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* Christopher Miller
* Christopher Miller
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| based on = [[LEGO|LEGO Construction Toys]]
| based on = [[Lego|Lego Construction Toys]]
| starring = {{Plainlist|
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Chris Pratt]]
* [[Chris Pratt]]
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* [[Warner Animation Group]]<ref name="Variety2014">{{cite news|last1=McNary|first1=Dave|title=Warner Bros. Sets Two New Animation Releases for 2017 and 2018|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/news/warner-bros-sets-two-new-animation-releases-for-2017-and-2018-1201173506/|accessdate=May 20, 2018|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=May 6, 2014|quote=“Lego,” the first film to go out as a Warner Animation Group title, has overperformed with $457 million worldwide and set a sequel for release on May 26, 2017.}}</ref>
* [[Warner Animation Group]]<ref name="Variety2014">{{cite news|last1=McNary|first1=Dave|title=Warner Bros. Sets Two New Animation Releases for 2017 and 2018|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/news/warner-bros-sets-two-new-animation-releases-for-2017-and-2018-1201173506/|accessdate=May 20, 2018|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=May 6, 2014|quote=“Lego,” the first film to go out as a Warner Animation Group title, has overperformed with $457 million worldwide and set a sequel for release on May 26, 2017.}}</ref>
* [[Village Roadshow Pictures]]<ref name=afi/>
* [[Village Roadshow Pictures]]<ref name=afi/>
* [[The LEGO Group|LEGO System A/S]]<ref name=afi/>
* [[The Lego Group|Lego System A/S]]<ref name=afi/>
* [[Vertigo Entertainment]]<ref name=afi/>
* [[Vertigo Entertainment]]<ref name=afi/>
* Lin Pictures<ref name=afi>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/69982|title=The Lego Movie|work=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]]|accessdate=May 19, 2018}}</ref>
* Lin Pictures<ref name=afi>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/69982|title=The Lego Movie|work=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]]|accessdate=May 19, 2018}}</ref>
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| gross = $469.1 million<!--worldwide--><ref name="BoxOffice-20131006">{{cite web|title=The LEGO Movie (2014)|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lego.htm|date=February 7, 2014|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]|accessdate=September 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510064544/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lego.htm|archivedate=May 10, 2013 |deadurl=no}}</ref>
| gross = $469.1 million<!--worldwide--><ref name="BoxOffice-20131006">{{cite web|title=The LEGO Movie (2014)|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lego.htm|date=February 7, 2014|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]|accessdate=September 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510064544/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lego.htm|archivedate=May 10, 2013 |deadurl=no}}</ref>
}}
}}
'''''The LEGO Movie''''' is a 2014 [[3D film|3D]] [[computer-animated]] [[adventure film|adventure]] [[comedy film|comedy]]<ref name=rt/> film written and directed by [[Phil Lord and Christopher Miller]] from a story by Lord, Miller and Dan and Kevin Hageman. Based on the [[Lego]] line of [[construction toy]]s, the story focuses on an ordinary [[LEGO minifigure]] who finds himself helping a [[Resistance movement|resistance]] stop a tyrannical businessman from gluing everything in the Lego world into his vision of perfection. [[Chris Pratt]], [[Will Ferrell]], [[Elizabeth Banks]], [[Will Arnett]], [[Nick Offerman]], [[Alison Brie]], [[Charlie Day]], [[Liam Neeson]], and [[Morgan Freeman]] provide their voices for the film's main characters.
'''''The Lego Movie''''' (stylized as '''''The LEGO Movie''''') is a 2014 [[3D film|3D]] [[computer-animated]] [[adventure film|adventure]] [[comedy film|comedy]]<ref name=rt/> film written and directed by [[Phil Lord and Christopher Miller]] from a story by Lord, Miller and Dan and Kevin Hageman. Based on the [[Lego]] line of [[construction toy]]s, the story focuses on an ordinary [[Lego minifigure]] who finds himself helping a [[Resistance movement|resistance]] stop a tyrannical businessman from gluing everything in the Lego world into his vision of perfection. [[Chris Pratt]], [[Will Ferrell]], [[Elizabeth Banks]], [[Will Arnett]], [[Nick Offerman]], [[Alison Brie]], [[Charlie Day]], [[Liam Neeson]], and [[Morgan Freeman]] provide their voices for the film's main characters.


The first film produced by the [[Warner Animation Group]], ''The LEGO Movie'' was released on February 7, 2014 by [[Warner Bros.|Warner Bros. Pictures]]. It became a critical and commercial success, grossing $469 million worldwide against a $60 million budget and receiving praise for its visual style, humor, voice acting, story and heartwarming message. The film won the [[BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film]], the [[Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Animated Feature]] and the [[Saturn Award for Best Animated Film]]; it was also nominated for the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film]] and received an [[Academy Award]] nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Original Song|Best Original Song]] for "[[Everything Is Awesome]]".
The first film produced by the [[Warner Animation Group]], ''The Lego Movie'' was released on February 7, 2014 by [[Warner Bros.|Warner Bros. Pictures]]. It became a critical and commercial success, grossing $469 million worldwide against a $60 million budget and receiving praise for its visual style, humor, voice acting and heartwarming message. The film won the [[BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film]], the [[Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Animated Feature]] and the [[Saturn Award for Best Animated Film]]; it was also nominated for the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film]] and received an [[Academy Award]] nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Original Song|Best Original Song]] for "[[Everything Is Awesome]]".


The film has since expanded into a major [[The Lego Movie (franchise)|franchise]] which ties into the Lego brand, with a sequel, entitled ''[[The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part]]'', which was released on February 8, 2019. A [[Spin-off (media)|spin-off]] film, ''[[The Lego Batman Movie]]'', was released to theaters on February 10, 2017, with a second spin-off, ''[[The Lego Ninjago Movie]]'', released September 22, 2017. A third spin-off, ''[[The Billion Brick Race]]'', is in development. A [[4D film]] based on the film itself, entitled ''[[The Lego Movie: 4D - A New Adventure]]'', was released to [[Legoland]] parks across the world after its premiere at [[Legoland Florida]] on January 29, 2016.
The film has since expanded into a major [[The Lego Movie (franchise)|franchise]] which ties into the Lego brand, with a sequel, entitled ''[[The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part]]'', which was released on February 8, 2019. A [[Spin-off (media)|spin-off]] film, ''[[The Lego Batman Movie]]'', was released to theaters on February 10, 2017, with a second spin-off, ''[[The Lego Ninjago Movie]]'', released September 22, 2017. A third spin-off, ''[[The Billion Brick Race]]'', is in development. A [[4D film]] based on the film itself, entitled ''[[The Lego Movie: 4D - A New Adventure]]'', was released to [[Legoland]] parks across the world after its premiere at [[Legoland Florida]] on January 29, 2016.


The film is dedicated to Kathleen Fleming, the former director of entertainment development of the LEGO company, following her death in [[Cancún]], [[Mexico]] in April 2013.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2013/film/news/kathleen-fleming-lego-production-exec-dies-at-39-1200449770/|title=Kathleen Fleming, LEGO Production Exec, Dies at 39|work=Variety|date=May 3, 2013|deadurl=no |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130506114938/http://variety.com/2013/film/news/kathleen-fleming-lego-production-exec-dies-at-39-1200449770/|archivedate=May 6, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.excelsior.com.mx/nacional/2013/05/07/897932|title=Muere turista canadiense al caer de un balcón en Cancún|date=May 8, 2013|website=Excélsior}}</ref>
The film is dedicated to Kathleen Fleming, the former director of entertainment development of the Lego company, following her death in [[Cancún]], [[Mexico]] in April 2013.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2013/film/news/kathleen-fleming-lego-production-exec-dies-at-39-1200449770/|title=Kathleen Fleming, Lego Production Exec, Dies at 39|work=Variety|date=May 3, 2013|deadurl=no |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130506114938/http://variety.com/2013/film/news/kathleen-fleming-lego-production-exec-dies-at-39-1200449770/|archivedate=May 6, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.excelsior.com.mx/nacional/2013/05/07/897932|title=Muere turista canadiense al caer de un balcón en Cancún|date=May 8, 2013|website=Excélsior}}</ref>


==Plot==
==Plot==
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plots must be between 400 and 700 words only. -->
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plots must be between 400 and 700 words only. -->
In the [[LEGO]] universe, populated by [[Anthropomorphism|anthropomorphic]] [[Lego minifigure|minifigures]], the evil Lord Business finds a super-weapon called the "Kragle". The wizard Vitruvius attempts to stop him, but is blinded by Business' robots. Before Business leaves with the weapon, Vitruvius prophesies that someone called "The Special" will find the "Piece of Resistance", a brick capable of stopping the Kragle.
In the [[Lego]] universe, populated by [[Anthropomorphism|anthropomorphic]] [[Lego minifigure|minifigures]], the evil Lord Business finds a super-weapon called the "Kragle". The wizard Vitruvius attempts to stop him, but is blinded by Business's robots. Before Business leaves with the weapon, Vitruvius prophesies that someone called "The Special" will find the "Piece of Resistance", a brick capable of stopping the Kragle.


Eight-and-a-half years later, in the city of Bricksburg, ordinary construction worker [[Emmet Brickowski (character)|Emmet Brickowski]] notices a mysterious woman searching for something at his construction site. When he investigates, Emmet falls into a hole and finds the Piece of Resistance. Compelled to touch it, Emmet experiences vivid visions and passes out. He awakens with the Piece of Resistance attached to his back, in the custody of Good Cop/Bad Cop, Lord Business' lieutenant.
Eight-and-a-half years later, in the city of Bricksburg, ordinary construction worker [[Emmet Brickowski (character)|Emmet Brickowski]] notices a mysterious woman searching for something at his construction site. When he investigates, Emmet falls into a hole and finds the Piece of Resistance. Compelled to touch it, Emmet experiences vivid visions and passes out. He awakens with the Piece of Resistance attached to his back, in the custody of Good Cop/Bad Cop, Lord Business's lieutenant.


The woman, who introduces herself as Wyldstyle, rescues Emmet, believing him to be the Special, and takes him to meet Vitruvius in the [[Lego Wild West|Old West]]. Emmet learns Wyldstyle and Vitruvius are "Master Builders"<ref name="EWKnowAllTheStuff">{{cite news|last1=Busis|first1=Hillary|title=Want to know all the stuff 'The Lego Movie' is riffing on? Here are a reference guide|url=http://www.ew.com/article/2014/02/14/lego-movie-reference-guide|accessdate=November 15, 2016|work=Entertainment Weekly|date=February 14, 2014}}</ref> – people capable of building anything from their imagination without the need of instructions – who oppose Business. Wyldstyle explains that Business wants to use the Kragle (a tube of [[Cyanoacrylate|Krazy Glue]] with a weathered label) to freeze the world into perfection. Though disappointed to find Emmet is not a Master Builder, Wyldstyle and Vitruvius are convinced of his potential when he recalls visions of a seemingly human deity referred to as "The Man Upstairs".
The woman, who introduces herself as Wyldstyle, rescues Emmet, believing him to be the Special, and takes him to meet Vitruvius in the [[Lego Wild West|Old West]]. Emmet learns Wyldstyle and Vitruvius are "Master Builders"<ref name="EWKnowAllTheStuff">{{cite news|last1=Busis|first1=Hillary|title=Want to know all the stuff 'The Lego Movie' is riffing on? Here are a reference guide|url=http://www.ew.com/article/2014/02/14/lego-movie-reference-guide|accessdate=November 15, 2016|work=Entertainment Weekly|date=February 14, 2014}}</ref> – people capable of building anything from their imagination without the need of instructions – who oppose Business. Wyldstyle explains that Business wants to use the Kragle (a tube of [[Cyanoacrylate|Krazy Glue]] with a weathered label) to freeze the world into perfection. Though disappointed to find Emmet is not a Master Builder, Wyldstyle and Vitruvius are convinced of his potential when he recalls visions of a seemingly human deity referred to as "The Man Upstairs".


Emmet, Wyldstyle and Vitruvius evade Bad Cop's forces with the aid of [[Batman]], Wyldstyle's boyfriend. They go to the hidden realm of [[Cloud Cuckoo Land]] to attend a council of Master Builders, all of whom are unimpressed with Emmet and refuse to fight Business. Bad Cop's forces invade Cloud Cuckoo Land, having placed a tracking device on Emmet, and capture everyone except Emmet, Wyldstyle, Batman, Vitruvius, and a small group of other Master Builders, and Cloud Cuckoo Land is destroyed. Emmet devises a plan to infiltrate Business' office tower and disarm the Kragle with help from Princess Unikitty and the cyborg pirate Metalbeard. The plan goes well at first, but the group ends up captured and imprisoned in the Think Tank, where all the Master Builders are forced to make instructions. Vitruvius resists, but is decapitated by Business (much to the horror of everyone else), who sets a self-destruct protocol and leaves everyone to die, including Bad Cop.
Emmet, Wyldstyle and Vitruvius evade Bad Cop's forces with the aid of [[Batman]], Wyldstyle's boyfriend. They go to the hidden realm of [[Cloud Cuckoo Land]] to attend a council of Master Builders, all of whom are unimpressed with Emmet and refuse to fight Business. Bad Cop's forces invade Cloud Cuckoo Land, having placed a tracking device on Emmet, and capture everyone except Emmet, Wyldstyle, Batman, Vitruvius, and a small group of other Master Builders, and Cloud Cuckoo Land is destroyed. Emmet devises a plan to infiltrate Business's office tower and disarm the Kragle with help from Princess Unikitty and the pirate Metalbeard. The plan goes well at first, but the group ends up captured and imprisoned in the Think Tank, where all the Master Builders are forced to make instructions. Vitruvius resists but is decapitated by Business, who sets a self-destruct protocol and leaves everyone to die, including Bad Cop.


As he dies, Vitruvius reveals he made up the prophecy. He soon reappears to Emmet as a ghost and reveals self-belief is what makes one the Special. Strapped to the self-destruct mechanism's battery, Emmet jumps into the abyss outside the tower and severs the connection, saving his friends. Inspired by Emmet's sacrifice, Wyldstyle rallies the Lego people across the universe to build machines and weapons to fight against Lord Business's army of Micro Managers. Meanwhile, Bad Cop allies himself with the Master Builders.
As he dies, Vitruvius reveals he made up the prophecy. He soon reappears to Emmet as a ghost and reveals self-belief is what makes one the Special. Strapped to the self-destruct mechanism's battery, Emmet jumps into the abyss outside the tower and severs the connection, saving his friends. Inspired by Emmet's sacrifice, Wyldstyle rallies the Lego people across the universe to build machines and weapons to fight against Lord Business's army of Micro Managers. Meanwhile, Bad Cop allies himself with the Master Builders.


Emmet finds himself in the human world as a LEGO minifigure, unable to move. The events of the story are being played out by a boy named Finn on his father's expansive LEGO display in their basement. His father, "The Man Upstairs", comes home from work and is horrified to see his son "ruining" his ideal setup by combining different playsets and ignoring the instructions, and immediately proceeds to undo Finn's changes and permanently glue the pieces together. Realizing the danger his friends are in, Emmet wills himself to move and gains Finn's attention.
Emmet finds himself in the human world as a Lego mini-figure, unable to move. The events of the story are being played out by a boy named Finn on his father's expansive Lego set in their basement. His father, "The Man Upstairs", comes home from work and is horrified to see his son "ruining" his ideal setup by combining different playsets and ignoring the instructions, and immediately proceeds to undo Finn's changes and permanently glue the pieces together. Realizing the danger his friends are in, Emmet wills himself to move and gains Finn's attention.


