REVIEW: THE LEGO MOVIE

3.5/5

Toy Story.

100 Minutes. Starring: Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Liam Neeson & Morgan Freeman. Director: Phil Lord & Chris Miller.

SURPRISE! That movie with Superman and Batman that you've been waiting for ever since that 'I Am Legend' poster and that announcement is out NOW! Except here to the joy of some on this internet Bats is no longer being played by Ben Affleck, but Will Arnett of all people and to go with that high-school girls favourite Channing Tatum is taking Supermans cape. Wonder Woman and the Green Lantern are in it too. As are-believe it or not-Han Solo and C3P0 and erm...some NBA players, the legend of Ron Burgundy and even William Shakespeare and Abraham Lincoln for crying out loud. You must be dreaming right? No, but this is kind of trippy...especially in 3.D. This is the ultimate movie mash-up since the Avengers assembled (it'd be perfect here to see them alongside D.C. characters, but they cant get their own Spiderman, Wolverine rights together) and this is something you've truly never seen before. This is the best thing to happen to your childhood and your kids toys coming to life since Woody and Buzz's 'Toy Story' birthed a new generation of C.G. films that look great for kids and make laughs for parents. A digital age of greats like the 'Shrek', 'Monsters Inc' and 'Despicable Me' series'. Fresh off the princesses' of 'Frozen's icing over of the winter box-office and just in time for the kids holidays comes a true 'blocks'-buster in 'The Lego Movie' that's so funny it'll leave you in bits and pieces. With plenty of die-hard collectors in-jokes and generation lessons learnt (I thought school was out) to keep you playing and piecing together those old blocks. The only people who'll be left upset here are Playmobile.

Under construction this film sticks to the instructions and gives us a hallmark coming-of-age kids story seen by the charcaters they and generations before have adored. It's crazy to believe that the legendary Danish company 'Lego' has produced more Lego men than there are actually people populating this earth. Crazy isn't it? Now that's true world domination. That's not even counting the bricks. You could build even more houses and cities for people with all those left over pieces. Lego can count on even more fans and sales joining this yellow brick road after this one however as this movie looks set to unite old fans and new alike. The building blocks of this epic kids movie see a construction worker called Emmett (played nicely by 'Parks & Recreation' and 'Moneyball's Chris Pratt, who you can see in the last best film to capture kids vivid imaginations upcoming sequel 'Jurassic World') learn that he's no ordinary guy, but in fact the "chosen one" like 'The Matrix's' Neo. His Trinity comes in the form of the Wyldstyle pink and blue hair, with a shade of cool black attired Elizabeth Banks who adds a great voice credit to her growing career resume. With great chemistry between the two leading pieces, even with Lego's limited facial expressions we have something truly special here and the makings of some popular new characters and film series. You can expect these two new additions to the brick house being amongst the top-sellers in the classic Lego world and under this years Christmas tree.

The same goes for Morgan Freeman's 'Almighty' God-like wizard Vitruvius who the legend lends his trademark documentary ready voice to, giving one of his funniest and best studio-soundbites to the booth of his baritone work. The devilishly evil Lord Business and his Bricksburg building stilt legs and fire horns make for the perfect villain as does the voice of formidable funnyman Will Ferrell. Fresh off his continuing comedy legend in 'Anchorman 2' and with a trident throw to his devil sketch 'Saturday Night Live' days, Ferrell adds more than just his blockbuster name, but his hilarious talking tricks of the tickling trade too. If that wasn't enough the man that's in everything Liam Neeson, plays a good cop and a bad cop and his father perfectly hilariously. Showing both sides of the 'Exorcist' swiveling head personality and the rib-rubbing range of his Irish accent to a tee-hee-he. Will Arnett's classic, black Bat, Bale gruff voiced impression is hilarious too for the most hilarious Batman since George Clooney, while Charlie Day's crazy classic voice is perfect for that 1980s space astronaut guy we all will be for once proudly old enough to admit we remember. Add new comedy great Nick Offerman's blundering 'Bionicle' like pirate to this Carribean and Alsion Brie's unicorn/anime hybrid for fictional fans all over the world and you have truly the most random toy chest of figures that you'll love to play with thanks to the true master builders of directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller.

If you're screaming "MOM, DAD, I WANT MORE!" Then you've got it. Thanks to the hilarious '21 Jump Street' pairing of Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill fitting together some hilarious Superman and Green Lantern cameos (if only we could see Aquaman too) before their '22 Jump' sequel. After all the Jaimie Alexander/Gal Gadot hype Cobie Smulders is Wonder Woman, as the S.H.I.E.L.D. 'Avengers' agent is the latest Affleck 'Daredevil' superstar to switch superheroes and comic companies. Add some 'real' cameos and even some fellow animated 'Robot Chicken' ones to 'Magubers' Will Forte's Lincoln going for Daniel Day-Lewis Oscar, these pieces of great are all classic all the way down to the casting of Dave Franco for theis all-brick all-star affair. Speaking of which NBA fans will actually be pleased to see the 'Steel', Los Angeles Lakers superstar Shaquille O'Neal back in movies. KAZAAM! This is just how clever and crafted this movie is. With Lego versions of your favourite adverts, movie-posters and much more themed, hyped build-up before too this Legoland is a perfect set-up event for these small-parts on the big-screen. Sarcasm, satire and seriously funny one-liners are on the manual for adults while a bricks and more bricks spectacle of building action set-pieces and dimensonal effects will keep the kids locked into their seats. So STOP! This colourful, pop-culture animation is amazing and as collectible rememberable in all these popular kids movies like the annoyingly catchy theme song. 'Everything Is Awesome' indeed, now...'Where Are My Pants'? TIM DAVID HARVEY.