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The Lego Movie

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"LEGO Movie" redirects here. For stop motion films made using Lego bricks, see Brickfilm. For other LEGO movies, see List of Lego films.

The Lego Movie
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPhil Lord
Chris Miller
Screenplay by
  • Phil Lord
  • Chris Miller
Story by
  • Dan Hageman
  • Kevin Hageman
  • Phil Lord
  • Chris Miller
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyPablo Plaisted
Edited by
  • David Burrows
  • Chris McKay
Music byMark Mothersbaugh
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release dates
  • February 1, 2014 (2014-02-01) (Los Angeles premiere)
  • February 7, 2014 (2014-02-07) (United States)
Running time
100 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States[1]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$60 million[3]
Box office$223,418,000[4]

The Lego Movie (stylized as The LEGO Movie) is a 2014 American computer animated family comedy film directed and co-written by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, and starring the voices of Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Liam Neeson, and Morgan Freeman. The film is based on the Lego line of construction toys and was released on February 7, 2014.

Plot

Cast

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 (who also voiced the character in some episodes of Robot Chicken). Shaquille O'Neal portrays a Lego version of himself, and the cast is rounded out by Will Forte as Abraham Lincoln, Dave Franco as Wally, Jake Johnson as Barry, Keegan-Michael Key as Foreman Jim, and Jorma Taccone as William Shakespeare. Co-director Chris Miller cameos as a TV Presenter. In the live action portion of the film, the human boy, Finn, is played by Jadon Sand.

Production

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

The film had been in development at Warner Bros. since 2008.[8] By August 2009, Dan and Kevin Hageman were writing the script described as "action adventure set in a Lego world."[9] Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were in talks in June 2010 to write and direct the film.[10] 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.[8] In March 2012, Lord and Miller revealed the film's working title, Lego: The Piece of Resistance, and a storyline.[11] In April 2012, Warner Bros. scheduled the film for release on February 28, 2014, a date that subsequently changed.[12]

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.[13] By August 2012, Elizabeth Banks was hired to voice Lucy (later getting the nickname Wyldstyle)[5] and Morgan Freeman to voice Vitruvius, an old mystic.[14][13] In October 2012, Warner Bros. shifted the release date for the film, simply titled Lego, to February 7, 2014.[15] In November 2012, Alison Brie, Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson, and Nick Offerman signed on for roles. Brie voices Uni-Kitty a member of Emmet's team with the powerful secret of getting an angry temper, Ferrell voices a villain named President/Lord Business, Neeson voices a foe called Bad Cop, and Offerman voices Metalbeard,[16] a pirate seeking revenge on Business.[15]

In July 2012, a Lego-user contest announced on the movie's Facebook page would choose a winning Lego vehicle to appear in the film.[17] 17 Lego building sets based on the film's scenes and characters were released,[18] including Lord Business' Evil Lair,[19] and Cloud Cuckoo Palace,[7] along with a set of 16 Minifigures (William Shakespeare, Gail the Construction Worker, Panda Guy, Abraham Lincoln, Taco Tuesday Guy, Larry the Barista, President Business, Calamity Drone, Marsha Queen of the Mermaids, Wild West Wyldstyle, Scribble-Face Bad Cop, Velma Staplebot, Hard Hat Emmet, "Where are my Pants?" Guy, Mrs. Scratchen-Post, and Wiley Fusebot).[18][20] Miller's childhood Space Village playset is utilised in the film.[21]

Release

Marketing

The Lego Movie received many forms of marketing from both Warner Bros. and The Lego Group. Seventeen building play sets inspired by scenes from the film were released, 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 has recruited a roster of global partners to a broad, multi-category licensing program to support the film.[22]

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.[23] By building a creative model in-store, people received a free accessory pack. Barnes and Noble will host a themed event in January, February, and March.[24] On February 7, 2014, McDonald's released eight collectible holographic/3D cups in Happy Meals to promote the film.[25]

A video game based on the film, The Lego Movie Videogame, by TT Games for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation Vita, and Windows, was released on February 4, 2014.[26] An exclusive "Wild West Emmet" minifigure was released with preorders of the game at GameStop.[27]

Theatrical release

The first teaser/theatrical trailer was released on June 18, 2013.[28] The second was released on October 31, 2013, preceded by a series of teasers featuring main characters.[29] 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.[30]

Reception

Critical response

The Los Angeles Times said The Lego Movie has received "nearly unanimous positive reviews".[31] Template:Rotten Tomatoes score On Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 based on reviews from critics, the film has a score of 82 (indicating "universal acclaim") based on 39 reviews.[32] According to CinemaScore polls conducted during the opening weekend, the average grade cinemagoers gave The Lego Movie was A on an A+ to F scale.[33]

