The LEGO Movie (2014)

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General		Extras
Category	Animation	Main Menu Audio Audio Commentary-Directirs and cast Featurette-See It, Build It!
Rating
Year Of Production	2014
Running Time	96:27 (Case: 100)
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Ads Then Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Phil Lord Christopher Miller
Studio Distributor	Roadshow Home Entertainment	Starring	Will Arnett Elizabeth Banks Will Ferrell Will Forte Dave Franco Morgan Freeman Todd Hansen Jonah Hill Liam Neeson Chris Pratt Channing Tatum
Case	Amaray-Transparent
RPI	$39.95	Music	Mark Mothersbaugh

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	Full Frame	English Dolby Digital 5.1 (384Kb/s) English Audio Commentary Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s) English Descriptive Audio Dolby Digital 5.1 (384Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	2.35:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	2.35:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	Yes, LEGO everywhere!
		Action In or After Credits	No

Everything is Awesome.

    Emmet Brickowski (Chris Pratt) is your average LEGO block construction worker. In a land where individualism is not encouraged, Emmett is instantly forgettable as just another block man with nothing much to say and nothing much to do. After work at his construction site Emmet encounters a young Master Builder named Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) who is looking for something special. Emmet falls into a deep hole where he finds the fabled "Piece of Resistance", a red block that is prophesised to protect the "Kragle" superweapon from Lord Business (Will Ferrell). Lord Business plans to use the Kragle to super-glue every block and citizen in place so that creativity is banished and everything stays where he puts it. According to the prophecy the Kragle will be found by a saviour called "The Special", but surely Emmet is just another plain and ordinary LEGO worker? After touching the artefact Emmet experiences visions, but on awakening is arrested by corrupt policeman and Lord Business henchman Bad Cop (Liam Neeson). Bad Cop has a head that turns around to reveal his alter ego as Good Cop, but his predominant side is as an enforcer for Lord Business. Wyldstyle and Emmet are rescued by Wyldstyle’s boyfriend Batman (Will Arnett), with Emmet subsequently introduced to sage and Master Builder Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman). There he learns that a Master Builder has all the creativity and building ability that he seems to be lacking, and that such creativity is what Lord Business wants to stop. The remaining Master Builders are a discordant lot however, who are not impressed by Emmet and his apparent lack of creativity. Could it be though that Emmet might just be the glue that binds the forces of creativity together in their final battle against Lord Business and the Kragle?

    Filmmakers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, 21 Jump Street) have made their LEGO toy world a crazy discordant scatter of LEGO characters living in a Matrix type world where reality and perception are unclear. With so much voice talent on tap all sorts of characters are introduced such as Superman (Channing Tatum), Green Lantern (Jonah Hill), Gandalf the Grey (Todd Hansen), Abraham Lincoln (Will Forte) and so on. Of course in a LEGO world all of this is feasible as imagination is what LEGO is all about. With so much happening on screen it is easy to miss some of the pop references and artistic inserts. There are never ending quips, sight-gags, in-jokes, all delivered in a pace that certainly requires multiple viewings to pick up. All the voice talent is up to the task with Pratt and Banks especially competent and engaging as the lead couple. Freeman delivers as you’d expect, but I must say that I’m getting a bit tired of his obvious tones in a voice-over. Someone less distinctive and less used might have been a better choice. The animation itself is brilliant and constructed to look like stop motion LEGO building. For instance, when water flows it is clearly presented as an expanding field of blue pegs. As an example look at the ocean wave motions at 52:45. Fire, explosions, smoke and the like are all animated similarly, and this process is really effective in creating a LEGO world. The LEGO characters are drawn just like the actual plastic figurines with U shaped hands, cap-like hair, and stiff movements. The concept, script, and execution of The LEGO Movie is nothing short of brilliant. Lord and Miller have created a world that is funny, reflective, nostalgic, clever and intelligent that appeals to every age group, but which also carries a message that becomes clearer as the movie proceeds. The LEGO Movie is in a word, AWESOME.

Video

    Video is presented in the original aspect of 2.35:1 and is 16x9 enhanced. Being a modern animated feature you’d expect fine detail and crisp edges and you won’t be disappointed in that respect. Even in standard definition the detail is awesome with every little artistic insert being clear and distinct. Colour is beautifully rendered and vivid although I thought that the overall image often looked over exposed. It was sometimes as if there was a clear film over the image, which is unusual for an animated film. An early example of this is the skyline at 3:05. Conversely a slightly later shot of a street scene at 4:31 looks beautifully exposed. I didn’t see The LEGO Movie at the cinemas, so can’t verify if the original had this effect although screen captures I’ve seen look the same. On that basis I think this effect is a deliberate artistic device rather than a fault. There is no evidence of compression artefacts or any other encoding issues although there is obvious blocking around the menu selection options.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    Audio options are the default English Dolby Digital 5.1 audio at 384 Kb/s. There is also audio for the visually impaired at the same specifications and a audio commentary track using Dolby Digital 2.0 audio at 192 Kb/s. Again the audio presentation is first class with clear dialogue and an enveloping surround and bass mix. Rear speakers are in constant use as the LEGO characters clatter around the room and directional effects from machines, robots and the like move around your head. The LFE track supports explosions and crashes effectively without overwhelming the overall soundstage.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Menu

    Static menu with looping audio.

Featurette: See It, Build It!

    1.78:1 video aspect with Dolby Digital 2.0 audio at 192 Kb/s. Instructions for building simple models from the movie using LEGO bricks (Michael Fuller segments) or LEGO Digital Designer software (Adam Ryan segment). Segments include Introduction with Senior Designer Michael Fuller (0.47), Build the Double-Decker Couch (3:43), Build Emmet's Car (2:49), Introduction with Modelling Artist Adam Ryan (0:39), Digital Double-Decker Couch (2:06) and Digital Emmet's Car (1:47)..

Audio Commentary:

    Interesting and fun commentary from Directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord, actors Chris Pratt, Will Arnett, Charlie Day and Alison Brie. Elizabeth Banks also phones in some input. Some interesting titbits are included including the fact that every piece is modelled on an actual LEGO piece and that they were nearly all computer generated.

    Blu-ray editions in Region A or locally include numerous additional extras. Region 1 DVD appears to be similar to this version although there are additional options such as 2 disc DVD packs which includes the additional special features. Local Region 4 DVD single disc options include a Everything is awesome sing-along and Bringing Lego to Life featurette but exclude the commentary and See it, Build it! featurette.

    The LEGO Movie is a treat both artistically and technically and sets a new standard for animated movie making. Every age group will appreciate this movie for its entertainment value, with older viewers also getting the nostalgic sentiments and pop references. An audio and visual treat which would only be bettered by a high definition version.

    The video quality is excellent.

    The audio quality is excellent.

    Extras are reasonable.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall