The
Lego Movie - Everything is Awesome Edition
(2014/Warner Blu-ray 3D w/Blu-ray 2D + DVD + Digital Copy)
Picture:
A/A/B Sound: A/A/B+ Extras: B Film: B+
Hard
to believe that the Lego Company has been manufacturing those tiny,
little bricks since 1949; and they are more popular than ever, in
part thanks to The
Lego Movie!
New
to Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D is The
Lego Movie: Totally Awesome Edition.
The film takes place in a world inhabited by Lego people/creatures.
Everything (literally) from head to toe is Lego. The film starts
off with a wise man/wizard named Vitruvius (voiced by Morgan Freeman)
battling with the evil Lord Business (Will Ferrell), as he attempts
to protect the 'secret weapon' known as The Kragle. The film then
fast forwards 8.5 years later where we are introduced to Emmett
Brickowski (voiced by Chris Pratt). Emmett is a lovable, ordinary
construction worker Lego man who takes everything at face value. He
loves the world, its, people, his job, and everything that is put
before him; for in Lego world everything may be awesome, but is 100%
controlled by Lord Business. That is to say there are standard
songs, TV shows, jobs, foods, and ways to build; not allowing anyone
to think outside the box... umm block.
In
a life changing event, Emmett stumbles across The Piece of Resistance
(something Vitruvius foretold of); but is quickly intercepted by Lord
Business' thugs and lead interrogator Bad Cop/Good Cop (voiced by
Liam Neeson). Bad Cop/Good Cop is a rotating head figure that using
the classic crime drama shtick in an attempt to breakdown Emmett; but
seeing as how Emmett barley knows what is going on, the routine fails
to work. Emmett is rescued by a female revolutionary named Wildstyle
(Elizabeth Banks) who takes Emmett under her wing as they journey to
over throw the evil Lord Business.
Not
before long, however, Wildstyle and her crew (composed of Batman and
a host of other interesting Lego universe characters) realize that
Emmett may not be the savior they hoped for... but could he be the
one they need?
The
Lego Movie is
astonishingly good. Whereas they film could have been a total
'kiddie cash in,' instead it remains self-aware and pokes fun at the
very thing it is promoting. This fine balance of homage to a classic
toy with updated, relevant humor is what makes the film so great.
The jokes are a combination of 'Lego humor' that anyone who has ever
used Legos could appreciate, mixed with family friendly pop culture
references that will go right over the little ones heads.
In
the end, a very well made film.
The
Everything
is Awesome Edition of
The
Lego Movie
is incredibly well constructed! It comes in a thin, clear, plastic,
protective case which houses a 3D Blu-ray case in the shape (the
film's star) Emmett; much like that of earlier Simpson
DVD
releases. Along with having an amazingly creative, fun case this
release includes a limited edition Vitruvius Lego figure that can
only be found with the Everything
is Awesome Edition.
The 3D picture is presented in a 1080P, 2.40 X 1 AVC encoded MPEG-4
that is astonishingly well done. The standard Blu-ray is presented
the same, minus (of course) the 3D feature. This film was made for
3D! And is another great addition to the home theater 3D library.
Whereas in the past certain 3D presentations felt muted with blunted
colors and image distortion, The
Lego Movie does
everything correct. This is Blu-ray 3D done right, as it dismisses
the 'IN YOUR FACE' 3D gimmicks of the past and instead enhances the
film by adding a layer of depth throughout. Outside of the depth of
the 3D I would say the image on the 2D release and 3D are very
comparable. Both have clean, crisp lines, bright colors, wonderful
texture and detail that most films (animated or otherwise) can't
achieve. It is truly as if the Lego pieces have come to life.
The
sound is equally impressive as the 5.1 DTS-HD MA (Master Audio)
lossless mix in both the 3D & 2D releases creates a fully
immersive experience. Every speaker lights up with sound, ranging
from the crisp, clean dialogue to the fast paced adventure; not to
the mention the simply blaring joy of the song 'Everything is
Awesome!' With perfect prioritization and balance the track is truly
admirable as it surrounds the viewer. Panning effects are spot on
and promote the action packed adventure's controlled chaos
atmosphere.
Both
the DVD and Digital Copies are nice additions to round off this
Everything
is Awesome set,
but are clear downgrades of the amazing 3D and 2D releases.
The
extras are plentiful and deliver the same amount of fun as the film
itself; offering fans a little bit of everything. Extras include:
Batman's
a True Artist (Short; music video)
Michelangelo
and Lincoln: History Cops (Short)
Enter
the Ninjago
Behind
the Scenes: Bringing Lego to Life
'Everything
is Awesome' Sing-A-Long
Behind
the Scenes: See it, Build it!
Behind
the Scenes Stories: Stories from the Story Team
Fan
Made Films: Top Secret Submissions
Outtakes
Promotional
Content
Alleyway
Test
Deleted
Scenes
Featurette:
Dream Job - Meet the Lego Builders
-
Michael P. Dougherty II
