This weekend I caught The Lego Movie (which debuted three years earlier than Lego Batman) on Netflix. It's really quite a different, and much deeper, movie than Lego Batman, and I'm really glad that I saw it. I'm not sure if one is better than the other, but they are definitely different. The premise of the film is monomythic in a Joseph Campbell sense, recalling films such as Star Wars and The Matrix. Construction worker and average joe, Emmett, discovers he is the chosen one and the sole inhabitant of Lego Land capable of conquering the evil Lord Business. With the help of Lego Batman (a great character here) and other highly entertaining and endearing lego creations, he sets about doing that. This film is one of those family movies that is an instant classic, with many memorable moments. Also. . .
***************SPOILER************************
the twist ending is gripping, suspenseful, and gives the film a totally extra layer of meaning. Will Ferrell is used to great effect, to say the least, and the whole use of humans in this Lego universe gets us to question the nature of our own reality along with the lego reality we're watching. As we watch, we truly do not know what will happen next. It made me very strongly recall this New Yorker article about the recent mix up at the Oscars: http://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/did-the-oscars-just-prove-that-we-are-living-in-a-computer-simulation . If you see this film, as you should, you will know what I'm talking about. Definitely one to ponder!
No comments:
Post a Comment