The Lego Movie: A movie that should have sucked, but was actually pretty awesome

Okay, so I'll be honest,  when I first heard they were making a Lego movie I groaned. Because come on, it sounded like it would be a stupid kiddy movie that's soul purpose was only to sell more Legos at Toys R Us. Most films like this (Transformers, Battleship, etc.) are just god awful. Also, I've grown up playing with not only Lego toys, but also other Lego merchandise- such as their popular video games. I can't tell you how much fun I had playing the Lego Stars Wars video game as a kid, but the thought that the cut scenes from that video game were to be the type of content about to be featured in a Hollywood film was horrifying to me. (I mean in the earlier games the Legos don't even speak english, they just sort of babble like in the Sims, it's weird and just awful.)

With all that said, I don't think it was completely unfair of me to have my doubts about this film. So, when the film came out and started getting extremely positive reviews, I couldn't believe it.

So obviously, I had to go check this out for myself and I am so glad I did! Because not only is the Lego Movie good, it's awesome! The film is brilliantly and hilariously written, with beautiful animation, charming voice acting, and a surprising amount of heart. 

One of my favorite things about the film is how self-referential it is. It knows that it's a movie about Legos and instead of making the audience try to forget that, which would be impossible, it uses this fact to it's advantage. The film jokes not only about the nature of the toys and properties themselves, but also the way it's users/audience relate to them. 

For example, this was one of my favorite jokes in the film:

Because, come on, who didn't have that one friend who would only use certain colors or pieces when playing with Legos? (The fact that they use Batman and his darkness obsession, for this joke just makes it better.) It is little touches like this that really make the film connect with the audience in a way that other film franchises with a similar basis (again: Transformers, Battleship, etc) have not. 

This film is kind of like Lego's mission statement. It actually makes you want to leave the theater and go buy Legos.  Which I guess is the point, but it's done so well and so cleverly that you don't even mind being marketed to for two hours. 

The Lego Movie is directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who also directed another popular film you might have heard of...

Yeah, no wonder you liked the Lego Movie, huh? What's even better, Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill actually both have small speaking roles in the Lego Movie because of this.

 If you did not know that, you are welcome by the way.

As you can probably tell, Warner Brother's (who distributed the film) took full advantage of their rights to use DC comic book characters (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, etc) in this film. Which is fine by me because then we get jokes like these-

But DC heroes weren't the only franchise characters to make an appearance in this film. The Lego Movie goes all out, bringing in characters from films such as Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. It adds to the atmosphere of magic and chaos that the film presents, because when else are you going to see Dumbledore and Gandalf in the same movie? It could only happen in the Lego Movie and the filmmakers took full advantage of this fact.

I could go on and on about how much fun the Lego Movie is, but if you've already seen it then you know what I'm talking about and if you haven't I don't want to spoil anymore for you! If you are one of those people who have yet to see this film, go rent it and watch it with a bunch of friends! You won't regret it!

How to Make a Sequel

No one has to explain why there are sequels and I'm not here to say that sequels should or shouldn't be made. But if someone is trying to make a sequel, here are the best things to do and things to think about before you make one. First off, you should always always ask why. Why does there need to be a sequel and what does it offer? Do we need to see more robots blow up buildings or does the fifth installment tell a tale about an aspect the viewers have never seen. Does Optimus Prime fall in love with a human in Transformers 5? I would watch that. A film isn't interesting if you just slab the same plot with the same characters in it, no matter how interesting the characters. The key is to make a film feel new but by using character you love and a world you know.

So it's hard not to look at superhero films on this topic but it's the easiest to compare to sequels because as you know there's a lot of them. So let's look at a great example, earlier this year Marvel Studios released Captain America: Winter Solider the sequel to 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger. The film released to rave reviews and shows how to make a sequel. The film takes these characters people love from the first film but breaks deeper into their lives. Anthony and Joe Russo created a film in a completely different genre but with the same characters. Now a spy thriller the film feels fresh and explores themes that are exciting but continue the story from the original. All of this plus beautiful cinematography, it's well written and it's well acted. Basically, if you have two more hours of the same characters lets learn something new and explore new ideas in this world. 

Someone should never make a sequel because of money, but sorry folks that's just the way the world works. Obvious sequels are created to make more money but I believe Marvel is trying to prove that sequels aren't always a bad thing. And this could be for the good or the bad. I believe every film could have a sequel in some way or another but the question is not whether you can, but if you should. (Well that reminds me of the moral of Jurassic Park. *crossing my fingers for Jurassic World*

Geocentrism in Transformers: Age of Extinction

While watching the three hour long Transformers: Age of Extinction this summer, I was given ample time to reflect on the theme of the film. 

 Throughout the film there are many references to beings referred to as “our creators.”  Lockdown, a Transformer, is sent down from another planet to bring Optimus Prime and the other Autobots back to these creators.  When Prime decides to defend the humans, Lockdown continually suggests that Optimus Prime should not side with them.  Lockdown claims that humans believe that they are the most important beings in the universe even though they are aware of the other beings that exist.  Lockdown does not care if the humans destroy themselves, for he believes that they are selfish, greedy, destructive, and geocentric.  He points out that there is war, disease, poverty, and violence on earth.  If humans were removed from the earth, hate and destruction would cease and the earth would prosper again.  Through Lockdown’s hatred of the human race, the filmmakers are trying to convey the message that humans need to be less geocentric, more understanding of other cultures, and less harmful to the environment.

Although the filmmakers attempt to impose this moral on the audience, the characterization of the Transformers proves that we are farther away from changing than we think.  The Autobots and Decepticons transform into bodies that look inherently human.  All of the Transformers have two arms, two legs, and a face with eyes, a nose, a mouth, and projections coming from their heads that appear to be ears.  Not only do these aliens have physical human characteristics, but they also act like humans.  Hound, the Autobot voiced by John Goodman, has a round belly that jiggles when he walks.  He has a beard as well as a mustache and smokes a cigar.  This is completely based off of human appearance as well as culture.  As far as we know, smoking cigars is something that only humans do.  No animal, machine, or other being smokes cigars.

Hound

Another Autobot, Drift, transforms from a Bugatti into a samurai.  Samurais are unique to Japanese culture.  Again, the filmmakers portray a part of human culture that could not be mistaken or interchanged with any other culture.

Drift

Although the message of this film implies that humans need to become more welcoming towards outsiders in order to save the earth, the filmmakers directly oppose that idea by using human characteristics and culture to create the images of the Transformers.  The filmmakers model these alien characters after humans, not giving them their own culture, but imposing ours upon them, proving that we are in fact geocentric.  This directly contradicts the moral that the movie is trying to convey.

Human characterization is given to extra-terrestrial characters in many other alien films as well.  For example, the beloved E.T. has eyebrows, two eyes, a nose, a mouth that melds into a loving smile, and even an affinity for the Coors Light he finds in the fridge.  The movie, Signs, portrays an alien that looks almost entirely human, only more skeletal. The model used for this figure could easily have been the skeletal remains of one of our early ancestors.

E.T. (Even dressed as a human)

The Neanderthal-looking alien from Signs.

 By portraying aliens in films with human characteristics and culture, filmmakers prove that we are, in fact, geocentric and find difficulty in imagining a world too different from our own.