The plot of “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” might look predictable just from the movie poster, but plenty of surprises pop up throughout the movie that help to make it a truly enjoyable experience.
It might have seemed like there was nowhere else to go after 2014’s “The Lego Movie,” but this sequel builds on old characters while introducing new ones and maintaining the same quality of writing. The movie presents itself as a typical movie about a brother and sister’s inability to get along, but this movie addresses gender issues in a fresh and subtle manner. “The Lego Movie 2” is a stunning movie beginning to end with the same amazing visuals and meta-humor that made the first movie stand out.
One of the strongest additions to the second movie is Tiffany Haddish, who voices a shape-shifting queen who performs spectacular musical numbers. The hyper-masculine character of Rex with his well-trained raptors is also a strong addition to the film and a funny self-reference to Chris Pratt’s role in the “Jurassic Park” franchise. It might have seemed the plot twists and shocks ended after the first film, but this sequel keeps the audience guessing what might be going on until the end.
It is clear that there is going to be some plot point involving gender relations as the movie poster is literally split blue and pink with the male and female leads. While this might lead one to assume the movie will be cringey and dated, the film very subtly tries to tell the audience that boys and girls are not that different. Themes of hypermasculinity also influenced the character Emmet to lose track of who he is.
The way the film deals with the relationship between the brother and sister is nice with its touching display of their difficulty communicating with each other. Maya Rudolph also adds to the humor with her playing the siblings’ mom who is referred to as “Our-Mom-Ageddon” throughout the film. Though there could have been fewer scenes of the real world as they leave less to the audience’s imagination.
The film’s world is still full of the pop culture references that made the first film so great. The fast-paced jokes and numerous cameos make it impossible to get bored as there is nearly something for everyone. If the “Mad Max” inspired post-apocalyptic world at the start does not interest you, surely the scenes set in the glitter and pop music-fueled Systar System will.
The film comes through with another pop earworm similar to “Everything is Awesome” with the aptly titled “Catchy Song.” Arguably the funniest moment is the credits song singing out the names of the people working behind the scenes.
“The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” might not be as great as the first film, but that is the case with nearly all sequels. The film is still great and takes its characters to interesting places and delivers a strong story. Similar to the first film, “The Lego Movie 2” is compelling, witty and so much more than a toy advertisement.
