2019 Film Reviews - 11: The Lego Movie 2 [dir. Mike Mitchell; 2019]

No sequel to 2014’s Lego Movie was ever going to match its inventiveness, its irrepressible visuals and its novelty value. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller packed so many details and ideas into the film - from the correctly-placed crack on the astronaut’s helmet to the bold twist towards the end - that trying to match their achievement was bound to be an impossible task. However, The Lego Movie 2 makes a spirited attempt. After years of battling incessant Duplo invasions, Emmet and his friends are plunged through the Stair Gate to meet Queen Watevra Wa’Nabi, whose shady intentions set in motion one eye-popping set-piece after another. It’s all irresistible fun while remaining fiendishly sophisticated: sitting through its self-aware, uber-postmodern narrative, I wondered at what age a 21st-century child would appreciate its multi-layered cleverness, given that much of its impact relies on a close knowledge of how stories work and how they attempt to wrong-foot audiences. But then, kids brought up on 24/7 media probably make such leaps much sooner than my generation ever did... although even they may have to wait a while to appreciate the no doubt soon-to-be-immortal lines, “Everything’s not awesome / I am so depressed / I think I finally get Radiohead.”

Dariush