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,"[34] 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."[35] Tom Huddleston of Time Out said, "The script is witty, the satire surprisingly pointed, and the animation tactile and imaginative."[36] Drew Hunt of the Chicago Reader said the filmmakers "fill the script with delightfully absurd one-liners and sharp pop culture references",[37] 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."[38]

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."[39] Claudia Puig of USA Today called the film "a spirited romp through a world that looks distinctively familiar, and yet freshly inventive."[40] 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."[41] 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."[42] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone called the film "sassy enough to shoot well-aimed darts at corporate branding."[43] 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."[44]

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."[45] Moira MacDonald of The Seattle Times, while generally positive, found "it falls apart a bit near the end."[46] 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."[47]

Box office

As of February 17, 2014, The Lego Movie has grossed $143,818,000 in North America, and $51,200,000 in other countries, for a worldwide total of $195,018,000.[4] In North America, the film opened at number one in its first weekend, with $69,050,279, which is the second highest weekend debut in February behind The Passion of the Christ ($83.8 million).[48]

Soundtrack

Untitled

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!!!" by music and lyrics by Shawn Patterson. Additional lyrics by Jo - Li Tegan and Sara featuring The Lonely Island written by Shawn Patterson (El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera and Robot Chicken), Joshua Bartholomew and Lisa Harriton (Jo Li), which has also been used in the film's marketing campaign. The soundtrack was released on February 4, 2014 by WaterTower Music.[49]

All music composed by Mark Mothersbaugh, except where noted.

No.TitlePerformer(s)Length
1."Everything Is Awesome!!!"Tegan and Sara featuring The Lonely Island2:43
2."Prologue" 2:28
3."Emmet's Morning" 1:59
4."Emmet Falls in Love" 1:11
5."Escape" 3:27
6."Into the Old West" 1:00
7."Wyldstyle Explains" 1:21
8."Emmet'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."Emmet's Speech" 2:02
15."Submarines and Metalbeard" 1:49
16."Requiem for Cuckooland" 1:23
17."Reaching the Kragle" 2:35
18."Emmet'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 Harriton1:26
26."Everything is Awesome!!! (Unplugged)"Shawn Patterson and Sammy Allen1:24
27."Untitled Self Portrait"Will Arnett1:08
28."Everything is Awesome!!! (Instrumental)" 2:41
Total length:58:10

Sequel

On February 3, 2014, Jared Stern was hired to write a sequel, along with Michelle Morgan.[50][51][52]

