Movie Review: “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” proves everything is still awesome

Movie Review: “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” (PG)

Simply put, “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” is to “The Lego Movie” what “Toy Story 2” is to “Toy Story.” It’s just about as perfect as a sequel can get, vibrantly capturing the spirit of its predecessor but also building on it in a wonderful way.

“The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” opens up where the first film ended, with affable every-Lego Emmet (voiced by an engaging Christ Pratt) saving the universe. But then we immediately fast forward five years into the future to the most unfortunate revelation that Legoland is in the same sort of post-apocalyptic state you’d expect to find in a “Mad Max” movie. Forever the optimist, though, Emmet continues to smile and preach positivity in a world gone to heck.

Things quickly change, however, when Emmet’s friend Lucy (voiced by the lovely and talented Elizabeth Banks) is kidnapped by a potential foe and whisked away to the far reaches of space where she meets a handful of new and colorfully offbeat characters including Queen Watevera Wa’Nabi (amusingly voiced by a highly energetic Tiffany Haddish), a shifty, flirtatious individual who clearly has her eyes on Batman (played by the great Will Arnett).

Meanwhile, Emmet ultimately teams with a charismatic but overly confident adventurer called Rex Dangervest, and together this duo sets out to find Lucy and save the Lego universe once more. Along the way, though, certain truths come to light suggesting that heroes and villains aren’t always necessarily what they appear to be.

“The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” is as lively and clever as it is frenetic and exhausting, and while some might be quick to suggest that this movie is for viewers with low attention spans, that certainly isn’t a bad thing. This animated gem moves at such a freakishly fast pace that even if a gag doesn’t work for you, you can bet that something amusing will happen not but a second or two later. And in keeping with the spirit of the first picture, “The Second Part” is meta in all the right ways. As expected, this film throws more cameos and movie references at you than you’ll be able to count.

As Chris Miller and Phil Lord have demonstrated time and time again, most recently with 2018’s best animated feature “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” they know how to take something that doesn’t seem like it’ll work and breathe life into it in a monumental way. Along with director Mike Mitchell and fellow writer Mike Fogel, they’ve injected “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” with a measured balance of humor and playful references, but there are also plenty of wonderful messages here that should resonate with viewers, particularly the young ones. From the fashion in which “The Second Part” suggests there are plenty of connections between the Lego universe and the real world to the slightly obvious but honest and poignant Emmett/Rex Dangervest dynamic, this film doesn’t shy away from sharing a handful of life lessons. That said, it delves into these real-life themes in a sweet and simple way, always wearing its heart unabashedly on its sleeve.

And the songs … the glorious, fun-filled songs! They are subversive, hilarious, and toe-tapping in equal measure. Highlights include “Catchy Song,” which is likely to get stuck in your head, Queen Watevera Wa’Nabi’s showstopper “Not Evil,” and “Super Cool,” a righteously creative end-credits homage from Beck, Robyn, and the Lonely Island crew.

“The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” is an infectiously likable and highly energetic burst of beautifully animated joy for the entire family. Further proof that everything is still very much awesome in this colorful universe.

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