Finn returns Emmet and the Piece of Resistance to the display, where Emmet now possesses the powers of a Master Builder and confronts Business in Bricksburg. Meanwhile, Finn's father looks at his son's creations and realizes Finn had based the villainous Lord Business on him and his [[perfectionism (psychology)|perfectionism]]. Through a speech Emmet gives Business, Finn's father comes to his senses and apologizes to his son, and the two unglue the constructions with [[White spirit|mineral spirits]], which plays out as Business having a change of heart and freeing his victims. Emmet is hailed as a hero and begins a romantic relationship with Wyldstyle with Batman's blessing.
Finn returns Emmet and the Piece of Resistance to the set, where Emmet now possesses the powers of a Master Builder and confronts Business in Bricksburg. Meanwhile, Finn's father looks at his son's creations and realizes Finn had based the villainous Lord Business on him and his [[perfectionism (psychology)|perfectionism]]. Through a speech Emmet gives Business, Finn's father comes to his senses and apologizes to his son, and the two unglue the constructions with [[White spirit|mineral spirits]], which plays out as Business having a change of heart and freeing his victims. Emmet is hailed as a hero and begins a romantic relationship with Wyldstyle with Batman's blessing.


Finn's father then allows Finn's younger sister Bianca to join them in playing with his LEGO sets as well, resulting in aliens from the planet [[LEGO Duplo|Duplon]] beaming down to the LEGO world and announcing their plans to destroy everyone (a hint at [[The LEGO Movie 2|the sequel]]).
Finn's father then allows Finn's younger sister Bianca to join them in playing with his Lego sets as well, resulting in aliens from the planet [[Lego Duplo|Duplon]] beaming down to the Lego world and announcing their plans to destroy everyone.


==Cast==
==Cast==
{{See also|List of The Lego Movie characters}}
{{See also|List of The Lego Movie characters}}
*[[Chris Pratt]] as Emmet Brickowski, an [[everyman]] and construction worker from Bricksburg who is mistaken for the Special.
* [[Chris Pratt]] as Emmet Brickowski, an [[everyman]] and construction worker from Bricksburg who is mistaken for the Special.
*[[Will Ferrell]] as Lord Business, an evil businessman and tyrant of Bricksburg and the Lego Universe who is the company president of the [[Octan|Octan Corporation]] under the name President Business.<ref name=USATodayMeet>{{cite news|last=Alexander|first=Bryan|title='The Lego Movie' hopes to cement a built-in fan base|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2013/10/23/lego-movie-peek-will-ferrell/2918385/|accessdate=October 24, 2013|newspaper=USA Today|date=October 23, 2013}}</ref><ref name="hollywoodreporter1">{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/lego-will-ferrell-liam-neeson-388097|title=Lego: Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson Join Animated Film|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=November 9, 2012|accessdate=April 7, 2013|archive-date=May 13, 2013|archive-url=//web.archive.org/web/20130513141850/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/lego-will-ferrell-liam-neeson-388097|dead-url=no}}</ref>
* [[Will Ferrell]] as Lord Business, an evil businessman and tyrant of Bricksburg and the Lego Universe who is the company president of the [[Octan|Octan Corporation]] under the name President Business.<ref name=USATodayMeet>{{cite news|last=Alexander|first=Bryan|title='The Lego Movie' hopes to cement a built-in fan base|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2013/10/23/lego-movie-peek-will-ferrell/2918385/|accessdate=October 24, 2013|newspaper=USA Today|date=October 23, 2013}}</ref><ref name="hollywoodreporter1">{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/lego-will-ferrell-liam-neeson-388097|title=Lego: Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson Join Animated Film|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=November 9, 2012|accessdate=April 7, 2013|archive-date=May 13, 2013|archive-url=//web.archive.org/web/20130513141850/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/lego-will-ferrell-liam-neeson-388097|dead-url=no}}</ref>
**Ferrell also plays "The Man Upstairs", a LEGO collector and Finn's father in the live-action part of the film.
** Ferrell also plays "The Man Upstairs", a Lego collector and Finn's father in the live-action part of the film.
*[[Elizabeth Banks]] as Lucy / Wyldstyle, a "tough as nails" and tech-savvy fighter who is one of the Master Builders.
* [[Elizabeth Banks]] as Lucy / Wyldstyle, a "tough as nails" and tech-savvy fighter who is one of the Master Builders.
*[[Will Arnett]] as [[Batman|Bruce Wayne / Batman]], a [[DC Comics]] superhero who is a Master Builder.
* [[Will Arnett]] as [[Batman|Bruce Wayne / Batman]], a [[DC Comics]] superhero who is a Master Builder.
*[[Nick Offerman]] as Metal Beard,<!--Two words in the end-credits--> a pirate and Master Builder seeking revenge on Lord Business for taking his body parts following an earlier encounter and causing him to remake his body from bricks.<ref name="hollywoodreporter1"/>
* [[Nick Offerman]] as Metal Beard,<!--Two words in the end-credits--> a pirate and Master Builder seeking revenge on Lord Business for taking his body parts following an earlier encounter and causing him to remake his body from bricks.<ref name="hollywoodreporter1"/>
*[[Alison Brie]] as Princess Unikitty, a unicorn-kitten hybrid creature and Master Builder that lives in [[Cloud cuckoo land|Cloud Cuckoo Land]].<ref name="hollywoodreporter1"/><ref name=YahooWonderKitty>{{cite news|last=Enk|first=Bryan|title=Wonder Woman Finally Gets Her Movie Close-Up ... but How Does the Lego Unikitty Fit In?|url=https://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/superheroes-assemble-hilariously-lego-movie-trailer-214117774.html|accessdate=November 2, 2013|publisher=Yahoo! Movies|date=October 31, 2013|deadurl=no|archivedate=November 3, 2013|archiveurl=//web.archive.org/web/20131103051518/http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/superheroes-assemble-hilariously-lego-movie-trailer-214117774.html}}</ref>
* [[Alison Brie]] as Princess Unikitty, a unicorn-horned kitten and Master Builder that lives in [[Cloud cuckoo land|Cloud Cuckoo Land]].<ref name="hollywoodreporter1"/><ref name=YahooWonderKitty>{{cite news|last=Enk|first=Bryan|title=Wonder Woman Finally Gets Her Movie Close-Up ... but How Does the Lego Unikitty Fit In?|url=https://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/superheroes-assemble-hilariously-lego-movie-trailer-214117774.html|accessdate=November 2, 2013|publisher=Yahoo! Movies|date=October 31, 2013|deadurl=no|archivedate=November 3, 2013|archiveurl=//web.archive.org/web/20131103051518/http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/superheroes-assemble-hilariously-lego-movie-trailer-214117774.html}}</ref>
*[[Charlie Day]] as Benny, a "[[Lego Space#"Classic" Space (1978-1987)|1980-something space guy]]" who is one of the Master Builders and is obsessed with building spaceships.<ref name=USATodayMeet />
* [[Charlie Day]] as Benny, a "[[Lego Space#"Classic" Space (1978-1987)|1980-something space guy]]" who is one of the Master Builders and is obsessed with building spaceships.<ref name=USATodayMeet />
*[[Liam Neeson]] as Bad Cop / Good Cop, a police officer with a two-sided head and a [[Dissociative identity disorder|split personality]] who serves Lord Business as a member of the Super Secret Police. The character's name and personality are both based on the [[good cop/bad cop]] interrogation method which is briefly shown in the film.
* [[Liam Neeson]] as Bad Cop / Good Cop, a police officer with a two-sided head and a [[Dissociative identity disorder|split personality]] who serves Lord Business as a member of the Super Secret Police. The character's name and personality are both based on the [[good cop/bad cop]] interrogation method which is briefly shown in the film.
**Neeson also voices Pa Cop, a police officer who is Bad Cop/Good Cop's father and Ma Cop's husband.
** Neeson also voices Pa Cop, a police officer who is Bad Cop/Good Cop's father and Ma Cop's husband.
*[[Morgan Freeman]] as Vitruvius, a blind old wizard who is one of the Master Builders.
* [[Morgan Freeman]] as Vitruvius, a blind old wizard who is one of the Master Builders.
*[[Channing Tatum]] as [[Superman]], a [[DC Comics]] superhero who is one of the Master Builders
* [[Channing Tatum]] as [[Superman]], a DC Comics superhero who is one of the Master Builders
*[[Jonah Hill]] as [[Hal Jordan|Green Lantern]], a DC Comics superhero who is one of the Master Builders
* [[Jonah Hill]] as [[Hal Jordan|Green Lantern]], a DC Comics superhero who is one of the Master Builders
*[[Cobie Smulders]] as [[Wonder Woman]], a DC Comics superhero who is one of the Master Builders.
* [[Cobie Smulders]] as [[Wonder Woman]], a DC Comics superhero who is one of the Master Builders.
*Jadon Sand as Finn, an eight-and-a-half-year-old boy who is the son of "The Man Upstairs" in the live-action part of the film.
* Jadon Sand as Finn, an eight-and-a-half-year-old boy who is the son of "The Man Upstairs" in the live-action part of the film.


In addition, [[Anthony Daniels]] and [[Billy Dee Williams]] reprise their ''[[Star Wars]]'' roles as [[C-3PO]] and [[Lando Calrissian]] respectively, with [[Keith Ferguson (voice actor)|Keith Ferguson]] voicing [[Han Solo]] (whom he previously voiced in ''[[Robot Chicken]]'' and ''[[Mad (TV series)|Mad]]''). [[Shaquille O'Neal]] portrays a LEGO version of himself who is a Master Builder alongside two generic members of the [[2002 NBA All-Star Game|2002 NBA All-Stars]].
In addition, [[Anthony Daniels]] and [[Billy Dee Williams]] reprise their ''[[Star Wars]]'' roles as [[C-3PO]] and [[Lando Calrissian]] respectively, with [[Keith Ferguson (voice actor)|Keith Ferguson]] voicing [[Han Solo]] (whom he previously voiced in ''[[Robot Chicken]]'' and ''[[Mad (TV series)|Mad]]''). [[Shaquille O'Neal]] portrays a Lego version of himself who is a Master Builder alongside two generic members of the [[2002 NBA All-Star Game|2002 NBA All-Stars]].


The rest of the cast is rounded out by [[Craig Berry]] as Blake (an actor who is the star of "Where are my Pants?"); [[David Burrows (editor)|David Burrows]] as the Octan Corporation Robots/Super Secret Police Robots; [[Amanda Farinos]] as Finn's mother (an offscreen character); [[Will Forte]] as [[Abraham Lincoln]] (a Master Builder based on the US President who rides in a rocket chair); [[Dave Franco]] as Wally (a construction worker); [[Todd Hansen (editor)|Todd Hansen]] as [[Gandalf]] (a Master Builder whom Vitruvius mistakes for [[Albus Dumbledore]]); [[Jake Johnson]] as Barry (a construction worker); [[Keegan-Michael Key]] as Frank the Foreman (a [[construction foreman]] who is Emmet's boss); [[Kelly Lafferty]] as Velma Staplebot (a robot who is Lord Business' [[personal assistant]]); [[Chris McKay (producer)|Chris McKay]] as Larry the [[Barista]] (a man who works at a coffee shop in Bricksburg); [[Graham Miller (actor)|Graham Miller]] as the Duplo Alien Leader; [[Doug Nicholas]] as [[Surfing|Surfer]] Dave (one of Emmet's neighbors) and the Micro Managers (a group of robots used by Lord Business to keep everyone in the right position when they are "Kraglized"); [[Chris Paluszek]] as a Robot Foreman (the head of the Robot Demolitionists and the Octan Robot Construction Workers); [[Chris Romano]] as Joe (a [[plumber]] in Bricksburg), [[Melissa Sturm]] as Ma Cop (a police officer who is Bad Cop/Good Cop's mother) and Gail (a construction worker); [[Jorma Taccone]] as [[William Shakespeare]] (a Master Builder based on the British playwright) and [[Sheriff]] Not-A-Robot (a robot sheriff in The Old West and member of the Super Secret Police); and [[Leiki Veskimets]] as the voice of Octan Tower's Central Computer.
The rest of the cast is rounded out by [[Craig Berry]] as Blake (an actor who is the star of "Where are my Pants?"); [[David Burrows (editor)|David Burrows]] as the Octan Corporation Robots/Super Secret Police Robots; [[Amanda Farinos]] as Finn's mother (an offscreen character); [[Will Forte]] as [[Abraham Lincoln]] (a Master Builder that rides in a rocket chair); [[Dave Franco]] as Wally (a construction worker); [[Todd Hansen (editor)|Todd Hansen]] as [[Gandalf]] (a Master Builder whom Vitruvius mistakes for [[Albus Dumbledore]]); [[Jake Johnson]] as Barry (a construction worker); [[Keegan-Michael Key]] as Frank the Foreman (a [[construction foreman]] who is Emmet's boss); [[Kelly Lafferty]] as Velma Staplebot (a robot who is Lord Business' [[personal assistant]]); [[Chris McKay (producer)|Chris McKay]] as Larry the [[Barista]] (a man who works at a coffee shop in Bricksburg); [[Graham Miller (actor)|Graham Miller]] as the Duplo Alien Leader; [[Doug Nicholas]] as [[Surfing|Surfer]] Dave (one of Emmet's neighbors) and the Micro Managers (a group of robots used by Lord Business to keep everyone in the right position when they are "Kraglized"); [[Chris Paluszek]] as a Robot Foreman (the head of the Robot Demolitionists and the Octan Robot Construction Workers); [[Chris Romano]] as Joe (a [[plumber]] in Bricksburg), [[Melissa Sturm]] as Ma Cop (a police officer who is Bad Cop/Good Cop's mother) and Gail (a construction worker); [[Jorma Taccone]] as [[William Shakespeare]] (a Master Builder) and [[Sheriff]] Not-A-Robot (a robot sheriff in The Old West and member of the Super Secret Police); and [[Leiki Veskimets]] as the voice of Octan Tower's Central Computer.


