The Lego Movie (2014)

It's been said that The Lego Movie is little more than a extended toy commercial. Even if I agreed with that, my general response to this is, "Who cares?" Legos are awesome, and so is The Lego Movie!

How rare is it that you have a series of toys that has stood the test of time. I played with Legos when I was a kid, particularly the generic 80's Space Legos referenced in the film, and decades later my nephews are playing with them. Only they have much cooler Star Wars and Superhero themed Legos. Plus, there's the great Lego video game series, too. Admit it, you've played them. I suppose it helps when you film is based on a product that has a broad, built in audience.

The basic story is a Matrix-esque hero's quest. When attempting to protect a weapon called the "Kragle", Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman) warns Lord Business (Will Ferrell) of a prophecy where someone known as the "Special" will find the Piece of Resistance, the only thing that can stop the Kragle.

Later, we meet Emmet (Chris Pratt), an average guy with no special skills or qualities. While working on a construction site, he sees a woman, Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks), frantically searching for something. When trying to catch up to her, he stumbles down a hole and finds the famed Piece. He has a vision and shortly after is arrested by Bad Cop (Liam Neeson). Emmet learns of Lord, now President, Business' plan to use the Kragle to destroy the world. Believing Emmet is the Special, she rescues him and off they go to thwart President Business' plan.

It's almost hard to put into words how much fun is packed into The Lego Movie. There literally is a laugh a minute, with the gags coming in such rapid fire succession that it's easy to miss everything that's going on. Like many of the better animated films, the humor doesn't pander to a particular age group. There's something for everyone. At times you'll hear a big laugh from the kids, then maybe a handful of adults at something a little more obscure. They even throw in a subtle dig at generic sitcoms and pop music aimed at the masses.

As we get to the conclusion, there's a slight twist that gives the story some weight and makes it more than just about jokes and pretty animation. You'll look back on the film and realize that some of it's creativity, and even the simpler moments, are really more about the imagination of a child. It also reminded me of times where I would refuse to let my nephews take a Star Wars action figure out of the package, as to not ruin it's condition or integrity, when they simply wanted to play with it. Toys, especially Legos, are meant to be played with and inspire creativity, not sit on some old guy's shelf hoping it will gain value some day. Sure collecting has its place, but it helps to be reminded about their true purpose.

Despite Legos not having a ton of articulation, the animation is surprisingly fluid. There some very creative use of Legos to animate rounded shapes like clouds and water. There's some great Transformers type stuff, as well. This is also one of the few movies that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend seeing in 3D. The format fits the the vibrant images and animation well.

Where The Lego Movie really shines is with it's voice cast. As I've mentioned in previous animated films, it's a strength when they can cast recognizable voices, but they don't distract or take you out of the movie. While the cast is filled with big name stars, you're likely to not recognize many of voices until you watch the credits. Many I thought were impressions until I saw they cast the actual person. Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Morgan Freeman, and the rest are all great, but I think most people will remember Will Arnett's portrayal as Batman as the best of the bunch. He's absolutely hilarious, and sings the best Batman related song of all time. Charlie Day was also another standout as his voice fit his character perfectly. I think you'll see a lot of people quoting his, and other lines, from the film for a while.

Lastly, I have to mention the directing team of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. These are the same guys behind Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and 21 Jump Street, so they are really knocking it out of the park so far.

The Lego Movie is truly a great animated family film that appeals to the kid in all of us. It's smart, hilarious and features both great animation and voice acting. I know it's early in the year, but I can already see this in my best of 2014 list and easily my favorite animated film. I can't recommend this movie enough.

5 (out of 5) Death Stars

Spaceship!

We're the Millers (2013)

In the not too distant past, I've often often lamented seeing movies late in the Summer.  I know I've mentioned this before, but August and September are usually the dumping grounds for stuff the studios don't think can compete or hold up against the blockbusters.  However, there's been a recent trend of films I've looked forward to, or even enjoyed more than the bigger films of Summer.  I don't know if it's that they aren't marketed well, simply fly under the radar, or the Summer has become so saturated that otherwise decent movies are getting pushed back.  We're the Millers continues this trend.

