The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part Review

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
Director: Mike Mitchell
Cast Headliners: Chris Pratt, Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Tiffany Haddish, bit too many others
Original Release Date: February 8th, 2019


     The “Lego” movie franchise has been surprisingly great, so far. Whether in the inventive 2014 original or 2017's Batman and Ninjago spinoffs the humor and stop-motion craft was felt. Very high hopes were on The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part to follow up. It ultimately offers more of the same but that's about it. It's not that what it has isn't funny, charming, and colorful because it definitely has that. It's that it could have been so much more that it isn't. However as they say everything is awesome when you're living the dream.
Audiences may forget that this film picks up right after the first film's ending. That ending showed the “real world” brother's character being forced to play with his sister who arrived with alien Duplo blocks. This movie shows in the opening how these charming Lego critters caused an apocalypse in the city of Bricksburg turning it from a utilitarian dream into the (smart in a way as the brother reaches adolescence) Madmaxian wasteland of Apocalypseburg.  Events transpire to where the aliens return leading to an intergalactic voyage to the colorful, girly Sistar planet system with a variety of friends and foes made along the way. It's all in the trailer.
That's the thing...it really is all in the trailer. Now that's not to say every single joke is and this is coming from this writer who knows nearly every single trailer and media before it comes out but I imagine that the same thing would apply to even those who haven't seen it before. This is since themes repeat.... get ready for a lot of post-apocalyptic tropes, cute-yet-fierce sister-based female enemies, and Chris Pratt-'s career parodying with little else. There's some late-game twists and fun lil jokes and surprises but it's no where near the other Lego-verse films and it's all been done before. However, there is indeed merit to those who want more if they don't mind.
That applies in a variety of ways mostly the returning cast. Whether its the happy go-lucky hero Emmett(Chris Pratt) or slick heroine Lucy/Wyldstyle(Elizabeth Banks) both having same rapport or going through a bit of their own growth arcs or others they're just about the same as they were the first time for humor and quality while going to some slightly new places.  Sure there's egotistical Batman(Will Arnett), now-sometimes-fierce Unikitty(Allison Brie), and the one-note jokes of Metalbeard(Nick Offerman) and space-ship obsessed Benny(Charlie Day) around but they have even less screen-time or new material here and the plot finds them spread apart from Emmett and Lucy for most of it. There's a couple of pop-culture references and A-list cameos that will cause a chuckle but once again it's been done before.
Luckily there's a bit of value in the new characters. The opposing faction of Sistar has it's Queen Whatevra Wa-Nabi(Tiffany Haddish) who brings both a sugary sweetness and witch-like menace between her many, many musical songs(Some of these are good and clever...some without a comment. However when it's good it's good..paticuliarly the “Catchy Song” sequence! Otherwise be prepared to hear whether literally or as a joke many, many versions of “Everything Is Awesome”...again).  However she ends up being a bit hollowly-y typical especially compared to the past few Lego film's greats. General Mayhem(Stephanie Beatriz) has some appeal with her totally serious approach to things along her cool armor suit that leads to some jokes in her threat.  Icy “sparkle vampire” Balthazar(Noel Fielding), Ice Cream Cone(Richard Ayoade), and many many adorable babies play various other cutsey henchmen. Also expect to see “Dad/Lord Business(Will Ferrell) and now “Mom”(Maya Rudolph) addd to the real world plot. However this time too many looks at it can appear cheesy and non-surprising compared to the twist and themes of the first film.
What's interesting is that this is a movie of multiple Lego Pratts. A big part of what Emmet goes through is meeting Rex Dangervest(also Chris Pratt). A ultra-cool space hero who looks and sounds much like our innocent hero... He's a helmet-wearing ship captain who's also an archaeologist, raptor trainer, movie star, scientist, and more outrageous things. What at first may seem like a dumb parody of the real career takes on a bit better of a take due to Pratt's role and with...himself. He has a lot of swagger and uses a very William Shatner Kirk/Harrison Ford Han hammy accent. It makes things that much more sillier. The raptors as well are some highlights with their skill and sub-titles although it gets repeated a lot.
The visuals are of course great and colorful from dusty mesas to colorful Lego Friends towns and gritty space / real locations although less varied. It once again employs the now-trademark high fidelity CGI that makes it look like real stop-motion toys are being used. Director Mike Mitchell steps in for the just-producing first film's Lord / Miller but he brings an alright touch (previously having done  Sky High, Shrek 4, and Trolls so on-genre but also Alvin Chipmunks 3 so...child stuff). There's more of the wide, frantic action although less so this time. As has been said it's now familiar to see “pew pew” with blasts (and something which the brand spinoffs abandoned). However the manic highlights are highlights. 
Overall it's a movie that is exactly what it looks like on the cover. It feels a bit more familiar treaded and less impactful this time but there's some colorful charm and laughs. Don't expect to be blown away but it has more of the fun same. I'm not quite sure here they could go from here or should but glad to have this. 7.5 out of 10