Director [[Phil Lord and Christopher Miller|Christopher Miller]] voices as a TV announcer for the Octan comedy show ''Where Are My Pants?''.
Director [[Phil Lord and Christopher Miller|Christopher Miller]] voices as a TV announcer for the Octan comedy show ''Where Are My Pants?''.
Line 127: Line 127:


===Development===
===Development===
[[Dan Lin]] conceived of the idea for the film and began discussing it with [[Roy Lee]] before leaving Warner Bros. to form his own production company, Lin Pictures, in 2008.<ref name="Shaw">{{cite news|last1=Shaw|first1=Lucas|title=‘The Lego Movie’ Snaps a Bright, Colorful Franchise Into Place for Warner Bros. Animation|url=http://www.thewrap.com/lego-movie-gives-warner-bros-animation-needs-new-franchise/|accessdate=September 28, 2014|work=The Wrap|publisher=The Wrap News Inc.|date=February 9, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006175609/http://www.thewrap.com/lego-movie-gives-warner-bros-animation-needs-new-franchise/|archivedate=October 6, 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> Meanwhile, Warner Bros. home entertainment executive [[Kevin Tsujihara]] had recognized the value of the LEGO franchise by engineering the studio's purchase of LEGO video game licensee [[Traveller's Tales]] in 2007, thought the success of the LEGO-based video games indicated a LEGO-based film was a good idea, and reportedly "championed" the development of the film.<ref name="Shaw"/><ref name=Barnes>{{cite news|last1=Barnes|first1=Brooke|title=Warner’s C.E.O. Is Bullish on the Big Screen|accessdate=September 28, 2014 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/30/business/media/warners-ceo-is-bullish-on-the-big-screen.html|work=New York Times|publisher=The New York Times Company|date=March 29, 2014|page=BU1|archivedate=October 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006191401/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/30/business/media/warners-ceo-is-bullish-on-the-big-screen.html|deadurl=no}}</ref> By August 2009, Dan and Kevin Hageman were writing the script described as "action adventure set in a LEGO world."<ref>{{cite news|last=Graser|first=Marc|title=Warner builds pic with Lego|url= https://variety.com/2009/film/news/warner-builds-pic-with-lego-1118007162/|accessdate=November 12, 2011|newspaper=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=August 11, 2009|archivedate=October 2, 2013|deadurl=no|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002135926/http://variety.com/2009/film/news/warner-builds-pic-with-lego-1118007162/}}</ref> ''[[Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (film)|Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs]]'' directors [[Phil Lord and Christopher Miller]] were in talks in June 2010 to write and direct the film.<ref>{{cite news|last=McNary|first=Dave|title ='Cloudy' directors toy with 'Lego'|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118021180|accessdate=November 12, 2011|newspaper=Variety|date=June 28, 2010|archivedate=January 19, 2012|deadurl=no |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119105130/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118021180}}</ref> Warner Bros. green-lit the film by November 2011, with a planned 2014 release date. The Australian studio [[Animal Logic]] was contracted to provide the animation, which was expected to comprise 80% of the film. By this time [[Chris McKay]], the director of ''[[Robot Chicken]]'', had also joined Lord and Miller to co-direct.<ref name=Variety1>{{cite news|last=McNary|first=Dave|title=Warners greenlights 'Lego' feature|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118046055|accessdate=November 12, 2011|newspaper=Variety |date=November 11, 2011|archivedate=November 13, 2011|deadurl=no|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111113055417/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118046055}}</ref> McKay explained that his role was to supervise the production in Australia once Lord and Miller left to work on ''[[22 Jump Street]]''.<ref name=awn/> In March 2012, Lord and Miller revealed the film's working title, ''LEGO: The Piece of Resistance'', and a storyline.<ref>{{cite news|last=Han|first=Angie|title=Phil Lord and Chris Miller Offer New Title, Plot Details for Warner Bros.' Lego Movie|url=http://www.slashfilm.com/phil-lord-chris-miller-offer-title-plot-details-warner-bros-lego-movie/|accessdate=March 5, 2012|publisher=[[/Film]]|date=March 5, 2012|archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20120306055044/http://www.slashfilm.com/phil%2Dlord%2Dchris%2Dmiller%2Doffer%2Dtitle%2Dplot%2Ddetails%2Dwarner%2Dbros%2Dlego%2Dmovie/|archivedate=March 6, 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> In April 2012, Warner Bros. scheduled the film for release on February 28, 2014, a date that subsequently changed.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118053005|accessdate=April 24, 2012|newspaper=Variety|date=April 23, 2012 |last=McNary|first=Dave|title=Warner Bros. dates 'Lego,' '42'|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531052411/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118053005|archivedate=May 31, 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>
[[Dan Lin]] conceived of the idea for the film and began discussing it with [[Roy Lee]] before leaving Warner Bros. to form his own production company, Lin Pictures, in 2008.<ref name="Shaw">{{cite news|last1=Shaw|first1=Lucas|title=‘The Lego Movie’ Snaps a Bright, Colorful Franchise Into Place for Warner Bros. Animation|url=http://www.thewrap.com/lego-movie-gives-warner-bros-animation-needs-new-franchise/|accessdate=September 28, 2014|work=The Wrap|publisher=The Wrap News Inc.|date=February 9, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006175609/http://www.thewrap.com/lego-movie-gives-warner-bros-animation-needs-new-franchise/|archivedate=October 6, 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> Meanwhile, Warner Bros. home entertainment executive [[Kevin Tsujihara]] had recognized the value of the Lego franchise by engineering the studio's purchase of Lego video game licensee [[Traveller's Tales]] in 2007, thought the success of the Lego-based video games indicated a Lego-based film was a good idea, and reportedly "championed" the development of the film.<ref name="Shaw"/><ref name=Barnes>{{cite news|last1=Barnes|first1=Brooke|title=Warner’s C.E.O. Is Bullish on the Big Screen|accessdate=September 28, 2014 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/30/business/media/warners-ceo-is-bullish-on-the-big-screen.html|work=New York Times|publisher=The New York Times Company|date=March 29, 2014|page=BU1|archivedate=October 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006191401/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/30/business/media/warners-ceo-is-bullish-on-the-big-screen.html|deadurl=no}}</ref> By August 2009, Dan and Kevin Hageman were writing the script described as "action adventure set in a Lego world."<ref>{{cite news|last=Graser|first=Marc|title=Warner builds pic with Lego|url= https://variety.com/2009/film/news/warner-builds-pic-with-lego-1118007162/|accessdate=November 12, 2011|newspaper=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=August 11, 2009|archivedate=October 2, 2013|deadurl=no|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002135926/http://variety.com/2009/film/news/warner-builds-pic-with-lego-1118007162/}}</ref> ''[[Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (film)|Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs]]'' directors [[Phil Lord and Christopher Miller]] were in talks in June 2010 to write and direct the film.<ref>{{cite news|last=McNary|first=Dave|title ='Cloudy' directors toy with 'Lego'|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118021180|accessdate=November 12, 2011|newspaper=Variety|date=June 28, 2010|archivedate=January 19, 2012|deadurl=no |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119105130/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118021180}}</ref> Warner Bros. green-lit the film by November 2011, with a planned 2014 release date. The Australian studio [[Animal Logic]] was contracted to provide the animation, which was expected to comprise 80% of the film. By this time [[Chris McKay]], the director of ''[[Robot Chicken]]'', had also joined Lord and Miller to co-direct.<ref name=Variety1>{{cite news|last=McNary|first=Dave|title=Warners greenlights 'Lego' feature|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118046055|accessdate=November 12, 2011|newspaper=Variety |date=November 11, 2011|archivedate=November 13, 2011|deadurl=no|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111113055417/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118046055}}</ref> McKay explained that his role was to supervise the production in Australia once Lord and Miller left to work on ''[[22 Jump Street]]''.<ref name=awn/> In March 2012, Lord and Miller revealed the film's working title, ''Lego: The Piece of Resistance'', and a storyline.<ref>{{cite news|last=Han|first=Angie|title=Phil Lord and Chris Miller Offer New Title, Plot Details for Warner Bros.' Lego Movie|url=http://www.slashfilm.com/phil-lord-chris-miller-offer-title-plot-details-warner-bros-lego-movie/|accessdate=March 5, 2012|publisher=[[/Film]]|date=March 5, 2012|archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20120306055044/http://www.slashfilm.com/phil%2Dlord%2Dchris%2Dmiller%2Doffer%2Dtitle%2Dplot%2Ddetails%2Dwarner%2Dbros%2Dlego%2Dmovie/|archivedate=March 6, 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> In April 2012, Warner Bros. scheduled the film for release on February 28, 2014, a date that subsequently changed.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118053005|accessdate=April 24, 2012|newspaper=Variety|date=April 23, 2012 |last=McNary|first=Dave|title=Warner Bros. dates 'Lego,' '42'|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531052411/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118053005|archivedate=May 31, 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>


{{Quote box
{{Quote box
Line 138: Line 138:


===Casting===
===Casting===
By June 2012, [[Chris Pratt]] had been cast as the voice of Emmet, the lead LEGO character, and [[Will Arnett]] voicing LEGO Batman; the role of LEGO Superman was offered to [[Channing Tatum]].<ref name=VarietySupeVoices/> By August 2012, [[Elizabeth Banks]] was hired to voice Lucy (later getting the alias "Wyldstyle")<ref name=USATodayMeet/> and [[Morgan Freeman]] to voice Vitruvius, an old mystic.<ref name=VarietySupeVoices>{{cite news|last=Sneider|first=Jeff|title=Super voices in play for WB's Lego movie|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118055994|accessdate=June 26, 2012|newspaper=Variety|date=June 26, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120629032823/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118055994|archivedate=June 29, 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name=ComingSoonCast>{{cite press release|title=Casting and Plot Details Confirmed for 'Lego'|url=http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=94156|accessdate=August 29, 2012|publisher=Warner Bros. via ComingSoon.net |date=August 28, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103191012/http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=94156|archivedate=November 3, 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> In October 2012, Warner Bros. shifted the release date for the film, simply titled ''LEGO'', to February 7, 2014.<ref name=warnerbrosshifts>{{cite news|title=Warner Bros. Shifts 'Lego' Release Date|date=October 22, 2012|url= http://www.deadline.com/2012/10/lego-release-date-change-february-7-2014-warner-bros/|accessdate=October 22, 2012|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023150207/http://www.deadline.com/2012/10/lego-release-date-change-february-7-2014-warner-bros/|archivedate=October 23, 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> In November 2012, [[Alison Brie]], [[Will Ferrell]], [[Liam Neeson]], and [[Nick Offerman]] signed on for roles. Brie voices Unikitty, a member of Emmet's team; Ferrell voices the antagonist President/Lord Business; Neeson voices Bad Cop/Good Cop; and Offerman voices MetalBeard,<ref>{{cite news|last=Chitwood|first=Adam|title=Nick Offerman Talks 'The Lego Movie'; Says He Plays a Pirate Named Metalbeard and Compares Film to 'The Wizard of Oz' or 'Willy Wonka'|publisher=Collider.com|url=http://collider.com/nick-offerman-lego-movie-interview/|accessdate=January 30, 2013|date=January 28, 2013|archivedate=January 30, 2013|deadurl=no |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130130235752/http://collider.com/nick-offerman-lego-movie-interview/}}</ref> a pirate seeking revenge on Business.<ref name=warnerbrosshifts/>
By June 2012, [[Chris Pratt]] had been cast as the voice of Emmet, the lead Lego character, and [[Will Arnett]] voicing Lego Batman; the role of Lego Superman was offered to [[Channing Tatum]].<ref name=VarietySupeVoices/> By August 2012, [[Elizabeth Banks]] was hired to voice Lucy (later getting the alias "Wyldstyle")<ref name=USATodayMeet/> and [[Morgan Freeman]] to voice Vitruvius, an old mystic.<ref name=VarietySupeVoices>{{cite news|last=Sneider|first=Jeff|title=Super voices in play for WB's Lego movie|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118055994|accessdate=June 26, 2012|newspaper=Variety|date=June 26, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120629032823/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118055994|archivedate=June 29, 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name=ComingSoonCast>{{cite press release|title=Casting and Plot Details Confirmed for 'Lego'|url=http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=94156|accessdate=August 29, 2012|publisher=Warner Bros. via ComingSoon.net |date=August 28, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103191012/http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=94156|archivedate=November 3, 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> In October 2012, Warner Bros. shifted the release date for the film, simply titled ''Lego'', to February 7, 2014.<ref name=warnerbrosshifts>{{cite news|title=Warner Bros. Shifts 'Lego' Release Date|date=October 22, 2012|url= http://www.deadline.com/2012/10/lego-release-date-change-february-7-2014-warner-bros/|accessdate=October 22, 2012|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023150207/http://www.deadline.com/2012/10/lego-release-date-change-february-7-2014-warner-bros/|archivedate=October 23, 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> In November 2012, [[Alison Brie]], [[Will Ferrell]], [[Liam Neeson]], and [[Nick Offerman]] signed on for roles. Brie voices Unikitty, a member of Emmet's team; Ferrell voices the antagonist President/Lord Business; Neeson voices Bad Cop/Good Cop and Offerman voices MetalBeard,<ref>{{cite news|last=Chitwood|first=Adam|title=Nick Offerman Talks 'The Lego Movie'; Says He Plays a Pirate Named Metalbeard and Compares Film to 'The Wizard of Oz' or 'Willy Wonka'|publisher=Collider.com|url=http://collider.com/nick-offerman-lego-movie-interview/|accessdate=January 30, 2013|date=January 28, 2013|archivedate=January 30, 2013|deadurl=no |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130130235752/http://collider.com/nick-offerman-lego-movie-interview/}}</ref> a pirate seeking revenge on Business.<ref name=warnerbrosshifts/>


===Animation===
===Animation===
The film is strongly inspired by the visual aesthetic and stylistics of [[Brickfilm]]s and received a great deal of praise in the respective online communities who saw the film as appraising nod to their work.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Einwächter|first=Sophie Gwendolyn|last2=Simon|first2=Felix M.|date=2017-09-15|title=How digital remix and fan culture helped the Lego comeback|url=http://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/view/1047|journal=Transformative Works and Cultures|language=en|volume=25|issue=0|issn=1941-2258}}</ref> Many Brickfilm-Fans and AFOL's (Adult Fans of LEGO) praised the painstaking amount of detail in the production. Animal Logic tried to make the film's animation replicate a [[stop motion]] film even if everything was done through computer graphics, with the [[Skeletal animation|animation rigs]] following the same articulation limits actual LEGO figures have. The camera systems also tried to replicate live action cinematography, including different lenses and a [[Steadicam]] simulator. The scenery was projected through The LEGO Group's own [[LEGO Digital Designer]], which, as CG supervisor Aidan Sarsfield detailed, "uses the official LEGO Brick Library and effectively simulates the connectivity of each of the bricks." The saved files were then converted to design and animate in [[Autodesk Maya|Maya]] and [[Autodesk Softimage|XSI]]. At times, the minifigures were even placed under microscopes to capture the seam lines, dirt and grime into the digital textures.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fxguide.com/featured/brick-by-brick-how-animal-logic-crafted-the-lego-movie/|title=Brick-by-brick: how Animal Logic crafted The LEGO Movie|publisher=fxguide|date=February 7, 2014|accessdate=March 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209091156/https://www.fxguide.com/featured/brick-by-brick-how-animal-logic-crafted-the-lego-movie/|archivedate=February 9, 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> Benny the spaceman was based on the line of LEGO space sets sold in the 1980s, and his design includes the broken helmet chin strap, a common defect of the space sets at that time.<ref>{{cite news|department=[[Yahoo! Movies]]|url=https://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/yahoo-movies/lego-sets-to-look-out-for-in-lego-movie-200310801.html|title=19 'Lego Movie' Easter Eggs to Look Out For|date=February 11, 2014|accessdate=July 29, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728152808/https://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/yahoo-movies/lego-sets-to-look-out-for-in-lego-movie-200310801.html|archivedate=July 28, 2014 |deadurl=no}}</ref> Miller's childhood Space Village playset is used in the film.<ref name="io9ComicCon">{{cite news|last=Anders|first=Charlie Jane|title= Is 'The Lego Movie' really the best film ever? Signs point to yes!|url= http://io9.com/is-the-lego-movie-really-the-best-film-ever-signs-poin-852631767|accessdate=July 21, 2013|publisher=io9|date=July 20, 2013|archivedate=July 24, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724021800/http://io9.com/is-the-lego-movie-really-the-best-film-ever-signs-poin-852631767|deadurl=no}}</ref> In July 2012, a LEGO-user contest announced on the film's Facebook page would choose a winning LEGO vehicle to appear in the film.<ref>{{cite news|title=Welcome to the official Facebook page for 'Lego: The Motion Picture...|url= https://www.facebook.com/TheLegoMovie/posts/331154633637332|accessdate=August 29, 2012|publisher='Lego: The Motion Picture' [[Facebook]] page|date=July 12, 2012|quote=We're kicking things off with a contest for all you creative Lego builders out there. Design your very own Lego vehicle for the chance to have it appear in the upcoming movie! Watch the video below from directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, and learn more about the contest here}}</ref>
The film is strongly inspired by the visual aesthetic and stylistics of [[Brickfilm]]s and received a great deal of praise in the respective online communities who saw the film as appraising nod to their work.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Einwächter|first=Sophie Gwendolyn|last2=Simon|first2=Felix M.|date=2017-09-15|title=How digital remix and fan culture helped the Lego comeback|url=http://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/view/1047|journal=Transformative Works and Cultures|language=en|volume=25|issue=0|issn=1941-2258}}</ref> Many Brickfilm-Fans and AFOL's (Adult Fans of Lego) praised the painstaking amount of detail in the production. Animal Logic tried to make the film's animation replicate a [[stop motion]] film even if everything was done through computer graphics, with the [[Skeletal animation|animation rigs]] following the same articulation limits actual Lego figures have. The camera systems also tried to replicate live action cinematography, including different lenses and a [[Steadicam]] simulator. The scenery was projected through The Lego Group's own [[Lego Digital Designer]], which as CG supervisor Aidan Sarsfield detailed, "uses the official LEGO Brick Library and effectively simulates the connectivity of each of the bricks." The saved files were then converted to design and animate in [[Autodesk Maya|Maya]] and [[Autodesk Softimage|XSI]]. At times the minifigures were even placed under microscopes to capture the seam lines, dirt and grime into the digital textures.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fxguide.com/featured/brick-by-brick-how-animal-logic-crafted-the-lego-movie/|title=Brick-by-brick: how Animal Logic crafted The LEGO Movie|publisher=fxguide|date=February 7, 2014|accessdate=March 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209091156/https://www.fxguide.com/featured/brick-by-brick-how-animal-logic-crafted-the-lego-movie/|archivedate=February 9, 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> Benny the spaceman was based on the line of Lego space sets sold in the 1980s, and his design includes the broken helmet chin strap, a common defect of the space sets at that time.<ref>{{cite news|department=[[Yahoo! Movies]]|url=https://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/yahoo-movies/lego-sets-to-look-out-for-in-lego-movie-200310801.html|title=19 'Lego Movie' Easter Eggs to Look Out For|date=February 11, 2014|accessdate=July 29, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728152808/https://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/yahoo-movies/lego-sets-to-look-out-for-in-lego-movie-200310801.html|archivedate=July 28, 2014 |deadurl=no}}</ref> Miller's childhood Space Village playset is used in the film.<ref name="io9ComicCon">{{cite news|last=Anders|first=Charlie Jane|title= Is 'The Lego Movie' really the best film ever? Signs point to yes!|url= http://io9.com/is-the-lego-movie-really-the-best-film-ever-signs-poin-852631767|accessdate=July 21, 2013|publisher=io9|date=July 20, 2013|archivedate=July 24, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724021800/http://io9.com/is-the-lego-movie-really-the-best-film-ever-signs-poin-852631767|deadurl=no}}</ref> In July 2012, a Lego-user contest announced on the film's Facebook page would choose a winning Lego vehicle to appear in the film.<ref>{{cite news|title=Welcome to the official Facebook page for 'Lego: The Motion Picture...|url= https://www.facebook.com/TheLegoMovie/posts/331154633637332|accessdate=August 29, 2012|publisher='Lego: The Motion Picture' [[Facebook]] page|date=July 12, 2012|quote=We're kicking things off with a contest for all you creative Lego builders out there. Design your very own Lego vehicle for the chance to have it appear in the upcoming movie! Watch the video below from directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, and learn more about the contest here}}</ref>


