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Today’s Prayer Focus
MOVIE REVIEW

Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

also known as “A Lego-kaland 2,” “La Grande Aventure Lego 2,” “La LEGO película 2,” “Lego filmas 2,” “Lego Filmen 2,” “Lego Фiльм 2,” “Legofilmen 2,” “O Filme Lego 2,” “The Lego Movie 2: Una nuova avventura,” “Uma Aventura Lego 2,” “LEGO: Филмът 2», «Лего. Фильм 2»
MPA Rating: PG-Rating (MPA) for some rude humor.

Reviewed by: Shawna Ellis
CONTRIBUTOR

Moral Rating: Average
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: • Kids • Family • Teens • Young-Adults • Adults
Genre: Animation Family Action Adventure Comedy 3D IMAX Sequel
Length: 1 hr. 46 min.
Year of Release: 2019
USA Release: February 8, 2019 (wide—4,303 theaters)
DVD: May 7, 2019
Copyright, Warner Bros. Picturesclick photos to ENLARGE Copyright, Warner Bros. Pictures Copyright, Warner Bros. Pictures
Relevant Issues

“It is easy to harden your heart. To open it… that is the hardest thing.”

For a follower of Christ, what is LOVE—a feeling, an emotion, or an action? Answer


Siblings selfishly arguing and fighting over toys instead of sharing and enjoying them together


How to avoid misreading people’s intentions


Dystopian fiction world—where life is very bad, due to oppression, terror, deprivation, etc.


ORIGIN OF BAD—Why are there bad things in our world? Answer

Did God make the world the way it is now? What kind of world would you create? Answer

What will the Biblical MILLENNIUM be like? Answer


Kid Explorers™
Adventures in the rainforest! Learn about the Creator of the universe by exploring His marvelous creation. Fun for the whole family with games, activities, stories, answers to children’s questions, coloring pages, and more.
Copyright, Warner Bros. Pictures Copyright, Warner Bros. Pictures Copyright, Warner Bros. Pictures Copyright, Warner Bros. Pictures Copyright, Warner Bros. Pictures Copyright, Warner Bros. Pictures Copyright, Warner Bros. Pictures
Featuring Chris PrattEmmet Brickowski / Rex Dangervest (voice)
Elizabeth BanksWyldstyle / Lucy (voice)
Will ArnettBatman (voice)
Tiffany HaddishQueen Watevra Wa'Nabi (voice)
Stephanie BeatrizGeneral Mayhem / Sweet Mayhem (voice)
Alison BrieUnikitty / Ultrakatty (voice)
Nick OffermanMetalBeard (voice)
Charlie DayBenny (voice)
Maya RudolphMom
Will FerrellPresident Business / Dad
Channing TatumSuperman (voice)
Jonah HillGreen Lantern (voice)
Jason MomoaAquaman (voice)
Cobie SmuldersWonder Woman (voice)
Ralph FiennesAlfred Pennyworth (voice)
Will ForteAbraham Lincoln (voice) (Orville Forte)
Bruce WillisBruce Willis (voice)
See all »
Director Mike Mitchell
Trisha Gum
Producer Animal Logic [Australia]
Don Bluth Productions
Chris McKay
See all »
Distributor
Distributor: Warner Brothers Pictures. Trademark logo.
Warner Bros. Pictures
, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company

“They come in pieces”

Prequel: “The LEGO Movie” (2014)

“The Lego Movie” (2014) was a fun, heartfelt film which parents could enjoy with their children. It wowed audiences with beautiful animation, a clever premise and a surprisingly deep message. In going to see “Lego Movie 2: the Second Part,” I was afraid that the filmmakers would deviate from what had worked so well in the first film. I feared cruder humor, an uninventive story and a shallow ending. Yet I came away with a smile and the knowledge that I can recommend this movie with little reservation.

