If you didn’t catch The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part when it was in theaters and you want to remain unspoiled about whether you should or should not see it, then check out the spoiler-free review of the film over here. If you’d like to know what special features are included on the home release, jump on down to the bottom. If you meet none of the above criteria, or would just don’t mind if a few things get spoiled for you, then keep on going. But you have been warned.
Center L-R: Green Lantern voiced by Jonah Hill, Superman voiced by Channing Tatum, and Lex Luthor voiced by Ike Barinholtz in THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART.
The Second Part takes what’s introduced in the original LEGO Movie and builds upon it beautifully. There’s no denying that The Second Part isn’t as magically as the first film, but that’s because the audience is in on the gag now. We know that Emmet (voiced by Chris Pratt) is an avatar for Finn (Jadon Sand), the boy from the first film, and we know that the adventures Emmet goes on are all representative of Finn’s experiences. The LEGO Movie concluding with quite possibly the greatest, most adorable ending of all time – Bianca’s (uncredited in LEGO Movie, played by Brooklynn Prince in The Second Part) Duplos arrive in Bricksburg threatening violence – shows us Finn’s fears made real. In a wise script choice, the same five years audiences have waited for a direct LEGO sequel is the same amount of time that has passed for the in-story siblings. Like all siblings, their relationship possesses ups and downs translating to a similar loss of equilibrium for the residents of the town now-called Apocalyseburg. Mining this relationship for material not only offers some of the more entertaining moments and inspires some ear-worm generating songs, but grounds The Second Part when it strays too far into the ridiculous.
Benny voiced by Charlie Day in THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART.
If there is one area where The Second Part does get too ridiculous, it’s the creation of Rex Dangervest (also voiced by Pratt). In story, he’s a LEGO amalgamation of virtually every cinematic character Pratt has portrayed, but Rex also represents something much darker: Finn’s fully-realized anger and resentment. Now stick with me here, Emmet is Finn’s avatar in these stories: kind, idealistic, and a touch innocent. These qualities made him the ideal Special to defeat President Business (voiced by Will Ferrell), but not so much in this story when the purported villain, Queen Watevra Wa’Nuabi (voiced by Tiffany Haddish) has her emissary General Mayhem (voiced by Stephanie Beatriz) kidnap the Bricksburg crew. It makes sense that a new character, someone like Rex, would be introduced to assist Emmet in his quest. But as the film continues and Rex’s true nature is revealed, Rex becomes a bit of a problem within the fabric of the LEGO Movie reality. Here, the script introduces time travel and Rex as a future Emmet abandoned by his friends. There’s some real pathos driving this character, yet it’s not something which Finn connects to in the slightest. His parents love him, his sister only annoys him, and there’s no physical presentation of Finn feeling like he’s being left behind. As such, the introduction of Rex only serves the plot within the LEGO universe and not the larger allegory. As an alternate Emmet, Rex is a clever way to explore Finn’s darker side, but it never really works.
Rex Dangervest voiced by Chris Pratt in THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART.
What does work, however, is the way The Second Part sneaks in little moments from the “real world” to hint at what created Finn’s LEGO universe. Hearing Ferrell shout, “Honey, where are my pants?” from off-screen or how the figures Emmet encounters through Bianca’s Systar system are created through a variety of figures and toys. Finn’s rigidity of only using traditional LEGO likely comes from his father, a character we already know likes things a certain way, so seeing the relative chaos of toys intermingling offers some clever insight into how Bianca thinks and what Finn thinks of Bianca.
L-R: Emmet voiced by Chris Pratt and General Mayhem voiced by Stephanie Beatriz in THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART.
Like the LEGO fanbase, the bonus features are equally deep and varied. For casual fans who enjoy the Second Part experience, there’re some fun outtakes and deleted scenes, offering the usual “didn’t make the cut” moments. There’s even the previously online-only “Emmet’s Holiday Party: A LEGO Movie Short,” which served as both promotional material for the theatrical release and as a chance to catch up with your favorite characters from the first film. For the more intense LEGO fan in your life, They Come In Pieces offers an adorkable look at how the voice actors engage with their LEGO counter-parts. For the SUPER fans of the LEGO series, there’s the Everything is Awesome Sing-along in which viewers watch The Second Part in a multi-form interactive Pop-Up video style game. Playing around with it, it seems like something that will hit big with younger audiences and that parents will drudge through time and again. The novelty of it lasts well into the film, as long as you don’t mind multiple layers of content overtop your movie.
L-R: MetalBeard voiced by Nick Offerman, Queen Watevra Wa’Nuabi voiced by Tiffany Haddish, and Unikitty voiced by Alison Brie in THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART.
The DVD and digital versions offer great coloring, which you expect from the incredibly inventive worlds the animators created. For those investing in 4K, you’ll really be able to notice the difference when the story shifts from the beige wasteland of Apocalypseburg to Wa’Nuabi’s resplendent throne room. The tile on the floor is a beautiful white, the “water” upon white Wa’Nuabi stands looks more textured and tangible. Shortly after, in the sequence where Rex saves Emmet in the asteroid belt and time briefly slows down, there’s a wonderful moment of contrasting colors – the white of the explosion, the blue-purple-black of the asteroids, and the rest of Emmet’s rockets – which creates a real spectacle, as well as highlights the detail work from the animators.
Emmet voiced by Chris Pratt in THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART.
Even upon rewatch, The Second Part is a strong sequel to The LEGO Movie. It pushes the boundaries of the original narrative without losing any of the heart. Wisely, The Second Part aged-up with its audience, so there are plenty of call-back and in-jokes to enjoy, yet it maintains the hopeful sweetness of the original. Even with a few stumbles, The Second Part sticks the landing, offering a reminder that our imagination is only as limited as we believe it to be and that, with a little help from others, there’s nothing we can’t build, create, or accomplish.
4K and Blu-ray Bonus Features
- Everything is Awesome Sing-along – Sing-along, trivia, games and more!
- Commentary – Fun behind the scenes commentary by filmmakers
- They Come in Pieces: Assembling The LEGO Movie 2 – Featurette highlighting A-list voice talent including Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett and Tiffany Haddish
- Emmet’s Holiday Party: A LEGO Movie Short – Holiday themed animated short
- LEGO Sets in Action – Animations of the LEGO product tied to The LEGO Movie 2
- LEGO Designers – LEGO toy designers highlight key play sets in TLM2 product line
- Outtakes & Deleted Scenes – Never before seen scenes
- Super Cool Music Video – Music video by Beck featuring Robyn and The Lonely Island
- Promotion Spots – Fun custom spots featured during the theatrical campaign
DVD Bonus Features
- Commentary – Fun behind the scenes commentary by filmmakers
- They Come in Pieces: Assembling The LEGO Movie 2 – Featurette highlighting A-list voice talent including Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett and Tiffany Haddish
- Emmet’s Holiday Party: A LEGO Movie Short – Holiday themed animated short
- LEGO Sets in Action – Animations of the LEGO product tied to The LEGO Movie 2
- LEGO Designers – LEGO toy designers highlight key play sets in TLM2 product line
- Outtakes & Deleted Scenes – Never before seen scenes
- Super Cool Music Video – Music video by Beck featuring Robyn and The Lonely Island
- Promotion Spots – Fun custom spots featured during the theatrical campaign
Available on digital now.
Available on 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD beginning May 7th, 2019.
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Categories: Home Release, Home Video, Recommendation, Reviews
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