===Post-Production===
===Post-Production===
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===Critical response===
===Critical response===
''The LEGO Movie'' was met with "nearly unanimous positive reviews."<ref>{{cite news|last= Gettell|first=Oliver|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-lego-movie-reviews-critics-20140206,0,1227461.story|title='Lego Movie' a colorful, outside-the-box adventure, reviews say|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=February 7, 2014|accessdate=February 7, 2014|archivedate=February 8, 2014 |deadurl=no|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140208064757/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-lego-movie-reviews-critics-20140206,0,1227461.story}}</ref> Review-aggregation website [[Rotten Tomatoes]] reported a 96% approval rating and an average rating of 8.2/10 based on 239 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "Boasting beautiful animation, a charming voice cast, laugh-a-minute gags, and a surprisingly thoughtful story, ''The LEGO Movie'' is colorful fun for all ages."<ref name=rt>{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_lego_movie/|title=The Lego Movie|accessdate=April 30, 2018|work=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=[[Fandango (company)|Fandango]]|deadurl=no|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140405193325/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_lego_movie/|archivedate=April 5, 2014}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 based on reviews from critics, the film has a score of 83 (indicating "universal acclaim") based on 43 reviews.<ref>{{cite web|title=''The LEGO Movie'' Reviews|url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-lego-movie|publisher=[[Metacritic]] ([[CBS Interactive]])|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140214092112/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-lego-movie|archivedate=February 14, 2014|deadurl=no|accessdate=February 10, 2014}}</ref> According to [[CinemaScore]] polls conducted during the opening weekend, the average grade moviegoers gave ''The LEGO Movie'' was A on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/02/09/box-office-report-the-lego-movie-the-monuments-men/|work=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=February 9, 2014|title=Box office report: 'The Lego Movie' stacks up $69.1 million for 'bad' debut, 'Monuments Men' steals second with $22.7 million|accessdate=February 11, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140428222529/http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/02/09/box-office-report-the-lego-movie-the-monuments-men/|archivedate=April 28, 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> Filmmaker [[Edgar Wright]], and [[TIME Magazine|''TIME'' Magazine]] film critic [[Richard Corliss]], each named ''The LEGO Movie'' as one of their favorite films of 2014.<ref>{{cite news|last=Wakeman|first=Gregory |url=http://www.cinemablend.com/new/10-Best-Movies-2014-According-Edgar-Wright-68466.html|title=The 10 Best Movies Of 2014, According To Edgar Wright|publisher=CinemaBlend |date=December 1, 2014|accessdate=December 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141207091731/http://www.cinemablend.com/new/10-Best-Movies-2014-According-Edgar-Wright-68466.html|archivedate=December 7, 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Adams|first=Ryan|url=http://www.awardsdaily.com/blog/2014/12/top-10-from-times-richard-corliss/|title=Top 10 from Time’s Richard Corliss|publisher=Awards Daily|accessdate=December 5, 2014 |date=December 4, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141215065850/http://www.awardsdaily.com/blog/2014/12/top-10-from-times-richard-corliss/|archivedate=December 15, 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>
''The Lego Movie'' was met with "nearly unanimous positive reviews."<ref>{{cite news|last= Gettell|first=Oliver|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-lego-movie-reviews-critics-20140206,0,1227461.story|title='Lego Movie' a colorful, outside-the-box adventure, reviews say|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=February 7, 2014|accessdate=February 7, 2014|archivedate=February 8, 2014 |deadurl=no|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140208064757/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-lego-movie-reviews-critics-20140206,0,1227461.story}}</ref> Review-aggregation website [[Rotten Tomatoes]] reported a 96% approval rating and an average rating of 8.2/10 based on 239 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "Boasting beautiful animation, a charming voice cast, laugh-a-minute gags, and a surprisingly thoughtful story, ''The Lego Movie'' is colorful fun for all ages."<ref name=rt>{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_lego_movie/|title=The Lego Movie|accessdate=April 30, 2018|work=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=[[Fandango (company)|Fandango]]|deadurl=no|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140405193325/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_lego_movie/|archivedate=April 5, 2014}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 based on reviews from critics, the film has a score of 83 (indicating "universal acclaim") based on 43 reviews.<ref>{{cite web|title=''The LEGO Movie'' Reviews|url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-lego-movie|publisher=[[Metacritic]] ([[CBS Interactive]])|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140214092112/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-lego-movie|archivedate=February 14, 2014|deadurl=no|accessdate=February 10, 2014}}</ref> According to [[CinemaScore]] polls conducted during the opening weekend, the average grade moviegoers gave ''The Lego Movie'' was A on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/02/09/box-office-report-the-lego-movie-the-monuments-men/|work=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=February 9, 2014|title=Box office report: 'The Lego Movie' stacks up $69.1 million for 'bad' debut, 'Monuments Men' steals second with $22.7 million|accessdate=February 11, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140428222529/http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/02/09/box-office-report-the-lego-movie-the-monuments-men/|archivedate=April 28, 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> Filmmaker [[Edgar Wright]], and [[TIME Magazine|''TIME'' Magazine]] film critic [[Richard Corliss]], each named ''The Lego Movie'' as one of their favorite films of 2014.<ref>{{cite news|last=Wakeman|first=Gregory |url=http://www.cinemablend.com/new/10-Best-Movies-2014-According-Edgar-Wright-68466.html|title=The 10 Best Movies Of 2014, According To Edgar Wright|publisher=CinemaBlend |date=December 1, 2014|accessdate=December 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141207091731/http://www.cinemablend.com/new/10-Best-Movies-2014-According-Edgar-Wright-68466.html|archivedate=December 7, 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Adams|first=Ryan|url=http://www.awardsdaily.com/blog/2014/12/top-10-from-times-richard-corliss/|title=Top 10 from Time’s Richard Corliss|publisher=Awards Daily|accessdate=December 5, 2014 |date=December 4, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141215065850/http://www.awardsdaily.com/blog/2014/12/top-10-from-times-richard-corliss/|archivedate=December 15, 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>


Michael Rechtshaffen of ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' wrote, "Arriving at a time when feature animation was looking and feeling mighty anemic…''The LEGO Movie'' shows 'em how it's done,"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movie/lego-movie/review/676345|title=The Lego Movie: Film Review|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=January 31, 2014|accessdate=February 5, 2014|archivedate=April 3, 2014|deadurl=no|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140403045459/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movie/lego-movie/review/676345}}</ref> with Peter Debruge of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' adding that Lord and Miller "irreverently deconstruct the state of the modern blockbuster and deliver a smarter, more satisfying experience in its place, emerging with a fresh franchise for others to build upon."<ref>{{cite web|author=Peter Debruge|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/film-review-the-lego-movie-1201082797/|title=‘The Lego Movie’ Review: The Tiny Toy Bricks Get the Bigscreen Movie They Deserve|work= Variety|date=February 1, 2014|accessdate=February 5, 2014|deadurl=no|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140207225728/http://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/film-review-the-lego-movie-1201082797/|archivedate=February 7, 2014}}</ref> Tom Huddleston of ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]'' said, "The script is witty, the satire surprisingly pointed, and the animation tactile and imaginative."<ref>{{cite web |author=Tom Huddleston|url=http://www.timeout.com/us/film/the-lego-movie|title=The LEGO Movie|work=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]|date=February 4, 2014|accessdate=February 5, 2014|deadurl=no |archivedate=February 22, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222202056/http://www.timeout.com/us/film/the-lego-movie}}</ref> Drew Hunt of the ''[[Chicago Reader]]'' said the filmmakers "fill the script with delightfully absurd one-liners and sharp pop culture references",<ref>{{cite web|last=Hunt|first=Drew|newspaper=Chicago Reader|deadurl=no|url=http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-lego-movie/Film?oid=12205340|title=The LEGO Movie |accessdate=February 7, 2014|archivedate=February 25, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225201409/http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-lego-movie/Film?oid=12205340}}</ref> with [[A. O. Scott]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' noting that, "Pop-culture jokes ricochet off the heads of younger viewers to tickle the world-weary adults in the audience, with just enough sentimental goo applied at the end to unite the generations. Parents will dab their eyes while the kids roll theirs."<ref>{{cite news|last=Scott|first=A. O.|date=February 6, 2014|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/07/movies/the-lego-movie-toys-with-thinking-outside-the-manual.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0|title=‘The Lego Movie,’ From Phil Lord and Christopher Miller|work=[[The New York Times]]|accessdate=February 7, 2014|archivedate=March 9, 2014|deadurl=no|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309041306/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/07/movies/the-lego-movie-toys-with-thinking-outside-the-manual.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0}}</ref> Elizabeth Weitzman of the New York ''[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]'' said the filmmakers "don't sink into cynicism. Their computer animation embraces the retro look and feel of the toys to both ingenious and adorable effect."<ref>{{cite web|date=February 2, 2014|url= http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/lego-movie-movie-review-article-1.1603391|title='The Lego Movie': Movie review|newspaper=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]|accessdate=February 7, 2014|deadurl=no|archivedate=February 10, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140210120713/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/lego-movie-movie-review-article-1.1603391}}</ref>
Michael Rechtshaffen of ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' wrote, "Arriving at a time when feature animation was looking and feeling mighty anemic…''The LEGO Movie'' shows 'em how it's done,"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movie/lego-movie/review/676345|title=The Lego Movie: Film Review|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=January 31, 2014|accessdate=February 5, 2014|archivedate=April 3, 2014|deadurl=no|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140403045459/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movie/lego-movie/review/676345}}</ref> with Peter Debruge of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' adding that Lord and Miller "irreverently deconstruct the state of the modern blockbuster and deliver a smarter, more satisfying experience in its place, emerging with a fresh franchise for others to build upon."<ref>{{cite web|author=Peter Debruge|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/film-review-the-lego-movie-1201082797/|title=‘The Lego Movie’ Review: The Tiny Toy Bricks Get the Bigscreen Movie They Deserve|work= Variety|date=February 1, 2014|accessdate=February 5, 2014|deadurl=no|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140207225728/http://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/film-review-the-lego-movie-1201082797/|archivedate=February 7, 2014}}</ref> Tom Huddleston of ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]'' said, "The script is witty, the satire surprisingly pointed, and the animation tactile and imaginative."<ref>{{cite web |author=Tom Huddleston|url=http://www.timeout.com/us/film/the-lego-movie|title=The LEGO Movie|work=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]|date=February 4, 2014|accessdate=February 5, 2014|deadurl=no |archivedate=February 22, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222202056/http://www.timeout.com/us/film/the-lego-movie}}</ref> Drew Hunt of the ''[[Chicago Reader]]'' said the filmmakers "fill the script with delightfully absurd one-liners and sharp pop culture references",<ref>{{cite web|last=Hunt|first=Drew|newspaper=Chicago Reader|deadurl=no|url=http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-lego-movie/Film?oid=12205340|title=The LEGO Movie |accessdate=February 7, 2014|archivedate=February 25, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225201409/http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-lego-movie/Film?oid=12205340}}</ref> with [[A. O. Scott]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' noting that, "Pop-culture jokes ricochet off the heads of younger viewers to tickle the world-weary adults in the audience, with just enough sentimental goo applied at the end to unite the generations. Parents will dab their eyes while the kids roll theirs."<ref>{{cite news|last=Scott|first=A. O.|date=February 6, 2014|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/07/movies/the-lego-movie-toys-with-thinking-outside-the-manual.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0|title=‘The Lego Movie,’ From Phil Lord and Christopher Miller|work=[[The New York Times]]|accessdate=February 7, 2014|archivedate=March 9, 2014|deadurl=no|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309041306/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/07/movies/the-lego-movie-toys-with-thinking-outside-the-manual.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0}}</ref> Elizabeth Weitzman of the New York ''[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]'' said the filmmakers "don't sink into cynicism. Their computer animation embraces the retro look and feel of the toys to both ingenious and adorable effect."<ref>{{cite web|date=February 2, 2014|url= http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/lego-movie-movie-review-article-1.1603391|title='The Lego Movie': Movie review|newspaper=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]|accessdate=February 7, 2014|deadurl=no|archivedate=February 10, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140210120713/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/lego-movie-movie-review-article-1.1603391}}</ref>