At the end of the first Lego Movie, there was an indication that everything is not awesome in Bricksburg in the aftermath of Taco Tuesday. Invaders from the planet Duplo land in the final scene, and one could sense that the Lego world was about to be altered forever. The sequel opens with brooding voiceover narration by Lucy (Elizabeth Banks), who describes how Bricksburg has been changed into a war-torn wasteland now called Apocalypseburg. It is filled with grim, hardened inhabitants who are just trying to survive.

Emmet (Chris Pratt) is the only resident of that harsh land who still believes that everything is awesome. Lucy and the others can hardly fathom how he has a cheerful attitude, undaunted enthusiasm and compassion toward the enemy in these troubled times, which makes some doubt his toughness and therefore his ability as a leader.

When tragedy strikes, Emmet begins a journey into the unknown in order to save those he holds dear.

I won’t describe any more of the plot, as it is much better to watch it unfold. Set your logic aside for a little while as you do so and just enjoy the adventure as Emmet seeks to be the leader the others expect him to be.

Once again, so much about this film is clever and whimsical. The animation is beautifully rendered with many small witty touches to be noticed. The music (and there is a substantial amount) is often used as a narrative device, but is still catchy and fun. The voice acting is superb, with great performances by returning characters and a few new ones, including the enigmatic Queen Watevra Wa-Nabi (Tiffany Haddish). While watching this film, I can’t help but think that everyone involved in the production was having a great time as they brought the story to life. It does not take itself too seriously, but at the same time it once more delivers a serious message about having compassion, growing up and understanding others. It’s a lot of message mixed in with quite a few laughs and plenty of fun action.

It may not be able to quite recapture all the charm of the first, simply because we are now more familiar with the way the Lego universe works, but it is a worthwhile sequel, and I left the theater wanting to see it again. Some have commented that this installment seems to be geared primarily toward children in both its humor and its take-away message, but I am not sure I agree. Pop culture references, clever puns and the actual spoken acknowledgment of convenient plot devices are prevalent, and many of these jokes are geared entirely for adults or teens.

Thankfully the filmmakers have done this with clever writing and not by resorting to crass innuendo, as in many children’s films. A few jokes seem forced and fall flat, and sometimes the change in action or certain revelations can seem a little jarring or illogical. But, even so, there is plenty here to be enjoyed by all ages and refreshingly little content of concern. Never have I taken so few notes when reviewing a movie!

LANGUAGE: This is limited to words such as “heck,” “butt” and “oh my goshness,” and even these are very lightly used.

SEX: Lego Batman is briefly shown shirtless, and the shape-changing queen sometimes takes vaguely suggestive womanly forms and poses. Emmet and Lucy are never said to actually be married, but Emmet refers to them as “special best friends forever” and is building a home for them.

VIOLENCE: This film has comedic action and violence, with explosions, chases, and fights, but this is all done in “Lego style” in which there is never any gore shown. I felt that there was somewhat less peril than in the first movie, but more angst and emotional intensity is shown by the characters.

OTHER: A pun is made about Superman’s enemy General Zod being a “Zodsend.” Characters meet “unthreatening romantic vampires” in reference to the Twilight movie series. The worldview of millions of years is used regarding dinosaurs. Someone mentions that he has been meditating. One character tries to woo another using reverse psychology and jealousy.

While some people may think that this film is making a social commentary on gender roles or “toxic masculinity,” I did not really pick up that vibe. Although plot elements hinge on whether or not Emmet is tough or hard-edged enough to be a good leader, he is actually already very brave and self-sacrificing. While cheerful and optimistic, he is also decisive and heroic when needed. True manhood is more than superficial appearance, ruggedness or strength, but is also about being sacrificial and willing to lay down one’s life for his friends (John 15:13).

One quote from this film has stuck with me. “It is easy to harden your heart. To open it… that is the hardest thing.” This is true of the characters in this film, but equally true for us. We can become embittered and hardened by difficulties and trials. That’s in our fleshly nature, and therefore very easy for us to do. We will often mistake this worldly “strength” for maturity. But maturity isn’t proven by our toughness or resilience. True maturity and growth comes when we open our hearts by considering others’ needs above our own. This is not in our fleshly nature to do, and anyone who attempts to do this in his or her own strength will find it almost impossible to maintain. Before we can truly open our hard heart to others, we must first open it to Christ who can work that change in us.

