Warner Bros. Pictures
I grew up playing with LEGOs and was always excited to build a new set. My mother had purchased many of the “Harry Potter” and “Star Wars” LEGO sets for me growing up and I was always fond of how creative one could get when dealing with LEGOs. It’s been years since I picked up a LEGO brick but I’ll always treasure the memories of crafting the perfect LEGO structure. Of course, with my history of playing with LEGOs, I was excited to watch and review the newest LEGO movie, The LEGO Ninjago Movie.
The LEGO Ninjago Movie has a stellar voice cast of Dave Franco, Jackie Chan, Justin Theroux, and Olivia Munn and is the third LEGO movie from Warner Animation Group. Warner Animation Group has provided us with The LEGO Movie, Storks, and The LEGO Batman Movie, all great films. The LEGO Ninjago Movie centers around Lloyd who is regularly shunned by his city for being the son of an evil warlord. Whenever Garmadon, the central villain voiced by Justin Theroux, attacks the city, people are quick to blame Lloyd, voiced by Dave Franco. Lloyd also hides a secret of being part of a group of ninjas determined to save the city and put an end to Garmadon’s reign of terror.
With the success of The LEGO Movie and The LEGO Batman Movie, it was only a matter of time before we saw a third installment for the LEGO franchise. I easily embraced this movie despite my lack of knowledge about Ninjago toy sets. Although The LEGO Ninjago Movie is the weakest of the three, it’s still a fun movie for both kids and adults to enjoy.
The LEGO Movie and The LEGO Batman Movie both mixed action with comedy very well and The LEGO Ninjago Movie joins those movies as another hilarious film. The filmmakers know how to make both kids and adults laugh which is quite rare. Most movies for the younger audience focus on pleasing the younger crowd and forget about the adults. For example, The Nut Job 2 had no humor for adults to enjoy but managed to throw countless potty jokes in. The LEGO Ninjago Movie perfectly serves up a blend of humor that both kids and parents will easily understand and care about. It’s a win for everyone!
The LEGO Ninjago Movie has a fun sense of adventure going for it. For the first 45 minutes or so, Lloyd and his crew of ninjas are constantly fending off Garmadon and his army. The visuals are eye popping and very detailed for a film crowded with millions of LEGO bricks. The film makes great use of the LEGO bricks changing back and forth, which shows the creative appeal to the LEGO universe. The soundtrack amps up scenes of the ninjas fighting Garmadon with an upbeat soundtrack that fits perfectly into the thrilling action sequences, setting up for some fun moments for kids to watch.
I did say this was the weakest of the three LEGO movies and the end is partly to blame for that. Most of the film is a thrilling fun time but there is a certain point in the film where Garmadon and Lloyd team up and that leads to a huge drop in the entertainment. Garmadon and Lloyd are attempting to build a relationship with each other but both must learn about themselves first before they further their relationship. As much as I admired the two trying to work as a team, I found myself falling asleep because the film wasn’t keeping that exciting fast pace it set up previously. Another issue with the film is that it does feel a bit repetitive in the beginning. They use the same battle scene twice within a span of 15 minutes. The first time it was shown was hilarious but I didn’t the feel the same way a second time.
The LEGO Ninjago Movie was a hilarious adventure that the whole family can enjoy. There are enough laughs that both parents and kids can appreciate. The voice acting is terrific and the film is colorful throughout. The film does drag a little bit towards the end but manages to end on a high note. I can’t wait to see what Warner Animation Group does with the LEGO property in the future. For the time being, I now can add The LEGO Ninjago Movie to my list of fun movies to watch with my family.
The LEGO Ninjago Movie runs 1 hour 41 minutes and is rated PG for some mild action and rude humor.
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