Claudia Puig of ''[[USA Today]]'' called the film "a spirited romp through a world that looks distinctively familiar, and yet freshly inventive."<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=USA Today|date=August 17, 2013 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2014/02/06/lego-review/4983673/|title='The Lego Movie' builds family fun from clever satire|accessdate=February 7, 2014}}</ref> Liam Lacey of ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'' asked, "Can a feature-length toy commercial also work as a decent kids’ movie? The bombast of the ''[[G.I. Joe]]'' and ''[[Transformers]]'' franchises might suggest no, but after an uninspired year for animated movies, ''The LEGO Movie'' is a 3-D animated film that connects."<ref>{{cite news|author=Liam Lacey|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/film-reviews/the-lego-movie-a-subversively-flippant-story-about-thinking-outside-the-blocks/article16727918/|title=The Lego Movie: a subversively flippant story about thinking outside the blocks|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|accessdate=February 8, 2014 |archivedate=May 2, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502053754/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/film-reviews/the-lego-movie-a-subversively-flippant-story-about-thinking-outside-the-blocks/article16727918/ |deadurl=no}}</ref> Joel Arnold of [[NPR]] acknowledged that the film "may be one giant advertisement, but all the way to its plastic-mat foundation, it's an earnest piece of work—a cash grab with a heart."<ref>{{cite web|last=Arnold|first=Joel|url=https://www.npr.org/2014/02/06/271422040/lego-movie-a-goofy-toy-story-that-genuinely-clicks|title=Movie Review – 'The Lego Movie' – A Goofy Toy Story That Genuinely Clicks|publisher=[[NPR]]|date=February 6, 2014|accessdate=February 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140207030700/http://www.npr.org/2014/02/06/271422040/lego-movie-a-goofy-toy-story-that-genuinely-clicks|archivedate=February 7, 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> [[Peter Travers]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' called the film "sassy enough to shoot well-aimed darts at corporate branding."<ref>{{cite web|author=Peter Travers|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/the-lego-movie-20140207|title='The Lego Movie' Review &#124; Movie Reviews|work=Rolling Stone|accessdate=February 8, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140214085607/http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/the-lego-movie-20140207|archivedate=February 14, 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> Michael O'Sullivan of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' said that, "While clearly filled with affection for—and marketing tie-ins to—the titular product that's front and center, it's also something of a sharp plastic brick flung in the eye of its corporate sponsor."<ref>{{cite news|first=Michael|last=O'Sullivan|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/the-lego-movie-review-toy-themed-adventure-celebrates-creativity/2014/02/05/ba3d6b26-8cff-11e3-95dd-36ff657a4dae_story.html |title='The Lego Movie' review: Toy-themed adventure celebrates creativity|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=February 6, 2014|accessdate=February 7, 2014}}</ref>
Claudia Puig of ''[[USA Today]]'' called the film "a spirited romp through a world that looks distinctively familiar, and yet freshly inventive."<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=USA Today|date=August 17, 2013 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2014/02/06/lego-review/4983673/|title='The Lego Movie' builds family fun from clever satire|accessdate=February 7, 2014}}</ref> Liam Lacey of ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'' asked, "Can a feature-length toy commercial also work as a decent kids’ movie? The bombast of the ''G.I. Joe'' and ''Transformers'' franchises might suggest no, but after an uninspired year for animated movies, ''The Lego Movie'' is a 3-D animated film that connects."<ref>{{cite news|author=Liam Lacey|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/film-reviews/the-lego-movie-a-subversively-flippant-story-about-thinking-outside-the-blocks/article16727918/|title=The Lego Movie: a subversively flippant story about thinking outside the blocks|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|accessdate=February 8, 2014 |archivedate=May 2, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502053754/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/film-reviews/the-lego-movie-a-subversively-flippant-story-about-thinking-outside-the-blocks/article16727918/ |deadurl=no}}</ref> Joel Arnold of [[NPR]] acknowledged that the film "may be one giant advertisement, but all the way to its plastic-mat foundation, it's an earnest piece of work—a cash grab with a heart."<ref>{{cite web|last=Arnold|first=Joel|url=https://www.npr.org/2014/02/06/271422040/lego-movie-a-goofy-toy-story-that-genuinely-clicks|title=Movie Review – 'The Lego Movie' – A Goofy Toy Story That Genuinely Clicks|publisher=[[NPR]]|date=February 6, 2014|accessdate=February 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140207030700/http://www.npr.org/2014/02/06/271422040/lego-movie-a-goofy-toy-story-that-genuinely-clicks|archivedate=February 7, 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> [[Peter Travers]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' called the film "sassy enough to shoot well-aimed darts at corporate branding."<ref>{{cite web|author=Peter Travers|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/the-lego-movie-20140207|title='The Lego Movie' Review &#124; Movie Reviews|work=Rolling Stone|accessdate=February 8, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140214085607/http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/the-lego-movie-20140207|archivedate=February 14, 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> Michael O'Sullivan of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' said that, "While clearly filled with affection for—and marketing tie-ins to—the titular product that's front and center, it's also something of a sharp plastic brick flung in the eye of its corporate sponsor."<ref>{{cite news|first=Michael|last=O'Sullivan|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/the-lego-movie-review-toy-themed-adventure-celebrates-creativity/2014/02/05/ba3d6b26-8cff-11e3-95dd-36ff657a4dae_story.html |title='The Lego Movie' review: Toy-themed adventure celebrates creativity|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=February 6, 2014|accessdate=February 7, 2014}}</ref>


On the negative side, [[Kyle Smith]] of the ''[[New York Post]]'' called the film "more exhausting than fun, too unsure of itself to stick with any story thread for too long."<ref>{{cite news|last=Smith |first=Kyle|url=https://nypost.com/2014/02/05/the-lego-movie-is-a-blockheaded-adventure/|title='The Lego Movie' is a blockheaded adventure|work=New York Post|date=February 5, 2014|accessdate=February 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140304004548/http://nypost.com/2014/02/05/the-lego-movie-is-a-blockheaded-adventure/|archivedate=March 4, 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> Moira MacDonald of ''[[The Seattle Times]]'', while generally positive, found "it falls apart a bit near the end."<ref>{{cite news|last=Macdonald|first=Moira|url= http://seattletimes.com/html/movies/2022845260_legomoviexml.html?syndication=rss|title='The Lego Movie': a primary-colored paradise for kids|newspaper=The Seattle Times|date=February 6, 2014|accessdate=February 6, 2014|deadurl=no|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224011933/http://seattletimes.com/html/movies/2022845260_legomoviexml.html?syndication=rss|archivedate=February 24, 2014}}</ref> Alonso Duralde of ''[[The Wrap]]'' said the film "will doubtless tickle young fans of the toys. It's just too bad that a movie that encourages you to think for yourself doesn't follow its own advice."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thewrap.com/the-lego-movie-review-will-ferrell-batman|title='The Lego Movie' Review: Funny Pieces Don't Click With Heavy-Handed Message (Video)|author=Alonso Duralde|publisher=[[The Wrap]]|date=February 2, 2014|accessdate=February 5, 2014|archivedate=March 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305084108/http://www.thewrap.com/the-lego-movie-review-will-ferrell-batman|deadurl=no}}</ref>
On the negative side, [[Kyle Smith]] of the ''[[New York Post]]'' called the film "more exhausting than fun, too unsure of itself to stick with any story thread for too long."<ref>{{cite news|last=Smith |first=Kyle|url=https://nypost.com/2014/02/05/the-lego-movie-is-a-blockheaded-adventure/|title='The Lego Movie' is a blockheaded adventure|work=New York Post|date=February 5, 2014|accessdate=February 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140304004548/http://nypost.com/2014/02/05/the-lego-movie-is-a-blockheaded-adventure/|archivedate=March 4, 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> Moira MacDonald of ''[[The Seattle Times]]'', while generally positive, found "it falls apart a bit near the end."<ref>{{cite news|last=Macdonald|first=Moira|url= http://seattletimes.com/html/movies/2022845260_legomoviexml.html?syndication=rss|title='The Lego Movie': a primary-colored paradise for kids|newspaper=The Seattle Times|date=February 6, 2014|accessdate=February 6, 2014|deadurl=no|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224011933/http://seattletimes.com/html/movies/2022845260_legomoviexml.html?syndication=rss|archivedate=February 24, 2014}}</ref> Alonso Duralde of ''[[The Wrap]]'' said the film "will doubtless tickle young fans of the toys. It's just too bad that a movie that encourages you to think for yourself doesn't follow its own advice."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thewrap.com/the-lego-movie-review-will-ferrell-batman|title='The Lego Movie' Review: Funny Pieces Don't Click With Heavy-Handed Message (Video)|author=Alonso Duralde|publisher=[[The Wrap]]|date=February 2, 2014|accessdate=February 5, 2014|archivedate=March 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305084108/http://www.thewrap.com/the-lego-movie-review-will-ferrell-batman|deadurl=no}}</ref>
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Television personality, author, filmmaker, radio host and conservative political commentator [[Glenn Beck]] praised the film for avoiding "the double meanings and adult humor I just hate."<ref>{{cite news|work=[[The Wire (magazine)|The Wire]]|url=http://www.thewire.com/politics/2014/04/glenn-beck-wants-to-escape-the-cutthroat-cynicism-of-politics-by-making-it-in-the-movie-business/360768/|title=Glenn Beck Wants to Escape the Cutthroat Cynicism of Politics by Making it in the Movie Business|date=April 16, 2014|accessdate=June 18, 2014|author=Arit John|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416220702/http://www.thewire.com/politics/2014/04/glenn-beck-wants-to-escape-the-cutthroat-cynicism-of-politics-by-making-it-in-the-movie-business/360768/|archivedate=April 16, 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>
Television personality, author, filmmaker, radio host and conservative political commentator [[Glenn Beck]] praised the film for avoiding "the double meanings and adult humor I just hate."<ref>{{cite news|work=[[The Wire (magazine)|The Wire]]|url=http://www.thewire.com/politics/2014/04/glenn-beck-wants-to-escape-the-cutthroat-cynicism-of-politics-by-making-it-in-the-movie-business/360768/|title=Glenn Beck Wants to Escape the Cutthroat Cynicism of Politics by Making it in the Movie Business|date=April 16, 2014|accessdate=June 18, 2014|author=Arit John|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416220702/http://www.thewire.com/politics/2014/04/glenn-beck-wants-to-escape-the-cutthroat-cynicism-of-politics-by-making-it-in-the-movie-business/360768/|archivedate=April 16, 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>


[[Academy Awards|Oscar]] host [[Neil Patrick Harris]] referenced ''The LEGO Movie'' not being nominated [[Academy Award for Best Animated Feature|Best Animated Feature]], which many critics considered a major snub, saying prior to the award's presentation "If you’re at the Oscar party with the guys who directed ''The LEGO Movie'', now would be a great time to distract them."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thewrap.com/neil-patrick-harris-acknowledges-lego-movie-oscar-snub-ahead-of-big-hero-6-win-video/|title=Neil Patrick Harris Acknowledges 'Lego Movie' Oscar Snub Ahead of 'Big Hero 6' Win (Video)|date=February 22, 2015|publisher=|accessdate=December 30, 2016}}</ref>
[[Academy Awards|Oscar]] host [[Neil Patrick Harris]] referenced ''The Lego Movie'' not being nominated [[Academy Award for Best Animated Feature|Best Animated Feature]], which many critics considered a major snub, saying prior to the award's presentation "If you’re at the Oscar party with the guys who directed 'The Lego Movie,' now would be a great time to distract them."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thewrap.com/neil-patrick-harris-acknowledges-lego-movie-oscar-snub-ahead-of-big-hero-6-win-video/|title=Neil Patrick Harris Acknowledges 'Lego Movie' Oscar Snub Ahead of 'Big Hero 6' Win (Video)|date=February 22, 2015|publisher=|accessdate=December 30, 2016}}</ref>


[[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]] [[Ron Johnson (Wisconsin politician)|Ron Johnson]] criticized the film's anti-corporate message, saying that it taught children that "government is good and business is bad", citing the villain's name of Lord Business. "That's done for a reason", Johnson told [[WisPolitics.com]]. "They're starting that propaganda, and it's insidious". The comments were criticized by many, and [[Russ Feingold]] brought up the comments on the campaign trail during his [[United States Senate election in Wisconsin, 2016|2016 Senate bid]] against Johnson.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2016/jun/24/russ-feingold/did-ron-johnson-call-lego-movie-anti-business-cons//|title=Ron Johnson,|publisher=|accessdate=December 30, 2016}}</ref>
[[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]] [[Ron Johnson (Wisconsin politician)|Ron Johnson]] criticized the film's anti-corporate message, saying that it taught children that "government is good and business is bad", citing the villain's name of Lord Business. "That's done for a reason", Johnson told [[WisPolitics.com]]. "They're starting that propaganda, and it's insidious". The comments were criticized by many, and [[Russ Feingold]] brought up the comments on the campaign trail during his [[United States Senate election in Wisconsin, 2016|2016 Senate bid]] against Johnson.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2016/jun/24/russ-feingold/did-ron-johnson-call-lego-movie-anti-business-cons//|title=Ron Johnson,|publisher=|accessdate=December 30, 2016}}</ref>


===Box office performance===
===Box office performance===
''The LEGO Movie'' grossed $257.8 million in the U.S. and Canada, and $210.3 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $469.1 million.<ref name="BoxOffice-20131006"/> Calculating in all expenses, ''[[Deadline Hollywood]]'' estimated that the film made a profit of $229 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://deadline.com/2015/03/lego-movie-profit-box-office-2014-1201391228/|title=No. 3 ‘The Lego Movie’ – 2014 Most Valuable Blockbuster Movie Tournament|author=Mike Fleming Jr|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=March 13, 2015|accessdate=March 14, 2015}}</ref>
''The Lego Movie'' grossed $257.8 million in the U.S. and Canada, and $210.3 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $469.1 million.<ref name="BoxOffice-20131006"/> Calculating in all expenses, ''[[Deadline Hollywood]]'' estimated that the film made a profit of $229 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://deadline.com/2015/03/lego-movie-profit-box-office-2014-1201391228/|title=No. 3 ‘The Lego Movie’ – 2014 Most Valuable Blockbuster Movie Tournament|author=Mike Fleming Jr|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=March 13, 2015|accessdate=March 14, 2015}}</ref>


In the U.S. and Canada, the film opened at number one in its first weekend with over $69 million, which was the second-highest weekend debut in February, at the time, behind ''[[The Passion of the Christ]]'' ($83.8 million).<ref>{{cite web|url= http://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3783&p=.htm|author=Ray Subers|title=Weekend Report: Everything Is Awesome For 'The LEGO Movie'|publisher=Box Office Mojo|accessdate=February 10, 2014|archivedate=February 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140214092449/http://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3783&p=.htm|deadurl=no}}</ref> The movie retained the top spot at box office in its second weekend by declining only 28% and grossing $49.8 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3785&p=.htm|author=Ray Subers|title=Weekend Report: 'LEGO Movie' Dominates President's Day Weekend|publisher=Box Office Mojo|accessdate=February 18, 2014|deadurl=no|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221095242/http://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3785&p=.htm|archivedate=February 21, 2014}}</ref> ''The Lego Movie'' was number one again in its third weekend while declining 37% and grossing $31.3 million.<ref>{{cite web|author=Ray Subers|url=http://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3787&p=.htm|title=Weekend Report: 'LEGO' Obliterates '3 Days,' 'Pompeii'|publisher=Box Office Mojo|accessdate=February 24, 2014|archivedate=February 28, 2014|deadurl=no|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228004847/http://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3787&p=.htm}}</ref> In its fourth weekend, the film dropped to number three grossing $20.8 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2014&wknd=09&p=.htm|title=Weekend Box Office Results for February 28 – March 2, 2014|publisher=Box Office Mojo|date=March 2, 2014|accessdate=March 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140307112415/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2014&wknd=09&p=.htm|archivedate=March 7, 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>
In the U.S. and Canada, the film opened at number one in its first weekend with over $69 million, which was the second-highest weekend debut in February, at the time, behind ''[[The Passion of the Christ]]'' ($83.8 million).<ref>{{cite web|url= http://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3783&p=.htm|author=Ray Subers|title=Weekend Report: Everything Is Awesome For 'The LEGO Movie'|publisher=Box Office Mojo|accessdate=February 10, 2014|archivedate=February 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140214092449/http://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3783&p=.htm|deadurl=no}}</ref> The movie retained the top spot at box office in its second weekend by declining only 28% and grossing $49.8 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3785&p=.htm|author=Ray Subers|title=Weekend Report: 'LEGO Movie' Dominates President's Day Weekend|publisher=Box Office Mojo|accessdate=February 18, 2014|deadurl=no|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221095242/http://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3785&p=.htm|archivedate=February 21, 2014}}</ref> ''The Lego Movie'' was number one again in its third weekend while declining 37% and grossing $31.3 million.<ref>{{cite web|author=Ray Subers|url=http://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3787&p=.htm|title=Weekend Report: 'LEGO' Obliterates '3 Days,' 'Pompeii'|publisher=Box Office Mojo|accessdate=February 24, 2014|archivedate=February 28, 2014|deadurl=no|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228004847/http://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3787&p=.htm}}</ref> In its fourth weekend, the film dropped to number three grossing $20.8 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2014&wknd=09&p=.htm|title=Weekend Box Office Results for February 28 – March 2, 2014|publisher=Box Office Mojo|date=March 2, 2014|accessdate=March 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140307112415/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2014&wknd=09&p=.htm|archivedate=March 7, 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>