For a follower of Christ, what is LOVE—a feeling, an emotion, or an action? Answer

  • Violence: Mild
  • Profane language: None
  • Vulgar/Crude language: Minor
  • Nudity: None
  • Sex: None
  • Occult: None

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.


Viewer CommentsSend your comments
Positive
Positive—“The Second Part” isn’t a classic like the original LEGO Movie (or LEGO Batman), though I still had some fun with it. I found the first 30-40 minutes to be disappointing (some characters seemed out-of-character), before clicking into gear when Queen Whatevra and Rex Dangervest are introduced to the plot.

By all means, the last half-hour was terrific. The ending had a few unique twists that really worked and resulted in moments that matched the original in terms of risks and emotional payoff. I wish the rest of the movie could have followed that lead, however.

I didn’t find the movie to be necessarily pushing an “agenda.” I found quite a few strong messages here. First of all, I didn’t sense a “toxic masculinity” push at all. There’s a stronger message here on how someone’s appearance and toughness doesn’t exactly matter, it all comes down to a person’s character and heart. That’s a very Biblical moral. We all can change from tough life situations, but its up to us on whether or not we shut others out and become completely self-focused. Like Emmet said, “it can be easy to harden your heart, but to open it… that is the hardest thing.”

There’s also a strong mature message here, too, about how we can still make a difference even when the world might not be a great place. A twist on the “Everything is Awesome” song displays this message perfectly. Not everything is meant to be awesome all the time, it’s all up to us and how we see the world. Our attitudes and our influence on others. We can choose to see the world as an opportunity for Jesus each and every day, and that would truly make all the difference.

There’s not much in terms of problematic content either. Some LEGO action (including a vision of an apparent “storage” apocalypse) and a rare odd moment or two notwithstanding, it’s definitely one of the cleanest options for kids in quite awhile.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Blake Wilson, age 24 (USA)
Positive—Wow, I don’t think I saw the same movie as some reviewers here, because I did not see a movie about toxic masculinity at all. Don’t read this if you don’t want spoilers! While attempting to give credit to Emmett, another character points out that she basically did all the work to save them, yet don’t stop watching! Lucy says how she sought to change Emmett and realized that she was wrong because she loves the qualities he has. The change in Lucy’s hair reminds her of when she was playful. If anything, that moment awakens her to when she wasn’t this tough character.

When saying even Batman became feminized what you need to look deeper at (and you’d know this if you saw the first one) is that this movie is about the humans playing with the Legos. The Duplo blocks joined in when the little sister was allowed to play. The Duplo blocks, the girlie colors, the glitter all represent the little sister. (Ahhh, did you not notice the sister’s nail polish as she held a toy over the bin? Glitter nail polish, coincided with the whole scene of them all being covered in glitter.)

This movie is about a boy growing up, navigating that preteen/teen stage in life and a little sister losing her big brother, while desperately wanting to hold on to the brother she looks up to. See all ».
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Andrea, age 46 (USA)
Negative
NegativeSigh. It was basically the Gilette “toxic masculinity” commercial wrapped in a LEGO commercial. The message mimics the general message of our culture, that what people need to learn is to reject the pressure to adopt masculine traits, when the culture is overtly and relentlessly feminizing everything and saying we should be cool with it. The message to the main character is that he doesn’t have to change (to be more masculine) while changing ALL the main characters into unfamiliar girlish versions of themselves (even Batman, what the heck?)

This made the movie pretty disappointing and unenjoyable to watch. There were some good lines in there (positive viewer mentioned above) but just poorly executed and untethered to a cohesive moral.