References

  1. ^ Simon, Brent (February 3, 2014). "The Lego Movie". Screen Daily. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
  2. ^ "The Lego Movie (U)". Warner Bros. British Board of Film Classification. January 17, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  3. ^ "'Lego Movie' Can Save Warner Bros. Animation". Forbes. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  4. ^ a b Staff (February 8, 2014). "The LEGO Movie (2014)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  5. ^ a b c d Alexander, Bryan (October 23, 2013). "'The Lego Movie' hopes to cement a built-in fan base". USA Today. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
  6. ^ a b c "Lego: Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson Join Animated Film". The Hollywood Reporter. November 9, 2012. Retrieved April 7, 2013.
  7. ^ a b Enk, Bryan (October 31, 2013). "Wonder Woman Finally Gets Her Movie Close-Up ... but How Does the Lego Uni-Kitty Fit In?". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  8. ^ a b McNary, Dave (November 11, 2011). "Warners greenlights 'Lego' feature". Variety. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  9. ^ Graser, Marc (August 11, 2009). "Warner builds pic with Lego". Variety. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  10. ^ McNary, Dave (June 28, 2010). "'Cloudy' directors toy with 'Lego'". Variety. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  11. ^ Han, Angie (March 5, 2012). "Phil Lord and Chris Miller Offer New Title, Plot Details for Warner Bros.' Lego Movie". /Film.com. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  12. ^ McNary, Dave (April 23, 2012). "Warner Bros. dates 'Lego,' '42'". Variety. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  13. ^ a b Sneider, Jeff (June 26, 2012). "Super voices in play for WB's Lego movie". Variety. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
  14. ^ "Casting and Plot Details Confirmed for 'Lego'" (Press release). Warner Bros. via ComingSoon.net. August 28, 2012. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
  15. ^ a b "Warner Bros. Shifts 'Lego' Release Date". Deadline.com. October 22, 2012. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
  16. ^ Chitwood, Adam (January 28, 2013). "Nick Offerman Talks 'The Lego Movie'; Says He Plays a Pirate Named Metalbeard and Compares Film to 'The Wizard of Oz' or 'Willy Wonka'". Collider.com. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
  17. ^ "Welcome to the official Facebook page for 'Lego: The Motion Picture..." 'Lego: The Motion Picture' Facebook page. July 12, 2012. Retrieved August 29, 2012. 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
  18. ^ a b "Comic-Con: Lego Announces Building Sets and Video Game for 'The Lego Movie'". ComingSoon.net. July 16, 2013. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  19. ^ Kit, Borys (November 1, 2013). "First-Look: New Lego Set Based on the Upcoming Movie (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  20. ^ Trumbore, Dave (November 1, 2013). "New Lego Sets Based on 'The Lego Movie' Reveal Characters and Locations". Collider.com. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  21. ^ Anders, Charlie Jane (July 20, 2013). "Is 'The Lego Movie' really the best film ever? Signs point to yes!". io9. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
  22. ^ Strecker, Erin (July 16, 2013). "Surprise! Lego group announces special sets in promotion of 'Lego Movie'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  23. ^ "Free exclusive 'Lego Movie' poster with any purchase!". Freehold Raceway Mall. January 20, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  24. ^ "Barnes and Noble to Host In-Store Activities Campaign for 'The Lego Movie'". Entertainment Weekly. January 20, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  25. ^ Allen "Tormentalous" Tran (January 4, 2014). "The LEGO Movie McDonald's Happy Meal "Toy" Revealed". Thebrickfan.com. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
  26. ^ Purchese, Robert (July 16, 2013). "TT Games doing a Lego Movie video game". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  27. ^ "Lego Movie Videogame". Gamestop. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  28. ^ "Hot Trailer: 'The Lego Movie'". Deadline.com. June 18, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  29. ^ Nicholson, Max (October 30, 2013). "The 'Lego Movie' Clip: Meet Batman". IGN. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  30. ^ 4 DAYS (February 2, 2014). "Inside the 'Lego Movie' Premiere With Chris Pratt and Will Arnett". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 7, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  31. ^ Gettell, Oliver (February 7, 2014). "'Lego Movie' a colorful, outside-the-box adventure, reviews say". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
  32. ^ "The LEGO Movie Reviews". Metacritic (CBS Interactive). Retrieved February 10, 2014.
  33. ^ "Box office report: 'The Lego Movie' stacks up $69.1 million for 'awesome' debut, 'Monuments Men' steals second with $22.7 million". Entertainment Weekly. February 9, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  34. ^ "The Lego Movie: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. January 31, 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  35. ^ Peter Debruge (February 1, 2014). "'The Lego Movie' Review: The Tiny Toy Bricks Get the Bigscreen Movie They Deserve". Variety. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  36. ^ Author: Tom Huddleston (February 4, 2014). "The LEGO Movie". Time Out. Retrieved February 5, 2014. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  37. ^ Hunt, Drew. "The LEGO Movie". Chicago Reader. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
  38. ^ Scott, A. O. (February 6, 2014). "'The Lego Movie,' From Phil Lord and Christopher Miller". The New York Times. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
  39. ^ "'The Lego Movie': Movie review". Daily News. February 2, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
  40. ^ "'The Lego Movie' builds family fun from clever satire". USA Today. August 17, 2013. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
  41. ^ Liam Lacey. "The Lego Movie: a subversively flippant story about thinking outside the blocks". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  42. ^ Arnold, Joel (February 6, 2014). "Movie Review - 'The Lego Movie' - A Goofy Toy Story That Genuinely Clicks". NPR. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
  43. ^ By Peter Travers. "'The Lego Movie' Review | Movie Reviews". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  44. ^ O'Sullivan, Michael (February 6, 2014). "'The Lego Movie' review: Toy-themed adventure celebrates creativity". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
  45. ^ Smith, Kyle (February 5, 2014). "'The Lego Movie' is a blockheaded adventure". New York Post. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
  46. ^ Macdonald, Moira (February 6, 2014). "'The Lego Movie': a primary-colored paradise for kids". The Seattle Times. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
  47. ^ Alonso Duralde (February 2, 2014). "'The Lego Movie' Review: Funny Pieces Don't Click With Heavy-Handed Message (Video)". TheWrap. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  48. ^ "Weekend Report: Everything Is Awesome For 'The LEGO Movie'". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
  49. ^ "'The Lego Movie' Soundtrack Details". Film Music Reporter. January 14, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  50. ^ "Warner Bros. Hires Writer for Sequel to The LEGO Movie". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  51. ^ Paur, Joey (February 4, 2014). "A Sequel to THE LEGO MOVIE Is Already in the Works". geektyrant.
  52. ^ Shaw, Lucas (February 3, 2014). "Warner Bros. Already Working on Sequel to 'The Lego Movie' (Exclusive)". The Wrap News, Inc. Retrieved February 8, 2014.

External links

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