The trailer for We're the Millers actually had me rolling my eyes at the premise a bit, but it worked in the context of the film.  David (Jason Sudeikis) is a small-time, successful drug dealer in Denver, but he gets into a little trouble with his supplier, Brad (Ed Helms), after a robbery.  Brad makes a him a deal: smuggle some drugs across the border and he'll wipe the slate clean.  When struggling for a way to pull this off, David is inspired by a family in a mobile home.  He figures that if he can pull off the appearance of a squeaky clean family, the border patrol won't give them another look.  David doesn't have a family though, so he recruits a dorky kid in his building, Kenny (Will Poulter); a runaway, Casey (Emma Roberts); and finally a stripper, Rose (Jennifer Aniston).  David and Rose have butt heads in the past, so she wants no part of the plan, but reluctantly comes along when she runs into money trouble of her own.

Once they make it to Mexico, they find that the 'smidge' of marijuana they thought they were picking up is actually a huge amount.  Brad also neglected to mention that the pot wasn't meant for them in the first place, so now a drug lord (Tomer Sisley) is after them to get it back.  Does drug smuggling in movies ever go off without a hitch?  If actual drug smuggling was this much of a pain in the ass, I'm at a loss as to why anyone would even try it anymore.

Along the way, the Millers meet up with the Fitzgeralds, a seemingly straight-laced couple played by Nick Offerman and Kathryn Hahn.  If you've seen the trailers, you already know that there's more to them.  I was a little worried about how their characters were going to play out, but I thought Offerman and Hahn were both funny.  I don't think Nick Offerman can do anything wrong at this point though.  Would someone please write a movie with Offerman as the lead?  I'd go for a Ron Swanson movie.

It's a high-concept film, but it's an example of when you assemble a great cast that has good chemistry, and they sell the material, it can work.  Jason Sudeikis is perfect for this type of film with his smart-ass delivery, and he carries Millers well.  I've always enjoyed when he goes into full-on 'dick mode'.  I even got a little bit of Clark Griswald from him, particularly towards the end.  Jennifer Aniston played off Sudeikis well, and showed that she still has her comedy chops after all these years.  Has it really been almost ten years since Friends ended?  Anyway, I like when she doesn't play it safe or plays against type, like she did in Horrible Bosses.  Plus, I'd like to drink from the same fountain of youth that she's been drinking from.  Although, if you pay attention closely, you'll see a body double was used in a few shots.  It's a dead giveaway whenever they cut away and it comes back to a shot of the backside or their head is no longer in the frame.  This isn't meant to be a slam on Aniston or the film, but just an observation.

I also enjoyed Emma Roberts and Will Poulter as the rest of the 'family'.  It was nice to see that they were actually given their own arcs, rather than be throwaway characters without any depth.  You're given reason to care about the Millers, and it's believable why they would bond in such a short time.  You'll also see from the outtakes during the credits that the cast clearly had a lot fun making We're the Millers and I think that comes across in the final product.

There are a few cameos from recognizable comedy actors.  I especially enjoyed Ken Marino as Rose's boss at the strip club, and he has few great lines.  Luis Guzman and Thomas Lennon also appear.  While in a smaller role, I got a kick out of Ed Helms, who seemed to be really enjoying himself playing more of a douchebag that we're used to seeing.

While I didn't find myself rolling on the floor, there were plenty of good laugh-out-loud moments throughout.  I generally like snarky, sarcastic dialog and this is full of it.  There's something about the character interaction I found natural, but maybe it's because I tend to a pretty sarcastic guy myself.  There are some siller and raunchier moments, but I felt it all balanced out nicely.  We're the Millers is also an example of why I appreciate an R-rated comedy simply for the fact that the trailer can't ruin a lot of the better lines and moments.

Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber (try saying that name five times fast), he allowed the cast enough room to play around a little.  He also kept the pace moving at a good clip, as I didn't realize that this clocks in at 110 minutes.  That's usually around the point where I start feeling a movie's length, especially with a predictable comedy, but I didn't notice until after.  Thurber was the director of Dodgeball, as well as the old Terry Tate, Office Linebacker short, so I'm surprised to see that he's been inactive in recent years.  Here's to hoping he gets more shots at directing comedy.