I wouldn’t say this was so terrible that you should keep your kids away, but we had to talk a lot after the movie, and I honestly wish I could get my money back. If your kids aren’t chomping at the bit to see it I’d skip it and avoid more tiresome cultural indoctrination from the world’s prevailing and half baked ideology about gender and masculinity.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3
Jeff, age 41 (USA)
Negative—I agree with Jeff’s negative assessment: “Lego Movie 2” is anti-male propaganda disguised as a kid’s movie. Yes—the production quality is top-notch, and yes—it has some genuinely funny humour. But if you’re paying attention, it will be hard not to see the insidious agenda.

As I see it, “Lego Movie 2” is about undermining God-given gender distinctions. It tries to persuade viewers (esp. kids) that growing up and being a man is toxic, isolating, lonely, and destructive. While immature, girlish femininity and silly playfulness—when adopted by emasculated young men—brings the rewards of love, harmony, acceptance, and joy.

Hollywood does a great job of creating a fictional masculinity. One that is so toxic it’s easy to tear down. But real masculinity is nothing like that straw man. If you want a picture of true masculinity—look to The Lord Jesus Christ. He is our example in all things.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5
Chris, age 49 (Canada)
Negative—So, I am in the middle of the film. Not a fan. Talking about brainwashing and anxiety-filled topics. Seriously not a fan. It’s not funny. Has lots of things flashed at you. Be leary. I thought Chris Pratt would do a good job, but really not good. I’m sad, because I had high hopes. Also lots of agenda-driven innuendo. …not entertaining, and I find myself wanting to walk out with my kids.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 3
Keith, age 46
Negative—Most people simply look at this movie as entertainment, but there are undertones/messages for the discerning viewer. …It really appears to me to be a subtle attack on the Christian faith. The underlying message’s were very disturbing to me.

There is reference to the “man upstairs,” who is portrayed as selfish, oppressive and wrong, and responsible for all the evil in the world. The child, and the Lego people/toys are noble and right—all you need to conquer evil is to believe in yourself; you don’t need faith in God (“the man upstairs”), just faith in yourself.See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
Nan, age 67 (USA)
Comments from young people
Positive—As a person who only goes to the movies every couple of years, you can probably guess that I am pretty picky about what I view on the big screen. I think the last time I watched a movie at the theater was when “The Lego Movie” (probably one of my top three favorite movies) came out. Naturally, my interest was piqued when I heard that “Lego Movie 2” had just been released. But the fact that a sequel had been produced was also my biggest concern: would it live up to the original with all its hilarious moments and witty script? No sequel is perfect, the directors ARE humans, and I think we tend to forget that. In light of this, I would say that the “Lego Movie 2” comes awfully close to the original. Our favorite characters are back, the amount of action is just right, and the script provides some memorable lines.

I was pleasantly surprised that, although the first movie had very little crude humor, the sequel had even less. I think the only concerns for a parent would be those highlighted in the Christian Spotlight review, plus one moment when a male character mentions he wears women’s jeans (meant to reference the fact that his Lego body is the same mold as those from Lego Friends, a Lego product line for girls).See all »
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Sarah G., age 16 (USA)
Positive—“The LEGO Movie 2” in my opinion was just as well put together as the first, and I did not find the movie offensive at all. While it is true that the feminism of characters is prominent in the movie, I do not think the agenda was intentionally pushed, only a symbolism of how the sister in the movie was, and that the movie shows how being tough is a good thing but not too on the point where you stop caring about the people around you.

The songs are fun, and the twist on the original movie song called Everything Is Awesome, Everything’s Not Awesome, is an inspiring song that reminds us how even in tough times if we stay close we keep going.

Overall, the plot was amazing, even though it is strange that the characters view the aliens in a bad light but they are portrayed as the good guys though at the beginning of the movie General Mayhem is destroying skyscrapers and throwing bombs at Emmet and Lucy… huh? Not my idea of innocence… I watched this when I was younger and I loved the first one and this one… I might even have liked this one better. Great movie, best in a while, I highly recommend this!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Benjamin, age 19 (USA)

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