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The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019)

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
4K UHD Released: 5/7/2019

All Ratings out of
Movie: ½
Video:
Audio:
Extras: ½

Review by Mike Long, Posted on 5/7/2019

We’ve reached a point in moviedom where sequels are expected.  If a film is a hit, we are not the least bit surprised when a second (or third, or fourth) chapter arrives.  However, how often do we actually question the necessity of these sequels?  Was there more story to tell?  Did we want to see what happened next with the characters?  It could be argued that all sequels are unnecessary, but there are some which naturally lend themselves to an extended story, while there are others in which a return to the well can seem forced.  The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part certainly falls into the latter category.

Five years after the events seen in The Lego Movie, Bricksburg has now become Apocalypseburg.  The once happy building block citizens of the city have had their spirits subdued by the constant invasion of Duplo aliens, and the whole place looks like something out of Mad Max.  However, Emmett Brickowski (voiced by Chris Pratt) has still remained his chipper, positive attitude, despite the fact that his best friend (girlfriend?) Lucy AKA Wildstyle (voiced by Elizabeth Banks) is a paranoid mess who’s always on the lookout for the aliens.  Emmett’s mood is finally broken when an alien named General Mayhem (voiced by Stephanie Beatriz) appears and kidnaps Lucy, Batman (voiced by Will Arnett), Unikitty (voiced by Alison Brie), Metalbeard (voiced by Nick Offerman) and Benny (voiced by Charlie Day) and whisks them off into space.  Emmett is able to cobble together and spaceship and follow them, only to learn that Queen Whatevra Wa’Nabi (voiced by Tiffany Haddish) has sinister plans for his friends.  When Emmett meets an unlikely ally, he formulates a plan to be the hero that Lucy has always wanted him to be.

Not many kids/family films end with a twist, but The Lego Movie certainly had one – (SPOILER ALERT if you haven’t seen it) All of the Lego-based action which we’d been witnessing was all just a child playing with his father’s elaborate Lego set in the family basement.  The film laid out some clues which made the ending somewhat predictable, but it was still a nice touch, as it reinforced that idea of imaginary play.  The ending also felt nice and tidy, even with the added coda of the little sister bringing her Duplo into this world.  At no point did I think, “Wow, I sure would like to see what happens next!”  But, that’s the exact thinking behind The Lego Movie 2.

The problem is, even with Lord & Miller, the directors of the first film, handling scripting duties where, I don’t think that people who made this movie new what was happening next.  The Lego Movie 2 throws a lot of ideas at the viewer, and the end result is confusing at best.  The immediate implication is that the Duplos have basically destroyed Lego civilization (although the why is vague at best).  From there, the movie simply reels off scene-after-scene where things happens and none of it truly gels.  By the time the finale rolls around, the “twist” in this film feels very muddled and isn’t the least bit surprising.  Adding to the uneasy feeling, The Lego Movie 2 is sort of a musical.  Yes, the first film has the very catch Everything is Awesome!, but there are actual musical numbers here.  Finally, this entry changes the rules by allowing the Legos to come to life.  Huh?

Overall, I was somewhat let down by The Lego Movie, but the film was able to get by on its charm and wit.  The bizarre humor mixed with cameos by familiar licensed characters gave the movie a sense of fun.  None of that is present in The Lego Movie 2.  The opening is meant to be comically depressing, but, try as it might, the movie never gains any momentum form this downbeat beginning.  There are attempts at humor here, but most of it falls flat, save for the velociraptors.  The characters have lost their charm and at 107 minutes, the movie is way too long.  A movie like this doesn’t look very easy to make and, while the Lego animation still looks great, someone should have put more thought in constructing an appealing story.

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part still gets some mileage out of the cat jokes on 4K UHD courtesy of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.  The film has been letterboxed at 2.35:1 and the Disc contains an HEVC 2160p transfer which runs at an average of 55 Mbps.  The image is very sharp and clear, showing no grain and no defects from the source materials.  The colors look fantastic, and the image is never overly dark or bright.  The level of detail is amazing, as we can see every seam in the bricks and the depth gives the picture a 3D look.  The Disc carries a Dolby Atmos audio track which runs at 48 kHz and an average of 4.0 Mbps.  The track provides clear dialogue and sound effects.  This is a very active track, as it delivers impressive surround and stereo effects during the action sequences.  We get very distinct sounds from the rear channels and sounds from off-screen in the stereo speakers.  The subwoofer is palpable, but not overpowering.

The lone extra feature on The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part 4K UHD is an AUDIO COMMENTARY from Director Mike Mitchell, Writers/Producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, and Animation Director Trisha Gum.  The remainder of the extras are found on the Blu-ray Disc included in this set.  “They Come in Pieces: Assembling The Lego Movie 2” (9 minutes) offers interviews with the voice actors and the creative team who discuss the development of the sequel and the overarching themes.  We get to see the actors in the recording studio, as they find their characters voices.  The piece also touches on the look of the film.  “Emmet’s Holiday Party: A Lego Movie Short” (3 minutes) is more like an odd trailer for the film.  The Disc contains ten OUTTAKES AND DELETED SCENES which run about 12 minutes.  We get a MUSIC VIDEO for “Super Cool”.  Finally, there are five interstitials which are included in the PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL category.

Review Copyright 2019 by Mike Long