2: The Second Part in 2019.[110] Following the financial failures of bothThe Lego Ninjago Movie andThe Lego Movie 2,[111][112]Universal Pictures set a five-year film deal with The Lego Group.[113]
"Lego," the first film to go out as a Warner Animation Group title, has overperformed with $457 million worldwide and set a sequel for release on May 26, 2017.
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