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STORY STUDY - MEDIUM: FILM - “The Lego Movie”

Jeffrey Tung
Jul 10, 2017
3 min read

When it comes to the world of Legos, the possibilities are literally endless. Not only are there variations of Lego creations depending on the builder, but there are always going to be Lego sets based on whatever popular franchise that exists.

With that said, where do you even begin with making a movie based these bricks? The best way is to start off with any kind of story: plot and character.

Directed and written by Phil Lord & Chris Miller, The Lego Movie revolves around Emmet Brickowski, a generic looking construction worker who loves his life and work in the city of Bricksburg.

After a day of work, he notices a woman named Wyldstyle searching for something. Emmet follows her, inadvertently getting a piece of what is supposedly a brick stuck to his back.

Soon after, he is arrested by the cops, and interrogated by Bad Cop (who also has a Good Cop mode if he switches heads) about the “Piece of Resistance” that’s attached to his back.

However, Wyldstyle saves Emmet, believing him to be “the Special” and takes him to another world, believing he will stop the evil that is Lord Business, who is also the President of Bricksburg.

The film actually starts off with Lord Business stealing a weapon called the Kragle from the wizard/Master Builder Vitruvius. Anyone who is a Master Builder can instinctively create anything they want using whatever items nearby. It’s this prologue does the film’s tone and sense of humor really show what the audience is in for.

From the moment Vitruvius warns Business of a “prophecy” and a “Special” who will stop him, Business, and possibly the jaded audience, rolls their eyes at this, but for different reasons. Business doesn’t believe him, and the audience groans at such a cliche trope. However, that’s what makes The Lego Movie itself special and unique: it turns the cliches on its head, giving us a hilarious and heartfelt story.

While there are other memorable characters, including giant pirate Metal Beard, Princess Unikitty, Benny the 80s spaceman, and even Batman (it’s a Warner Bros. movie after all) who helps out Emmet, the bulk of the story is about Emmet and Wyldstyle and their journey. Everyone else is there to help them out while providing comedic scene after comedic scene.

The film is CGI, but the detail of the Lego characters’ movement as stop-motion is ingenious. Lego figures have been used in short stop-motion films, which you can find on the internet, and the fact that The Lego Movie utilizes it showed that it was made by people who cared about Legos. The climax is especially evident of this fact.

I actually did not grow up with Legos, so I don’t have that memory of suffering through unbearable pain from stepping on a Lego brick. I DO remember constantly hitting my leg against the bed, so that’s relatable… right? I was always aware of this film’s existence, but I had very little to no interest in watching it. It’s not that I didn’t think the film was good, it’s just I knew nothing about it, and since I had no attachment to Legos, I didn’t think there was any reason for me to watch it.

My interest in it changed when I learned how everyone was raving about it. Animated films that aren’t Disney don’t get high critical praise, so I wanted to see what this film had to offer. I was not disappointed. Except for the song “Everything is Awesome.” I didn’t find it catchy at all.

I’m a perfect example of how the The Lego Movie can ultimately be accessible to anyone. The Legos as a setting to create engaging visuals and funny gags, but at its core, it’s about someone who was not special could become one told in a unique way. In another sense, it’s about how perfection and following the rules (or instructions) can be overrated, especially when it involves a creative outlet.