Movie Review: “The Lego Movie”

For anyone who doesn’t know what Legos are, they are a popular line of construction toys consisting on plastic building blocks and mini-figures. They have been a major part of many a happy childhood; and I assume have inspired more than a few architects. Now that we have the general knowledge stuff out of the way, it’s surprising that it took so long for the Lego franchise to come out with a movie. The question is, now that they have, does it work? Well, let’s just say that directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller ensure that all the blocks are in place in this structure.

Emmet (Chris Patt) is an ordinary Lego mini-figure, who is content following the rules and living a straightforward life. His normal existence is turned upside down when he accidentally recovers the hidden “Piece of Resistance”, the only thing that can stop the evil President Business (Will Ferrell) and his henchman Bad Cop (Liam Neeson) from unleashing the devastating weapon “Kragle” on the Lego world. Instantly considered as the “special” (read ‘chosen one’) as per the prophecy stated by blind wizard Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman), Emmet must now join forces with Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks), Batman (Will Arnett), Vitruvius and a slew of other master builders to ensure that President Business cannot carry out his evil plan.

“The Lego Movie” works on all levels –the animation, which uses CGI and has a stop-motion feel; is top notch and works well with the 3D to give the feel of a real Lego set environment. The plot, though predictable and really pushing its central message of ‘everyone is special’ and ‘let your imagination and instinct guide you’ onto the audience at every available opportunity, is quite heartfelt and sincere. Some may feel that it is more suitable for younger audiences as compared to other animation movies with more serious scripts, but I think all age groups would just enjoy letting their inner child out on this one.

The real plus here is the writing of the scenes and the dialogues – the movie will keep audiences laughing continuously as the jokes come one after the other with almost no let up. Even though most jokes are referencing popular movies and pop culture, and someone unfamiliar with these may not be able to appreciate some of the more ‘inside jokes’, there are just so many gags that every scene is enjoyable. Where else would you find Gandalf, Dumbledore, Michelangelo (the painter), Michelangelo (the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle), Shakespeare, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Green Lantern and Abraham Lincoln all in the same sequence?

The movie boasts of an incredible voice cast, including the likes of Morgan Freeman, Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Cobie Smulders, Dave Franco and Charlie Day (whew). As can be expected, not all of them get the same screen time, and most of the best lines are reserved for the major players. But everyone plays their part, in what is an epic ensemble cast. The lines are delivered so well and so seamlessly, the dialogues, characters and the script gel well to give us one of the best animated movies in recent memory.

I think “The Lego Movie” is a fun time, where audiences should just forget their worries and have a good time. Even if you haven’t played with a Lego set all your life, chances are that, after watching this movie, you may rush to your nearest toy store to get a set to relive your childhood and set your imagination free.

“The Wolf of Wall Street” Movie Review

After watching “The Wolf of Wall Street”, the first thing that came to mind is – “Martin Scorcese is 72 years old, and he’s still got it!” Not that there was any doubt. He is one of those directors whose name assures that it’s going to be a fun time at the movies. And “The Wolf of Wall Street” is just so much fun.

“The Wolf of Wall Street” chronicles the meteoric rise of Jordan Belfort and his firm Stratton Oakmont, and his subsequent fall from grace. And, all the debauchery and craziness along the way. Jordan Belfort (Leonardo Di Caprio) starts off as a broker in New York, and after being laid off after the Black Monday of 1987; uses his wits and a motley crew including Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill) to start his own firm. By dumping penny stocks onto unsuspecting investors, he earns a fortune and gets dubbed ‘The Wolf’. It’s not long before he catches the eye of the FBI, and is pursued by the relentless Agent Denham (Kyle Chandler). Throw in between all the drugs, his relation with his mercurial second wife Naomi (Margot Robbie), his ‘angry at the drop of a hat’ father “Mad” Max (Rob Reiner) and a slew of other equally quirky characters and sequences into the mix, and you get a heady concoction that can best be described as a guilty pleasure like no other.

Scorcese’s stamp of class is all over this movie, and this is arguably the movie’s greatest strength. There is a manic energy about the proceedings, and Scorcese pulls out all the stops to show the excessive and indulgent lifestyles led by Jordan and his cohorts. Some scenes would just shock your socks off (despite the movie being censored in India) with the sheer audacity of the makers – there seems to be an extra effort to highlight the insensitivity of the characters to dwarfs, homosexuals and almost anyone other than themselves. There are some laugh out (really loud) moments – I was rolling over laughing in pretty much all of the scenes – but particular mention to the scene where Donny has a confrontation at a parking lot with Brad; and the entire sequence which I can only call the “Popeye” scene (you can’t miss it). Not to mention the scene where Belfort tries to take his ship to Monaco in rough waters… Or anytime Belfort takes the mike to motivate his employees. Safe to say, there are enough moments to keep audiences riveted.

However, all the fun and games dilutes the seriousness of the issue of securities fraud, to a point that some people would feel that the movie actually promotes the lifestyle the protagonists lead. The fall from grace feels like an afterthought, and honestly, hampers the pace as it’s not nearly as fun. I also felt that it would have added something if the script had included more details on the different ways how Belfort actually made his money, rather than just focus on how he blew it (pun intended). It looks like the makers felt it would slow down proceedings and confuse viewers, though I would have to disagree. But these are minor glitches in the fun rollercoaster ride.

The movie benefits from the unbridled performances from its two main players – Leonardo Di Caprio and Jonah Hill. Di Caprio, in his fifth collaboration with Scorcese, pulls off a magic act, portraying Belfort as an off-the-rocker, eccentric player, and gets viewers to invest in Belfort despite all his flaws. This performance could finally get Di Caprio the Oscar that has eluded him so far – it’s definitely a deserving performance. He shares excellent chemistry with Jonah Hill, who is in fine form as the even crazier Azoff. The supporting cast is also really good and adds to the movie. And I just have to mention Matthew McConaughey who leaves a lasting impression with literally one brilliant scene (pretty much the only scene he is in). You have to see it to believe it.

My final verdict is simple – “The Wolf of Wall Street” may not be for everyone as it pushes virtually every envelope there is, but very few can deny that it is a lot of fun. And for me, that warrants a trip to the movies.