Elsewhere, ''The LEGO Movie'' was released in 34 markets in February 7, 2014 — the same weekend as its U.S. release. It made $18.7 million on its opening weekend from 5,695 screens from 34 countries.<ref name="Overseas1">{{cite web|url=http://deadline.com/2014/02/international-box-office-frozen-china-900m-worldwide-lego-movie-47-ronin-680225/|title=International Box Office: ‘Frozen’ Hits China, ‘47 Ronin’ To Pass $100M, ‘RoboCop’ No. 1 in 10 Markets|author=Nancy Tartaglione|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|publisher=([[Penske Media Corporation]])|date=February 9, 2014|accessdate=September 26, 2015}}</ref> On its opening weekend, which varies depending on the country, it earned $3.8 million in Mexico, $2 million in Spain, and $1.8 million in Brazil.<ref name="Overseas1"/> With a total gross of [[Pound sterling|£]]$34.3 million, it was the second-highest-grossing film in the UK and Ireland in 2014.<ref name=film2014>{{cite news|title=Lego Movie was top UK and Ireland film of 2014|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-30694365|accessdate=January 6, 2015|work=BBC News|date=January 6, 2015}}</ref>
Elsewhere, ''The Lego Movie'' was released in 34 markets in February 7, 2014—the same weekend as its U.S. release. It made $18.7 million on its opening weekend from 5,695 screens from 34 countries.<ref name="Overseas1">{{cite web|url=http://deadline.com/2014/02/international-box-office-frozen-china-900m-worldwide-lego-movie-47-ronin-680225/|title=International Box Office: ‘Frozen’ Hits China, ‘47 Ronin’ To Pass $100M, ‘RoboCop’ No. 1 in 10 Markets|author=Nancy Tartaglione|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|publisher=([[Penske Media Corporation]])|date=February 9, 2014|accessdate=September 26, 2015}}</ref> On its opening weekend, which varies depending on the country, it earned $3.8 million in Mexico, $2 million in Spain, and $1.8 million in Brazil.<ref name="Overseas1"/> With a total gross of [[Pound sterling|£]]34.3 million, it was the second-highest-grossing film in the UK and Ireland in 2014.<ref name=film2014>{{cite news|title=Lego Movie was top UK and Ireland film of 2014|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-30694365|accessdate=January 6, 2015|work=BBC News|date=January 6, 2015}}</ref>


The popularity of the film led to a shortage of LEGO products by September 2014.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Deschamps|first1=Tara|title=Lego shortage leaves toy stores between a block and a hard place|url= https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/09/26/lego_shortage_leaves_toy_stores_between_a_block_and_a_hard_place.html|accessdate=September 28, 2014|work=[[The Toronto Star]]|date=September 26, 2014|deadurl=no |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015004316/http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/09/26/lego_shortage_leaves_toy_stores_between_a_block_and_a_hard_place.html|archivedate=October 15, 2014}}</ref>
The popularity of the film led to a shortage of Lego products by September 2014.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Deschamps|first1=Tara|title=Lego shortage leaves toy stores between a block and a hard place|url= https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/09/26/lego_shortage_leaves_toy_stores_between_a_block_and_a_hard_place.html|accessdate=September 28, 2014|work=[[The Toronto Star]]|date=September 26, 2014|deadurl=no |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015004316/http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/09/26/lego_shortage_leaves_toy_stores_between_a_block_and_a_hard_place.html|archivedate=October 15, 2014}}</ref>


===Accolades===
===Accolades===
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| rowspan="6"|[[42nd Annie Awards|42nd Annual Annie Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://annieawards.org/nominees/|title=42nd Annual Annie Awards Winners|publisher=Annie Awards|accessdate=December 1, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214105919/http://annieawards.org/nominees/|archivedate=December 14, 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>
| rowspan="6"|[[42nd Annie Awards|42nd Annual Annie Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://annieawards.org/nominees/|title=42nd Annual Annie Awards Winners|publisher=Annie Awards|accessdate=December 1, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214105919/http://annieawards.org/nominees/|archivedate=December 14, 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>
| [[Annie Award for Best Animated Feature|Best Animated Feature]]
| [[Annie Award for Best Animated Feature|Best Animated Feature]]
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| ''The Lego Movie''
| {{nom}}
| {{nom}}
|-
|-
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| [[Austin Film Critics Association]]
| [[Austin Film Critics Association]]
| Best Animated Film
| Best Animated Film
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| ''The Lego Movie''
| {{won}}
| {{won}}
|-
|-
| [[BAFTA Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/baftas-2015-the-lego-movie-wins-best-animated-film-after-oscars-snub-10032357.html|title=The Lego Movie wins Best Animated Film at the Baftas after Oscars snub|work=The Independent}}</ref>
| [[BAFTA Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/baftas-2015-the-lego-movie-wins-best-animated-film-after-oscars-snub-10032357.html|title=The Lego Movie wins Best Animated Film at the Baftas after Oscars snub|work=The Independent}}</ref>
| Best Animated Film
| Best Animated Film
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| ''The Lego Movie''
| {{won}}
| {{won}}
|-
|-
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| rowspan="2"|[[British Academy Children's Awards|45th Annual British Academy Children's Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2014/childrens|title=Children's in 2014|publisher=BAFTA |accessdate=November 24, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141215070904/http://awards.bafta.org/award/2014/childrens|archivedate=December 15, 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>
| rowspan="2"|[[British Academy Children's Awards|45th Annual British Academy Children's Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2014/childrens|title=Children's in 2014|publisher=BAFTA |accessdate=November 24, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141215070904/http://awards.bafta.org/award/2014/childrens|archivedate=December 15, 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>
| Kid's Vote&nbsp;— Film in 2014
| Kid's Vote&nbsp;— Film in 2014
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| ''The Lego Movie''
| {{nom}}
| {{nom}}
|-
|-
| Children's Feature Film in 2014
| Children's Feature Film in 2014
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| ''The Lego Movie''
| {{won}}
| {{won}}
|-
|-
| rowspan=2|[[Broadcast Film Critics Association]]
| rowspan=2|[[Broadcast Film Critics Association]]
| Best Animated Feature
| Best Animated Feature
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| ''The Lego Movie''
| {{won}}
| {{won}}
|-
|-
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| [[Chicago Film Critics Association]]
| [[Chicago Film Critics Association]]
| Best Animated Feature
| Best Animated Feature
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| ''The Lego Movie''
| {{won}}
| {{won}}
|-
|-
| [[Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association]]
| [[Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association]]
| Best Animated Film
| Best Animated Film
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| ''The Lego Movie''
| {{won}}
| {{won}}
|-
|-
| [[Dublin Film Critics Circle]]
| [[Dublin Film Critics Circle]]
| Top Ten Films
| Top Ten Films
| rowspan="6"| ''The LEGO Movie''
| rowspan="6"| ''The Lego Movie''
| {{draw|4th Place}}
| {{draw|4th Place}}
|-
|-
| [[Empire Awards]]
| [[Empire Awards]]
| [[Empire Award for Best Comedy|Best Comedy]]
| [[Empire Award for Best Comedy|Best Comedy]]
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| {{nom}}
| {{nom}}
|-
|-
| [[Florida Film Critics Circle]]
| [[Florida Film Critics Circle]]
| Best Animated Film
| Best Animated Film
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| {{won}}
| {{won}}
|-
|-
| [[Golden Globe Awards]]
| [[Golden Globe Awards]]
| Best Animated Feature Film
| Best Animated Feature Film
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| {{Nominated}}
| {{Nominated}}
|-
|-
| rowspan="2"|[[Rotten Tomatoes|Golden Tomato Awards 2014]]
| rowspan="2"|[[Rotten Tomatoes|Golden Tomato Awards 2014]]
| Best Animated Film
| Best Animated Film
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| {{won}}
| {{won}}
|-
|-
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| rowspan=2|[[Houston Film Critics Society]]
| rowspan=2|[[Houston Film Critics Society]]
| Best Animated Feature Film
| Best Animated Feature Film
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| ''The Lego Movie''
| {{won}}
| {{won}}
|-
|-
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| [[Kerrang! Awards]]
| [[Kerrang! Awards]]
| Best Film
| Best Film
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| ''The Lego Movie''
| {{won}}
| {{won}}
|-
|-
| rowspan=2|[[2015 Kids' Choice Awards|Kids' Choice Awards]]
| rowspan=2|[[2015 Kids' Choice Awards|Kids' Choice Awards]]
| Favorite Animated Movie
| Favorite Animated Movie
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| ''The Lego Movie''
| {{nominated}}
| {{nominated}}
|-
|-
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|-
|-
| Top Ten Films
| Top Ten Films
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| ''The Lego Movie''
| {{won}}
| {{won}}
|-
|-
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://deadline.com/2014/12/new-york-film-critics-circle-awards-winners-2014-full-list-1201304163/|title=New York Film Critics Circle Awards Winners — ‘Boyhood’ Wins Best Film – Deadline|author=Anthony D'Alessandro|website=Deadline Hollywood|accessdate=December 2, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141202024543/http://deadline.com/2014/12/new-york-film-critics-circle-awards-winners-2014-full-list-1201304163/|archivedate=December 2, 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://deadline.com/2014/12/new-york-film-critics-circle-awards-winners-2014-full-list-1201304163/|title=New York Film Critics Circle Awards Winners — ‘Boyhood’ Wins Best Film – Deadline|author=Anthony D'Alessandro|website=Deadline Hollywood|accessdate=December 2, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141202024543/http://deadline.com/2014/12/new-york-film-critics-circle-awards-winners-2014-full-list-1201304163/|archivedate=December 2, 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref>
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Animated Film|Best Animated Film]]
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Animated Film|Best Animated Film]]
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| ''The Lego Movie''
| {{won}}
| {{won}}
|-
|-
| [[New York Film Critics Online]]
| [[New York Film Critics Online]]
| Best Animated Film
| Best Animated Film
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| ''The Lego Movie''
| {{won}}
| {{won}}
|-
|-
| rowspan=2|[[Online Film Critics Society]]
| rowspan=2|[[Online Film Critics Society]]
| Best Picture
| Best Picture
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| ''The Lego Movie''
| {{nom}}
| {{nom}}
|-
|-
| Best Animated Feature
| Best Animated Feature
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| ''The Lego Movie''
| {{won}}
| {{won}}
|-
|-
| [[41st People's Choice Awards|People's Choice Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|title=People's Choice Awards 2015: Full List Of Nominees|url=http://blog.peopleschoice.com/2014/11/04/peoples-choice-awards-2015-nominees-full-list/|accessdate=November 14, 2014|publisher=One Three Digital, LLC|date=November 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141108093946/http://blog.peopleschoice.com/2014/11/04/peoples-choice-awards-2015-nominees-full-list/|archivedate=November 8, 2014|deadurl=yes|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
| [[41st People's Choice Awards|People's Choice Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|title=People's Choice Awards 2015: Full List Of Nominees|url=http://blog.peopleschoice.com/2014/11/04/peoples-choice-awards-2015-nominees-full-list/|accessdate=November 14, 2014|publisher=One Three Digital, LLC|date=November 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141108093946/http://blog.peopleschoice.com/2014/11/04/peoples-choice-awards-2015-nominees-full-list/|archivedate=November 8, 2014|deadurl=yes|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
| Favorite Family Movie
| Favorite Family Movie
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| ''The Lego Movie''
| {{nom}}
| {{nom}}
|-
|-
Line 532: Line 528:
| [[San Diego Film Critics Society]]
| [[San Diego Film Critics Society]]
| Best Animated
| Best Animated
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| ''The Lego Movie''
| {{nom}}
| {{nom}}
|-
|-
| [[San Francisco Film Critics Circle]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sffcc.org/2014/12/2014-san-francisco-film-critics-circle-award-nominees/|title=2014 SAN FRANCISCO FILM CRITICS AWARDS:Full List of Nominees|publisher=[[San Francisco Film Critics Circle]]|date=2014|accessdate=December 14, 2014}}</ref>
| [[San Francisco Film Critics Circle]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sffcc.org/2014/12/2014-san-francisco-film-critics-circle-award-nominees/|title=2014 SAN FRANCISCO FILM CRITICS AWARDS:Full List of Nominees|publisher=[[San Francisco Film Critics Circle]]|date=2014|accessdate=December 14, 2014}}</ref>
| Best Animated Feature
| Best Animated Feature
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| ''The Lego Movie''
| {{won}}
| {{won}}
|-
|-
| rowspan="3"| [[19th Satellite Awards|Satellite Awards]]
| rowspan="3"| [[19th Satellite Awards|Satellite Awards]]
| Best Motion Picture Animated or Mixed Media
| Best Motion Picture Animated or Mixed Media
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| ''The Lego Movie''
| {{nom}}
| {{nom}}
|-
|-
Line 555: Line 551:
| [[41st Saturn Awards|Saturn Awards]]
| [[41st Saturn Awards|Saturn Awards]]
| Best Animated Film
| Best Animated Film
|''The LEGO Movie''
|''The Lego Movie''
| {{won}}
| {{won}}
|-
|-
| [[St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association]]
| [[St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association]]
| Best Animated Film
| Best Animated Film
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| ''The Lego Movie''
| {{won}}
| {{won}}
|-
|-
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| rowspan="2" |[[2014 Teen Choice Awards|Teen Choice Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Teen Choice Awards|url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000644/2014?ref_=ttawd_ev_4|accessdate=November 14, 2014|publisher= www.imdb.com|date=November 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141215070434/http://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000644/2014?ref_=ttawd_ev_4|archivedate=December 15, 2014 |deadurl=no}}</ref>
| rowspan="2" |[[2014 Teen Choice Awards|Teen Choice Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Teen Choice Awards|url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000644/2014?ref_=ttawd_ev_4|accessdate=November 14, 2014|publisher= www.imdb.com|date=November 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141215070434/http://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000644/2014?ref_=ttawd_ev_4|archivedate=December 15, 2014 |deadurl=no}}</ref>
| Choice Movie: Animated
| Choice Movie: Animated
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| ''The Lego Movie''
| rowspan="2" {{nom}}
| rowspan="2" {{nom}}
|-
|-
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| [[Toronto Film Critics Association]]
| [[Toronto Film Critics Association]]
| Best Animated Feature
| Best Animated Feature
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| ''The Lego Movie''
| {{draw|Runner-Up}}
| {{draw|Runner-Up}}
|-
|-
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| rowspan=2|[[Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association]]<ref>{{cite web|title=2014 WAFCA Award Nominations|url=http://www.wafca.com/awards/|accessdate=December 7, 2014|archivedate=December 8, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141208122446/http://www.wafca.com/awards/|deadurl=no}}</ref>
| rowspan=2|[[Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association]]<ref>{{cite web|title=2014 WAFCA Award Nominations|url=http://www.wafca.com/awards/|accessdate=December 7, 2014|archivedate=December 8, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141208122446/http://www.wafca.com/awards/|deadurl=no}}</ref>
| Best Animated Feature
| Best Animated Feature
| ''The LEGO Movie''
| ''The Lego Movie''
| {{won}}
| {{won}}
|-
|-
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===Spin-offs===
===Spin-offs===
{{Main|The LEGO Batman Movie|The LEGO Ninjago Movie}}
{{Main|The Lego Batman Movie|The Lego Ninjago Movie}}
There are two spin-off films, the first two of which, ''[[The LEGO Batman Movie]]'' and ''[[The LEGO Ninjago Movie]]'', were both released in 2017. A third spin-off titled ''[[The Billion Brick Race]]'' was scheduled for release in 2019.<ref name="THRBatmanGetsDate">{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/lego-batman-movie-gets-release-790232|title='The Lego Batman Movie' Gets Release Date|author=Borys Kit|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|publisher=([[Prometheus Global Media]])|date=April 20, 2015|accessdate=April 21, 2015}}</ref><ref name=DeadlineDatesNinjago>{{cite web|last=The Deadline Team|title=Warner Bros Dates Lego Spinoff 'Ninjago' For Fall 2016.|url=http://www.deadline.com/2014/05/ninjago-movie-release-date-lego-spinoff-warner-bros/|accessdate=May 20, 2014|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=May 20, 2014}}</ref><ref name=THRNewSpinoffSegel>{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/new-lego-spinoff-movie-works-784244|date=March 25, 2015|accessdate=July 14, 2016|first1=Tatiana|last1=Segel|first2=Borys|last2=Kit|title=New 'Lego' Spinoff Movie in the Works From Jason Seger, 'Iron Man 3' Writer (Exclusive)|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref>
There are two spin-off films, the first two of which, ''[[The Lego Batman Movie]]'' and ''[[The Lego Ninjago Movie]]'', were both released in 2017. A third spin-off titled ''[[The Billion Brick Race]]'' was scheduled for release in 2019.<ref name="THRBatmanGetsDate">{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/lego-batman-movie-gets-release-790232|title='The Lego Batman Movie' Gets Release Date|author=Borys Kit|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|publisher=([[Prometheus Global Media]])|date=April 20, 2015|accessdate=April 21, 2015}}</ref><ref name=DeadlineDatesNinjago>{{cite web|last=The Deadline Team|title=Warner Bros Dates Lego Spinoff 'Ninjago' For Fall 2016.|url=http://www.deadline.com/2014/05/ninjago-movie-release-date-lego-spinoff-warner-bros/|accessdate=May 20, 2014|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=May 20, 2014}}</ref><ref name=THRNewSpinoffSegel>{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/new-lego-spinoff-movie-works-784244|date=March 25, 2015|accessdate=July 14, 2016|first1=Tatiana|last1=Segel|first2=Borys|last2=Kit|title=New 'Lego' Spinoff Movie in the Works From Jason Seger, 'Iron Man 3' Writer (Exclusive)|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref>