I was also surprised to see there were four writers (Bob Fisher, Steve Faber, Sean Anders, and John Morris).  That many is usually a bad sign, but it didn't seem to hurt the film too much.  Fisher and Faber are credited with the story, so I wonder if Anders and Morris were brought in to punch it up.  Collectively these guys have written films like Wedding Crashers, Hot Tub Time Machine, Sex Drive, and She's Out of My League, so the comedy pedigree is there.

As I mentioned earlier, We're the Millers is predictable and gets a little cheesy towards the end.  It wraps up a little too cleanly, and there are a few spots in the story where the Millers are let off the hook by convenience.  They also had to show that even though David is a drug dealer, he has rules like he won't sell to kids.  Had they been able to stay away from some of the standard cliches or take some chances, it could have been a real stand out.

It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but We're the Millers has enough laughs to still be a good time at the movies.  Jason Sudeikis and Jennifer Aniston are a duo that works well together, and despite the predictable and cliched plot, it hits way more than it misses.  I recommend it as a matinee.

3 (out of 5) Death Stars

The Kings of Summer (2013)

Three teen boys decide they're done with their parents, run away and build a house in the woods.  That's pretty much how you'd sum up The Kings of Summer.  If that were all there is to The Kings of Summer, then I could understand how this might have a limited appeal.  The good news is that once you get past the premise and opening moments, The Kings of Summer is a sweet and often hilarious coming-of-age story.

As summer vacation approaches, Joe (Nick Robinson) becomes increasingly frustrated with his father's attempts to get him to be responsible.  He encourages his best friend Patrick (Gabriel Basso), who's also grown tired of his overbearing parents, to join him.  A wild card named Biaggio (Moises Arias), whom the other two barely know, also tags along.

I do want to get a few things out of the way though.  As it began, I almost wasn't able to buy into the film, as it was really hard to understand Joe and Patrick's reasons for wanting out of their homes.  Joe's father, Frank (Nick Offerman), only seems to be on his case for not being more responsible.  Frank gets mad at him for things like taking an hour long shower and not picking up after himself.  A total monster, right?  Then, Frank has the audacity to schedule a family game night with his new girlfriend, and Joe's older sister (Alison Brie) and boyfriend.  Joe acts like a twerp, embarasses his father, and calls the police just to mess with him (which he apparently has done several times before).  This also has the end result of ruining things between Frank and his new girlfriend.  Lastly, Joe doesn't exactly seem to be the most motivated student either.  Is painting your main character as a dumb, lazy, entitled brat the best way to start your film?

Patrick's parents biggest crime seemed to be that they were a little smothering, and really nerdy.  Not exactly reason to run away either.  Biaggio didn't seem to have any motivation at all other than he didn't have any friends, and the other two let him tag along.  I'm sure people that grew up in households with real problems wouldn't have much to sympathize with here.  How would Joe handle real abuse or if Frank had been an alcoholic?  Look, I get that these are dumb kids and when you're a kid you think your parents are terrible even if they aren't, are and your problems are the worst in the world, but I just thought that was a little weak.  Anyway, the film gets past this part pretty quick, as if even they knew it was the flimsiest part.  Another thing masking this is that the opening of the film is peppered with humor.  When I'd start to scrutinize something, Nick Offerman would have a one of his many great moments, and I'd forget about it.  It's best to just think of the whole film as a boy's fantasy and it makes it a little easier to get past.

The trio finds a space in the woods where nobody can find them and build a place.  The enjoy their newfound freedom and learn to live off the land.  Another thing that was a little off was that the film starts with Joe building the world's worst bird house, so the idea that he could build a house (even with help) that could stand up on his own was a little goofy to me.  Plus, he also seemed to have professional level skill at making maps and designing floor plans.

