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Teaser Review 010 & Movie Preview 044

the LEGO Movie 2:

the Second Part

Warner Bros.

[February 8th, 2019]

Teaser's Effectiveness =

80% for intoducing a new storyline for this established premise by doubling down on a recent pop culture reference and teasing a whole new adventure into other universes.

I've been overlooking the actual pop culture news for weeks now but it is now time to get back into the grooves since I also have a backlog of trailers and reviews to go through.

With that being said, I was as perplexed as others when I heard of the attempt to make a full animated feature based on the globally successful LEGO toys but I was proven to be wrong of my first assumption in the end, as Phil Lord and Christopher Miller managed to create such a fully realised world with a premise everyone could relate to while being entertained by the colourful visuals and with diverse characters to match. The reveal of the third act of what's actually being the driving force of the LEGO Universe showcase the real heart behind the storytelling, making this kid movie that much deeper with added layers, more than what they used to be. While the followups of LEGO Batman and Ninjago didn't received as much accolades and praises as the predecessor (I especially love the former while still haven't seen the latter), I believe that this long-awaited sequel would be a return to form for the movie brand especially with the original directors back at the helm making a straight sequel of the first film, developing a storyline that is created in the aftermath of the 2014's ending. The recent craze of Fury Road is being smartly used as the background of possibly the first act, with xyz is forced to go out of his own universe into a whole new one, and if can't guess until who is the culprit behind this 'invasion' from the seemingly harmless weapon of choice and particularly the shape of the LEGO figure that capture them, you are in for a treat. 

Chance of Success =
80% with a return back into a universally loved universe and well-loved characters and introduction of new LEGO worlds but the last two outings would affect the earnings in some ways.

a case for the surprise hit based on a beloved toy property:

+ Highlights +

such an entertaining ride in the unique world of LEGO with smart use of the premise and the medium itself with familial and meta commentary that lifts it above other nondescript kids films.

? Main contention ?

the unique animation style is one-of-a-kind but it might not suit a select few, just like how stopmotion would not look 'right' to untrained eyes, or rather just for lack of exposure.

- Lowlights -

the declining earnings from this supposed franchise shows that they can't just ride the brand name alone, but need an intriguing storyline and engaging cast of characters to bring the audiences into the cinemas.

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a case for the further journey into the LEGO Universe:

+ Highlights +

changing up the storyline with an introduction of new LEGO types as an injection of something fresh that the citizens of the current universe have to contend with, as the brother and the sister would finally learn to play along at the end of the film.

? Main contention ?

We still don't know how far they'll go to introducing new universes of other kinds of LEGOs ... is it too much to ask for Bionicle? Can it have its own comeback and its own spinoff?!

~

Oh, they would return only as producers ... that would be the variable here, the new directors.

- Lowlights -

Applying recent pop culture references would be viewed as some as a desperate attempt to cash in on the current phenomena, using already established ideas instead of creating a new one ... that's an extreme pessimist view that I do not have but I can't say they aren't any out there. 

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- Synopsis -
It's been five years since everything was awesome and the citizens are facing a huge new threat: LEGO DUPLO® invaders from outer space, wrecking everything faster than they can rebuild.

Cast

Chris Pratt as Emmet Brickowski, Alison Brie as Unikitty, Nick Offerman as Metal Beard, Stephanie Beatriz as Sweet Mayhem, Elizabeth Banks as Wyldstyle, Channing Tatum as Superman, Tiffany Haddish, Jonah Hill as Green Lantern, Will Arnett as Batman, Charlie Dy Denny, Arturo Castro as Ice Cream Cone ...

(Marc Forster [Trolls] & Trisha Gum [the LEGO Batman Movie], Genre - Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy)

- IMDb - official site - wiki -

"A lifetime has passed since the horrific events of Taco Tuesday ..."

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