===4D Attraction===
===4D Attraction===

Revision as of 20:11, 8 February 2019

The Lego Movie
Emmet is seen running away from a bright light with other Lego characters running alongside him.
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPhil Lord
Christopher Miller
Screenplay by
  • Phil Lord
  • Christopher Miller
Story by
  • Dan Hageman
  • Kevin Hageman
  • Phil Lord
  • Christopher Miller
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography
Edited by
Music byMark Mothersbaugh
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release dates
  • February 1, 2014 (2014-02-01) (Regency Village Theater)
  • February 6, 2014 (2014-02-06) (Denmark)
  • February 7, 2014 (2014-02-07) (United States)
  • April 3, 2014 (2014-04-03) (Australia)
Running time
100 minutes[2]
Countries
LanguageEnglish
Budget$60–65 million[3][4]
Box office$469.1 million[5]

The Lego Movie (stylized as The LEGO Movie) is a 2014 3D computer-animated adventure comedy[8] film written and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller from a story by Lord, Miller and Dan and Kevin Hageman. Based on the Lego line of construction toys, the story focuses on an ordinary Lego minifigure who finds himself helping a resistance stop a tyrannical businessman from gluing everything in the Lego world into his vision of perfection. Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Liam Neeson, and Morgan Freeman provide their voices for the film's main characters.

The first film produced by the Warner Animation Group, The Lego Movie was released on February 7, 2014 by Warner Bros. Pictures. It became a critical and commercial success, grossing $469 million worldwide against a $60 million budget and receiving praise for its visual style, humor, voice acting and heartwarming message. The film won the BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film, the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Animated Feature and the Saturn Award for Best Animated Film; it was also nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for "Everything Is Awesome".

The film has since expanded into a major franchise which ties into the Lego brand, with a sequel, entitled The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, which was released on February 8, 2019. A spin-off film, The Lego Batman Movie, was released to theaters on February 10, 2017, with a second spin-off, The Lego Ninjago Movie, released September 22, 2017. A third spin-off, The Billion Brick Race, is in development. A 4D film based on the film itself, entitled The Lego Movie: 4D - A New Adventure, was released to Legoland parks across the world after its premiere at Legoland Florida on January 29, 2016.

The film is dedicated to Kathleen Fleming, the former director of entertainment development of the Lego company, following her death in Cancún, Mexico in April 2013.[9][10]

Plot

In the Lego universe, populated by anthropomorphic minifigures, the evil Lord Business finds a super-weapon called the "Kragle". The wizard Vitruvius attempts to stop him, but is blinded by Business's robots. Before Business leaves with the weapon, Vitruvius prophesies that someone called "The Special" will find the "Piece of Resistance", a brick capable of stopping the Kragle.

Eight-and-a-half years later, in the city of Bricksburg, ordinary construction worker Emmet Brickowski notices a mysterious woman searching for something at his construction site. When he investigates, Emmet falls into a hole and finds the Piece of Resistance. Compelled to touch it, Emmet experiences vivid visions and passes out. He awakens with the Piece of Resistance attached to his back, in the custody of Good Cop/Bad Cop, Lord Business's lieutenant.

The woman, who introduces herself as Wyldstyle, rescues Emmet, believing him to be the Special, and takes him to meet Vitruvius in the Old West. Emmet learns Wyldstyle and Vitruvius are "Master Builders"[11] – people capable of building anything from their imagination without the need of instructions – who oppose Business. Wyldstyle explains that Business wants to use the Kragle (a tube of Krazy Glue with a weathered label) to freeze the world into perfection. Though disappointed to find Emmet is not a Master Builder, Wyldstyle and Vitruvius are convinced of his potential when he recalls visions of a seemingly human deity referred to as "The Man Upstairs".

Emmet, Wyldstyle and Vitruvius evade Bad Cop's forces with the aid of Batman, Wyldstyle's boyfriend. They go to the hidden realm of Cloud Cuckoo Land to attend a council of Master Builders, all of whom are unimpressed with Emmet and refuse to fight Business. Bad Cop's forces invade Cloud Cuckoo Land, having placed a tracking device on Emmet, and capture everyone except Emmet, Wyldstyle, Batman, Vitruvius, and a small group of other Master Builders, and Cloud Cuckoo Land is destroyed. Emmet devises a plan to infiltrate Business's office tower and disarm the Kragle with help from Princess Unikitty and the pirate Metalbeard. The plan goes well at first, but the group ends up captured and imprisoned in the Think Tank, where all the Master Builders are forced to make instructions. Vitruvius resists but is decapitated by Business, who sets a self-destruct protocol and leaves everyone to die, including Bad Cop.

As he dies, Vitruvius reveals he made up the prophecy. He soon reappears to Emmet as a ghost and reveals self-belief is what makes one the Special. Strapped to the self-destruct mechanism's battery, Emmet jumps into the abyss outside the tower and severs the connection, saving his friends. Inspired by Emmet's sacrifice, Wyldstyle rallies the Lego people across the universe to build machines and weapons to fight against Lord Business's army of Micro Managers. Meanwhile, Bad Cop allies himself with the Master Builders.

Emmet finds himself in the human world as a Lego mini-figure, unable to move. The events of the story are being played out by a boy named Finn on his father's expansive Lego set in their basement. His father, "The Man Upstairs", comes home from work and is horrified to see his son "ruining" his ideal setup by combining different playsets and ignoring the instructions, and immediately proceeds to undo Finn's changes and permanently glue the pieces together. Realizing the danger his friends are in, Emmet wills himself to move and gains Finn's attention.

Finn returns Emmet and the Piece of Resistance to the set, where Emmet now possesses the powers of a Master Builder and confronts Business in Bricksburg. Meanwhile, Finn's father looks at his son's creations and realizes Finn had based the villainous Lord Business on him and his perfectionism. Through a speech Emmet gives Business, Finn's father comes to his senses and apologizes to his son, and the two unglue the constructions with mineral spirits, which plays out as Business having a change of heart and freeing his victims. Emmet is hailed as a hero and begins a romantic relationship with Wyldstyle with Batman's blessing.

Finn's father then allows Finn's younger sister Bianca to join them in playing with his Lego sets as well, resulting in aliens from the planet Duplon beaming down to the Lego world and announcing their plans to destroy everyone.

Cast

  • Chris Pratt as Emmet Brickowski, an everyman and construction worker from Bricksburg who is mistaken for the Special.
  • Will Ferrell as Lord Business, an evil businessman and tyrant of Bricksburg and the Lego Universe who is the company president of the Octan Corporation under the name President Business.[12][13]
    • Ferrell also plays "The Man Upstairs", a Lego collector and Finn's father in the live-action part of the film.
  • Elizabeth Banks as Lucy / Wyldstyle, a "tough as nails" and tech-savvy fighter who is one of the Master Builders.
  • Will Arnett as Bruce Wayne / Batman, a DC Comics superhero who is a Master Builder.
  • Nick Offerman as Metal Beard, a pirate and Master Builder seeking revenge on Lord Business for taking his body parts following an earlier encounter and causing him to remake his body from bricks.[13]
  • Alison Brie as Princess Unikitty, a unicorn-horned kitten and Master Builder that lives in Cloud Cuckoo Land.[13][14]
  • Charlie Day as Benny, a "1980-something space guy" who is one of the Master Builders and is obsessed with building spaceships.[12]
  • Liam Neeson as Bad Cop / Good Cop, a police officer with a two-sided head and a split personality who serves Lord Business as a member of the Super Secret Police. The character's name and personality are both based on the good cop/bad cop interrogation method which is briefly shown in the film.
    • Neeson also voices Pa Cop, a police officer who is Bad Cop/Good Cop's father and Ma Cop's husband.
  • Morgan Freeman as Vitruvius, a blind old wizard who is one of the Master Builders.
  • Channing Tatum as Superman, a DC Comics superhero who is one of the Master Builders
  • Jonah Hill as Green Lantern, a DC Comics superhero who is one of the Master Builders
  • Cobie Smulders as Wonder Woman, a DC Comics superhero who is one of the Master Builders.
  • Jadon Sand as Finn, an eight-and-a-half-year-old boy who is the son of "The Man Upstairs" in the live-action part of the film.

In addition, Anthony Daniels and Billy Dee Williams reprise their Star Wars roles as C-3PO and Lando Calrissian respectively, with Keith Ferguson voicing Han Solo (whom he previously voiced in Robot Chicken and Mad). Shaquille O'Neal portrays a Lego version of himself who is a Master Builder alongside two generic members of the 2002 NBA All-Stars.

The rest of the cast is rounded out by Craig Berry as Blake (an actor who is the star of "Where are my Pants?"); David Burrows as the Octan Corporation Robots/Super Secret Police Robots; Amanda Farinos as Finn's mother (an offscreen character); Will Forte as Abraham Lincoln (a Master Builder that rides in a rocket chair); Dave Franco as Wally (a construction worker); Todd Hansen as Gandalf (a Master Builder whom Vitruvius mistakes for Albus Dumbledore); Jake Johnson as Barry (a construction worker); Keegan-Michael Key as Frank the Foreman (a construction foreman who is Emmet's boss); Kelly Lafferty as Velma Staplebot (a robot who is Lord Business' personal assistant); Chris McKay as Larry the Barista (a man who works at a coffee shop in Bricksburg); Graham Miller as the Duplo Alien Leader; Doug Nicholas as Surfer Dave (one of Emmet's neighbors) and the Micro Managers (a group of robots used by Lord Business to keep everyone in the right position when they are "Kraglized"); Chris Paluszek as a Robot Foreman (the head of the Robot Demolitionists and the Octan Robot Construction Workers); Chris Romano as Joe (a plumber in Bricksburg), Melissa Sturm as Ma Cop (a police officer who is Bad Cop/Good Cop's mother) and Gail (a construction worker); Jorma Taccone as William Shakespeare (a Master Builder) and Sheriff Not-A-Robot (a robot sheriff in The Old West and member of the Super Secret Police); and Leiki Veskimets as the voice of Octan Tower's Central Computer.

Director Christopher Miller voices as a TV announcer for the Octan comedy show Where Are My Pants?.

Production

Creators of the film at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con International: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, writers and directors; Chris McKay, co-director; and Dan Lin, producer.

Development

Dan Lin conceived of the idea for the film and began discussing it with Roy Lee before leaving Warner Bros. to form his own production company, Lin Pictures, in 2008.[15] Meanwhile, Warner Bros. home entertainment executive Kevin Tsujihara had recognized the value of the Lego franchise by engineering the studio's purchase of Lego video game licensee Traveller's Tales in 2007, thought the success of the Lego-based video games indicated a Lego-based film was a good idea, and reportedly "championed" the development of the film.[15][16] By August 2009, Dan and Kevin Hageman were writing the script described as "action adventure set in a Lego world."[17] Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were in talks in June 2010 to write and direct the film.[18] Warner Bros. green-lit the film by November 2011, with a planned 2014 release date. The Australian studio Animal Logic was contracted to provide the animation, which was expected to comprise 80% of the film. By this time Chris McKay, the director of Robot Chicken, had also joined Lord and Miller to co-direct.[19] McKay explained that his role was to supervise the production in Australia once Lord and Miller left to work on 22 Jump Street.[20] In March 2012, Lord and Miller revealed the film's working title, Lego: The Piece of Resistance, and a storyline.[21] In April 2012, Warner Bros. scheduled the film for release on February 28, 2014, a date that subsequently changed.[22]

"We wanted to make the film feel like the way you play, the way I remember playing. We wanted to make it feel as epic and ambitious and self-serious as a kid feels when they play with LEGO. We took something you could claim is the most cynical cash grab in cinematic history, basically a 90 minute LEGO commercial, and turned it into a celebration of creativity, fun and invention, in the spirit of just having a good time and how ridiculous it can look when you make things up. And we had fun doing it.'"

