Films that have something with LEGO have come since 1987 with Edward and Friends, not to mention the countless works of fans who saw in the toy an amateur option to honor their favorite movie characters – building elaborate sculptures and making movies. Even so, LEGO was seen by the general population as something childish, especially in relation to its themed toys, like Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean or superheroes. However, it was in this way that the first feature length film of the brand surprised: pleasing both adults and children.
Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller in 2014, A LEGO adventure tells the story of a construction worker, Emmet, who was destined for a life greater than he had. Even though he seems happy with his routine and work, he ends up being part of an incredible fight between creativity and conformity, and is aided by funny characters like LEGO Batman and even one who looks like Lord of the Rings Gandalf. and live action, the film unfolds in the conflict between a son who wants to use the toy in a creative way and his father, played by Will Ferrell, who wants to build a model for use in his business. Such a formula, which shows the plot both from the child’s point of view and from the adult point of view, was enough to make the film go into history with one of the most successful animations of cinema.
And so pleased that at the beginning of 2017, one of his supporting characters won an adaptation of his own: the LEGO: Batman, directed by Chris McKay. Even leaving the mix between animation and live action, the film was still consistent with the universe created by the first. The LEGO Batman keeps his personality dark and funny, and many details remain the same. Most importantly, the superhero movie jokes, with special LEGO Superhero participation, continue to please children who understand the more infantile jokes, and adults who have the baggage to understand older references, such as jokes about series of the bat man of 1960, interpreted by Adam West, among others.
And when it seemed that LEGO would continue with its successes in the cinematographic world, Ninjago appears. The film is the first production entirely based on an existing LEGO toy. The first few minutes of the movie promise to please: it begins with a photograph resembling old Kung Fu movies and Jackie Chan is introduced as one of the characters supporting the live action world. However, after this little introduction, everything becomes a mess when the animation begins.
For starters, photography and production settings resemble action films, which at first may seem like a good idea. However, these frames are used at all times, even when the story is not exciting, and can leave the viewer tired. The jokes of the film are also unoriginal and appeal only to children. Even the mix of live action and animation appears banal and without some reason. Thus, Ninjago belongs to a universe very different from the first LEGO films, which before seemed to have found a way to please everyone. It’s a shame that Jackie Chan has not been used in a more exciting way.
(article translated from the original version in portuguese, by Google Translate)