Despite these flaws, the film takes off once they begin this adventure and it's a lot of fun to watch.  It doesn't take long to like the the kids and become invested in the story.  When I was their age my friends and I used to talk about taking a summer and building a fort or half pipe, so this is something that did speak to me on that level.  The trio have great chemistry, and the performances of Robinson, Basso and Arias really help sell that.  All three came off as very natural together.  I also appreciated that all three of them actually looked like they were the right age for their roles.  They all had that awkward teen look.  I was also impressed with how mature Robinson and Basso's performances were.

While the kids are gone, Frank and Patrick's parents (Megan Mullally and Marc Evan Jackson) haven't given up looking for them.  Despite what the kids think, their parents are genuinely concerned and care about them.  Mullally and Jackson are great, but the real star here was Nick Offerman.  If you're a fan of Ron Swanson from Parks & Rec, then you'll love his performance here.  Imagine Ron Swanson but even crankier.  He has some epic lines, particularly when dealing with two local cops (Mary Lynn Rajskub and Thomas Middleditch).  Another thing that makes this a great performance from Offerman is that we find out Frank is dealing with his own issues that explain why maybe he's been a little too hard on Joe.  You see some growth from him and he eventually has a nice reconciliation with Joe.

Meanwhile, the boys are having the time of their lives, but eventually a wrench gets thrown into the mix when Joe invites his dream girl Kelly (Erin Moriarty) out to hang out with them.  Joe hopes to impress Kelly with what they've done, but things don't always work out the way you hope.  Watching Joe's heartbreak will pull on your heartstrings a little bit, and you'll see how this affects the group and their friendship.  At times I saw a lot of my younger self in Joe, so as the movie went on I couldn't help by sympathize more and more.

Your enjoyment of The Kings of Summer is largely going to depend on how much you like these quirky, indie, hipsterish kinds of comedies.  I've heard this kind of film referred to on Adam Carolla's podcast as a "quirkedy".  I can't remember where I heard this first - might have been Anderson over on The Film Vault when he described his thoughts on the film - but I got a distinct Wes Anderson-vibe from film.  Think of it as Wes Andersen-lite.  Where The Kings of Summer differs is that I felt it had more of a sardonic tone about it.  Maybe also a tad less pretentious or hipsterish.

This leads me to another thing I loved about the film which was Moises Arias as Biaggio.  He's certainly a distinct looking person, and that works well to contrast the other two.  I guess the best way to describe him would be to imagine a teenage Kramer from Seinfeld, but then shrunk in half and mixed with a Sleestak.  Nearly everything he says is random or bizarre, as if he wasn't scripted.  Sometimes overuse of non-sequitur really bugs me, but here I thought it was funny every time.

Even if Biaggio's dialog wasn't scripted, I thought the script by Chris Galletta was extremely funny.  This was Galletta's first movie, so I'm really excited to see what comes next.  If director Jordan Vogt-Roberts set out to make a more cynical Wes Andersen-like film, then I think he succeeded.  This appears to be his first feature as well, so it's a nice way to start out and great collaboration between the writer and director.  Interestingly enough, like another recent coming-of-age-tale Mud, this also features some foreshadowing with a snake.  I really hate snakes, so that kind of stuff sticks with me.

Oh, one last thing before I wrap this up.  Something that kind of took me out of the film was that Patrick was wearing a cast the entire film.  The mention he's a wrestler, so I'm assuming his broke is ankle, but the movie seems to have forgotten he was wearing this.  He walks around for miles, you see a scene where they are sprinting, and then they dive into a lake.  They are out in the woods for weeks, but he was never concerned about his leg or re-injuring it?  I understand that kids will do stupid things like that, but it just seemed odd that a guy with a cast on would do all of these physical activities without any outward concern for further injury or showing any ill effects from continuing to push himself on it.  I know it's a nitpick, but I kept noticing it.

The Kings of Summer is a sweet, quirky and hilarious coming-of-age tale.  If you can buy into the fantasy, then you're in for some fantastic performances from Nick Offerman, Nick Robinson and Moises Arias.  This is one of the few films I've seen this year that I was upset when it was over and wished it had been longer.  I'm looking forward to watching it again just for all the scenes with Nick Offerman.  It's still in some select theaters, so I highly recommend checking it out soon.

4.5 (out of 5) Death Stars