The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part

I came back tonight from seeing “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part,” which came out last month, and I will let everyone know my thoughts. Remember when “The Lego Movie” came out in 2014, and how everyone thought it would be a huge cash cow, only to fall out of their seats at how intelligent it was at spitting the product? Remember how, in 2017, “The Lego Batman Movie” ended up being almost as good because Will Arnett voiced Batman as a completely delusional, egomaniacal person? Remember also in 2017 “The Lego Ninjago Movie” and how people wrongfully hated it even though it was such a nice, funny movie that was “really” geared towards kids?

Now we have “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part,” which is it as good as the first movie? Not really: few things take away from the original concept like a sequel. However, “The Lego Movie 2” has an expertise at throwing things at you with such fast speed that recalls what Chris Miller and Philip Lord did with the last one five years ago. It should. They wrote the screenplay, with Mike Mitchell directing, the same one who also directed “Trolls.” Peter Travers said in his review, “It’s instructive to think back on how Miller and Lord got fired from directing Solo and then the world saw the blandest of Star Wars stories — how we wished we could have seen what this prankish pair would have done with it.” You’ll see great references from such films like “The Matrix” and “2001: A Space Odyssey” in such hilarious ways.

The basic story is since the end with construction worker Emmett Brickowski, reprised by Chris Pratt, and the citizens of Bricksburg, everything is no longer awesome. In the live-action part, Finn (Jaden Sand) and his Sister Bianca (Brooklyn Prince) are Lego lovers at odd’s ends. Bianca’s Lego Duplo characters are now space invaders who’ve changed Bricksburg into Apocalypseburg, whose locals look like they are from the “Mad Max” movies. The team includes Unikitty (Alison Brie), Benny (Charlie Day), Metalbeard (Nick Offerman) and Wyldstyle/Lucy (Elizabeth Banks), who doesn’t think Emmet is able to fight the raiders from Systar. That’s the planet led by General Mayhem (Stephanie Beatriz) and under the control of Queen Watevra Wa’Nabi (Tiffany Haddish), who kidnaps the people to attend her wedding to a very hesitant Batman. In order to save his friends, a new character comes in to help: His name is Rex Dangervest. He’s the tough, polar opposite of Emmet and he’s also voiced by Pratt, with the actor voiced him like a combination of every character he’s played from “Jurassic World” to “Guardians of the Galaxy.” He’s hysterical.

Travers noted, “It’s a drag when the movie pauses to deliver moral lessons about the need to grow up and deal with the world when it’s not awesome. Luckily, the pauses get fewer and fewer. And the good times roll as we watch this Lego menagerie dig itself out of an existential mess.” It’s just for our great screenwriting team to write in jokes that keep coming, along with referencing everyone from Superman (Channing Tatum) and teen vampires to Abraham Lincoln (Will Forte) and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. There’s even a new song titled Catchy Song that you won’t stop singing even if you try not to. (You will try, just like with Everything is Awesome.) Another song, Super Cool, plays at the end credits just to praise the energetic end credits. “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” never stops, which is one of its flaws. Can there really be too much of a good thing? Obviously not!

If you loved the first “Lego Movie,” then you absolutely fall in love with this one. Maya Rudolph makes a cameo in here, and you also hear Will Farrell in the background. Even though this movie isn’t as good as the first movie, I give it credit for the material they tried in here and praise the comedy, like always. Too many references in here that it’s hard to keep up with all the jokes because you’ll be too busy laughing and a soundtrack which, once again, is lively and energetic that you won’t stop singing once you buy it off of iTunes. Definitely go to the theaters to see this one, it’s one that should not be missed.

Thank you for joining in on today’s review, check in this Friday for the continuation of “Conan Month.”