 —Animation supervisor Chris McKay[20]

Casting

By June 2012, Chris Pratt had been cast as the voice of Emmet, the lead Lego character, and Will Arnett voicing Lego Batman; the role of Lego Superman was offered to Channing Tatum.[23] By August 2012, Elizabeth Banks was hired to voice Lucy (later getting the alias "Wyldstyle")[12] and Morgan Freeman to voice Vitruvius, an old mystic.[23][24] In October 2012, Warner Bros. shifted the release date for the film, simply titled Lego, to February 7, 2014.[25] In November 2012, Alison Brie, Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson, and Nick Offerman signed on for roles. Brie voices Unikitty, a member of Emmet's team; Ferrell voices the antagonist President/Lord Business; Neeson voices Bad Cop/Good Cop and Offerman voices MetalBeard,[26] a pirate seeking revenge on Business.[25]

Animation

The film is strongly inspired by the visual aesthetic and stylistics of Brickfilms and received a great deal of praise in the respective online communities who saw the film as appraising nod to their work.[27] Many Brickfilm-Fans and AFOL's (Adult Fans of Lego) praised the painstaking amount of detail in the production. Animal Logic tried to make the film's animation replicate a stop motion film even if everything was done through computer graphics, with the animation rigs following the same articulation limits actual Lego figures have. The camera systems also tried to replicate live action cinematography, including different lenses and a Steadicam simulator. The scenery was projected through The Lego Group's own Lego Digital Designer, which as CG supervisor Aidan Sarsfield detailed, "uses the official LEGO Brick Library and effectively simulates the connectivity of each of the bricks." The saved files were then converted to design and animate in Maya and XSI. At times the minifigures were even placed under microscopes to capture the seam lines, dirt and grime into the digital textures.[28] Benny the spaceman was based on the line of Lego space sets sold in the 1980s, and his design includes the broken helmet chin strap, a common defect of the space sets at that time.[29] Miller's childhood Space Village playset is used in the film.[30] In July 2012, a Lego-user contest announced on the film's Facebook page would choose a winning Lego vehicle to appear in the film.[31]

Post-Production

The film's total cost, including production, prints and advertising (P&A), was $100 million.[4] Half of the film's cost was financed by Village Roadshow Pictures.[4] The rest was covered by Warner Bros., with RatPac-Dune Entertainment providing a smaller share as part of its multi-year financing agreement with Warner Bros.[32] Initially Warner Bros. turned down Village Roadshow Pictures when it asked to invest in the film.[4] However, Warner Bros. later changed its mind, reportedly due to lack of confidence in the film, initially offering Village Roadshow Pictures the opportunity to finance 25% of the film, and later, an additional 25%.[4]

Soundtrack

The Lego Movie: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by
Mark Mothersbaugh, various artists
ReleasedFebruary 4, 2014
Recorded2013
Trackdown Studios (Sydney)
GenreFilm soundtrack, film score
Length58:10
LabelWaterTower Music
ProducerMark Mothersbaugh, Shawn Patterson, Bartholomew
Mark Mothersbaugh chronology
Last Vegas
(2013)
The Lego Movie: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
(2014)
22 Jump Street
(2014)
Singles from The Lego Movie: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
  1. "Everything Is Awesome"
    Released: January 27, 2014

The film's original score was composed by Mark Mothersbaugh, who had previously worked with Lord and Miller on Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and 21 Jump Street. The Lego Movie soundtrack contains the score as the majority of its tracks. Also included is the song "Everything Is Awesome!!!" written by Shawn Patterson (El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera and Robot Chicken), Joshua Bartholomew,[33] and Lisa Harriton,[34] who also perform the song in the movie under the name, Jo Li. The single, released on January 27, 2014, is performed by Tegan and Sara featuring The Lonely Island (Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone) who wrote the rap lyrics, and is the first song played in the end credits of the movie. The soundtrack was released on February 4, 2014 by WaterTower Music.[35]

Track listing
No.TitlePerformer(s)Length
1."Everything Is Awesome!!!"Tegan and Sara featuring The Lonely Island2:43
2."Prologue" 2:28
3."Emmett's Morning" 2:00
4."Emmett Falls in Love" 1:11
5."Escape" 3:27
6."Into the Old West" 1:00
7."Wyldstyle Explains" 1:21
8."Emmett's Mind" 2:17
9."The Transformation" 1:46
10."Saloons and Wagons" 3:38
11."Batman" 1:23
12."Middle Zealand" 0:28
13."Cloud Cuckooland and Ben the Spaceman" 1:25
14."Emmett's Speech" 2:02
15."Submarines and Metal Beard" 1:49
16."Requiem for Cuckooland" 1:23
17."Reaching the Kragle" 2:35
18."Emmett's Plan" 1:54
19."The Truth" 3:16
20."Wyldstyle Leads" 2:46
21."Let's Put It All Back" 2:02
22."I Am a Master Builder" 2:48
23."My Secret Weapon" 4:19
24."We Did It!" 1:31
25."Everything Is Awesome!!!"Jo Li (Joshua Bartholomew and Lisa Harriton)1:26
26."Everything Is Awesome!!! (unplugged)"Shawn Patterson and Sammy Allen1:24
27."Untitled Self Portrait"Will Arnett1:08
28."Everything Is Awesome!!! (instrumental sing-a-long)" 2:41
Total length:58:10
Chart positions
Chart (2014) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[36] 82
UK Independent Album Breakers (OCC)[37] 8
US Billboard 200[38] 37
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[38] 8
US Top Soundtracks (Billboard)[38] 2

Theme song

The film's theme song, "Everything is Awesome!!!", has been critically praised and has undergone some close analysis. Eric Brown, writing in the International Business Times, describes the song as a parody of fascism, saying that the song "seems little more than an infectiously catchy parody of watered-down radio pop, right down to the faux-dubstep breakdown. There's a lot more happening under the surface, however."[39]

In an interview with Fox News, producer Mark Mothersbaugh says the song "was supposed to be like mind control early in the film. It's totally irritating, this kind of mindless mantra to get people up and working. It's like the whip crack on their back, but then by the end of the movie it morphs into, instead of being just a mindless, go-to-work song it becomes about co-operation and people working together to do bigger things."[40]

Release

The Lego Movie premiered at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles, California on February 1, 2014, and was released in theaters on February 7, 2014.[41] The film was released in Australia by the film's co-producer, Roadshow Films.[42]

Marketing

Over twenty Lego sets inspired by scenes from the film were released for the film including a set of Collectible Minifigures. A website was opened up so fans could make minifigure versions of themselves, and later, put that in the film's official trailer. The company recruited a roster of global partners to a broad, multi-category licensing program to support the film.[43][44] Official Lego Brand Stores also scheduled events. Each week of January 2014, a new character poster (Wyldstyle, Batman, Emmet, Lord Business) came with every purchase.[45] By building a creative model in-store, people received a free accessory pack. Barnes & Noble hosted a themed event in January, February, and March.[46] On February 7, 2014, McDonald's released eight collectible holographic/3D cups in Happy Meals to promote the film.[47] A video game based on the film, The Lego Movie Videogame, by TT Fusion for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation Vita, and Windows, was released on February 4, 2014.[48] An exclusive "Wild West Emmet" minifigure was released with preorders of the game at GameStop.[49]

Home media

The Lego Movie was released on Digital HD on May 20, 2014. It was released by Warner Home Video on DVD and Blu-ray (2D and 3D) on June 17, 2014. A special Blu-ray 3D "Everything is Awesome Edition" also includes an exclusive Vitruvius minifigure and a collectible 3D Emmett photo.[50] The film was released on 4K UHD Blu-Ray on March 1, 2016.[51]

Reception

The film's live-action set as publicly exhibited at Legoland California during 2014.

Critical response

The Lego Movie was met with "nearly unanimous positive reviews."[52] Review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 96% approval rating and an average rating of 8.2/10 based on 239 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "Boasting beautiful animation, a charming voice cast, laugh-a-minute gags, and a surprisingly thoughtful story, The Lego Movie is colorful fun for all ages."[8] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 based on reviews from critics, the film has a score of 83 (indicating "universal acclaim") based on 43 reviews.[53] According to CinemaScore polls conducted during the opening weekend, the average grade moviegoers gave The Lego Movie was A on an A+ to F scale.[54] Filmmaker Edgar Wright, and TIME Magazine film critic Richard Corliss, each named The Lego Movie as one of their favorite films of 2014.[55][56]

Michael Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Arriving at a time when feature animation was looking and feeling mighty anemic…The LEGO Movie shows 'em how it's done,"[57] with Peter Debruge of Variety adding that Lord and Miller "irreverently deconstruct the state of the modern blockbuster and deliver a smarter, more satisfying experience in its place, emerging with a fresh franchise for others to build upon."[58] Tom Huddleston of Time Out said, "The script is witty, the satire surprisingly pointed, and the animation tactile and imaginative."[59] Drew Hunt of the Chicago Reader said the filmmakers "fill the script with delightfully absurd one-liners and sharp pop culture references",[60] with A. O. Scott of The New York Times noting that, "Pop-culture jokes ricochet off the heads of younger viewers to tickle the world-weary adults in the audience, with just enough sentimental goo applied at the end to unite the generations. Parents will dab their eyes while the kids roll theirs."[61] Elizabeth Weitzman of the New York Daily News said the filmmakers "don't sink into cynicism. Their computer animation embraces the retro look and feel of the toys to both ingenious and adorable effect."[62]

Claudia Puig of USA Today called the film "a spirited romp through a world that looks distinctively familiar, and yet freshly inventive."[63] Liam Lacey of The Globe and Mail asked, "Can a feature-length toy commercial also work as a decent kids’ movie? The bombast of the G.I. Joe and Transformers franchises might suggest no, but after an uninspired year for animated movies, The Lego Movie is a 3-D animated film that connects."[64] Joel Arnold of NPR acknowledged that the film "may be one giant advertisement, but all the way to its plastic-mat foundation, it's an earnest piece of work—a cash grab with a heart."[65] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone called the film "sassy enough to shoot well-aimed darts at corporate branding."[66] Michael O'Sullivan of The Washington Post said that, "While clearly filled with affection for—and marketing tie-ins to—the titular product that's front and center, it's also something of a sharp plastic brick flung in the eye of its corporate sponsor."[67]

On the negative side, Kyle Smith of the New York Post called the film "more exhausting than fun, too unsure of itself to stick with any story thread for too long."[68] Moira MacDonald of The Seattle Times, while generally positive, found "it falls apart a bit near the end."[69] Alonso Duralde of The Wrap said the film "will doubtless tickle young fans of the toys. It's just too bad that a movie that encourages you to think for yourself doesn't follow its own advice."[70]

Other response

Television personality, author, filmmaker, radio host and conservative political commentator Glenn Beck praised the film for avoiding "the double meanings and adult humor I just hate."[71]

Oscar host Neil Patrick Harris referenced The Lego Movie not being nominated Best Animated Feature, which many critics considered a major snub, saying prior to the award's presentation "If you’re at the Oscar party with the guys who directed 'The Lego Movie,' now would be a great time to distract them."[72]

U.S. Senator Ron Johnson criticized the film's anti-corporate message, saying that it taught children that "government is good and business is bad", citing the villain's name of Lord Business. "That's done for a reason", Johnson told WisPolitics.com. "They're starting that propaganda, and it's insidious". The comments were criticized by many, and Russ Feingold brought up the comments on the campaign trail during his 2016 Senate bid against Johnson.[73]

Box office performance

The Lego Movie grossed $257.8 million in the U.S. and Canada, and $210.3 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $469.1 million.[5] Calculating in all expenses, Deadline Hollywood estimated that the film made a profit of $229 million.[74]

In the U.S. and Canada, the film opened at number one in its first weekend with over $69 million, which was the second-highest weekend debut in February, at the time, behind The Passion of the Christ ($83.8 million).[75] The movie retained the top spot at box office in its second weekend by declining only 28% and grossing $49.8 million.[76] The Lego Movie was number one again in its third weekend while declining 37% and grossing $31.3 million.[77] In its fourth weekend, the film dropped to number three grossing $20.8 million.[78]

Elsewhere, The Lego Movie was released in 34 markets in February 7, 2014—the same weekend as its U.S. release. It made $18.7 million on its opening weekend from 5,695 screens from 34 countries.[79] On its opening weekend, which varies depending on the country, it earned $3.8 million in Mexico, $2 million in Spain, and $1.8 million in Brazil.[79] With a total gross of £34.3 million, it was the second-highest-grossing film in the UK and Ireland in 2014.[80]

The popularity of the film led to a shortage of Lego products by September 2014.[81]

Accolades

List of accolades
Award / film festival Category Recipient(s) Result
AACTA Awards Best Visual Effects or Animation Chris McKay, Amber Naismith, Aidan Sarsfield and Grant Freckelton Won
Academy Awards Best Original Song "Everything is Awesome" written and lyrics by Shawn Patterson Nominated
American Cinema Editors Best Edited Animated Feature Film David Burrows, Chris McKay Won
42nd Annual Annie Awards[82] Best Animated Feature The Lego Movie Nominated
Animated Effects in an Animated Feature Production Jayandera Danappal, Matt Ebb, Christian Epunan Hernandez, Danielle Brooks, and Raphael Gadot Nominated
Directing in an Animated Feature Production Phil Lord and Christopher Miller Directors;
Chris McKay, Co-Director
Nominated
Production Design in an Animated Feature Production Grant Freckelton Nominated
Writing in an Animated Feature Production Phil Lord and Christopher Miller Won
Editorial in an Animated Feature Production David Burrows, Todd Hansen, Doug Nicholas, Jonathan Tappin and Courtney O'Brien-Brown Nominated
Austin Film Critics Association Best Animated Film The Lego Movie Won
BAFTA Awards[83] Best Animated Film The Lego Movie Won
Black Reel Awards Best Voice Performance Morgan Freeman Won
45th Annual British Academy Children's Awards[84] Kid's Vote — Film in 2014 The Lego Movie Nominated
Children's Feature Film in 2014 The Lego Movie Won
Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Animated Feature The Lego Movie Won
Best Song "Everything Is Awesome" Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association Best Animated Feature The Lego Movie Won
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Best Animated Film The Lego Movie Won
Dublin Film Critics Circle Top Ten Films The Lego Movie 4th Place
Empire Awards Best Comedy Nominated
Florida Film Critics Circle Best Animated Film Won
Golden Globe Awards Best Animated Feature Film Nominated
Golden Tomato Awards 2014 Best Animated Film Won
Best Wide Release 2014 2nd Place
Grammy Awards Best Song Written for Visual Media "Everything Is Awesome" Nominated
Heartland Film Festival 2014[85] Truly Moving Picture Award Phil Lord and Christopher Miller Won
Houston Film Critics Society Best Animated Feature Film The Lego Movie Won
Best Original Song "Everything is Awesome" Won
Hollywood Music in Media Awards Best Original Song in an Animated Film Everything is Awesome Won
Best Original Score in an Animated Film Mark Mothersbaugh Nominated
Kerrang! Awards Best Film The Lego Movie Won
Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Animated Movie The Lego Movie Nominated
Favorite Movie Actor Will Arnett (also for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) Nominated
National Board of Review Best Original Screenplay Phil Lord and Christopher Miller Won
Top Ten Films The Lego Movie Won
New York Film Critics Circle Awards[86] Best Animated Film The Lego Movie Won
New York Film Critics Online Best Animated Film The Lego Movie Won
Online Film Critics Society Best Picture The Lego Movie Nominated
Best Animated Feature The Lego Movie Won
People's Choice Awards[87] Favorite Family Movie The Lego Movie Nominated
Producers Guild of America Best Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures Dan Lin Won
San Diego Film Critics Society Best Animated The Lego Movie Nominated
San Francisco Film Critics Circle[88] Best Animated Feature The Lego Movie Won
Satellite Awards Best Motion Picture Animated or Mixed Media The Lego Movie Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Phil Lord and Christopher Miller Nominated
Best Original Song "Everything Is Awesome" Nominated
Saturn Awards Best Animated Film The Lego Movie Won
St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Best Animated Film The Lego Movie Won
16th SXSW Film Festival[89] SXSW Film Design Award
(Special Jury Recognition)
Brian Mah (Designer) Won
Teen Choice Awards[90] Choice Movie: Animated The Lego Movie Nominated
Choice Movie: Voice Chris Pratt
Toronto Film Critics Association Best Animated Feature The Lego Movie Runner-Up
13th Visual Effects Society Awards[91] Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture Chris McKay, Amber Naismith, Jim Dodd, David Williams Nominated
Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Animated Feature Motion Picture Carsten Kolve, Jayandera Danappal, Matt Ebb, Miles Green Nominated
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association[92] Best Animated Feature The Lego Movie Won
Best Original Screenplay Phil Lord and Christopher Miller Nominated

Franchise

Because of its critical and commercial success, The Lego Movie has been turned into a franchise and a shared fictional universe, it consists of:

Sequel

A direct sequel to the film, entitled The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, was released on February 8, 2019 with Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks and Will Arnett reprising their roles of Emmet, Wyldstyle and Batman respectively and Tiffany Haddish joining the cast.

Spin-offs

There are two spin-off films, the first two of which, The Lego Batman Movie and The Lego Ninjago Movie, were both released in 2017. A third spin-off titled The Billion Brick Race was scheduled for release in 2019.[93][94][95]

4D Attraction

A 4-D movie featuring in-theatre effects, based on the film itself, titled The Lego Movie: 4D - A New Adventure, opened at select Legoland theme parks across the globe in 2016.[96]

Television series

On May 10, 2017, Warner Bros. and Lego announced that the character Unikitty would receive a spin-off television series on Cartoon Network, with Tara Strong voicing the character. The series premiered January 1, 2018.[97]

In other media

Emmet and Wyldstyle make a cameo in The Simpsons episode Brick Like Me in which are seen as part of a Lego building contest.

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