I loved The Lego Movie, everything was AWESOME. The Lego Batman movie was robbed by Boss Baby for an Oscar nod. I think it is the best Batman movie ever. Lord and Miller are a fantastic team, just go look at their film history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Lord_and_Christopher_Miller#Film
To get you in the mood for this movie review go ahead and play this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feJCjSvBQe4
Everything is Awesome reprises multiple times in multiple fantastic ways. This musical is going to be a significantly bigger ear worm than anything from Frozen. I was literally dancing in my seat throughout the movie.
Moving beyond the music, this is what I hoped for from a Lego movie sequel. It isn't as good as the first movie, but it is awesome. All of your favorite characters are back. The new additions, led by a stellar Tiffany Haddish, fit right into the universe. Voice acting just adds to her range from Girls Trip and Night School.
I was able to overlook this movie's two biggest flaw and enjoy it, but other adults may not be able to. The villain in the first movie was the father, who wouldn't let his son play and have fun. The first movie ended with the sister coming in and being an evil invader. This movie picks up with a five year long big brother versus little sister rivalry. The new part of the universe that is explored is called the Systar System, get it?
The other flaw is how much time is spent in the real world and outside of the lego universe. The big reveal of the first movie was great. The bouncing in and out of reality was irritating in this movie. See more of my thoughts in the spoiler section below. A full week after seeing this movie I realize this flaw knocks the movie down to three diamonds.
If the message of this movie is to play well with your siblings it takes a long and destructive route to get there. You may not notice it because THIS SONG IS GOING TO GET STUCK IN YOUR, THIS SONG IS GOING TO GET STUCK IN YOUR, THIS SONG IS GOING TO GET STUCK IN YOUR HEAD.
I didn't think too much about the larger messages in this movie as I watched it. I just sat back and danced along to a catchy soundtrack in a colorful, fun universe. This movie was very fun like the original, only lacking a good message like the original.
********Critique Containing Spoilers Below*******
I have a significantly younger sister. I don't think I ever tormented her this much or excluded her from my play as much as Finn does to Bianca. The climax of the movie is Finn completely destroying Bianca's massive Lego creation in retaliation for stealing a few Lego characters. I don't know what part of Finn's psyche the fun loving Lego people are supposed to represent, but he has issues if he can't see the fun they are having.
These two universes exist within Finn and Bianca's minds. The time travel plot line also doesn't fit into Finn's head. Is he delusional that he will lose all of his toys if he plays with his sister? That doesn't make sense because he gave her Princess Watevra Wa'Nabi. Did he totally forget that he gave this olive branch that grew into full blown universe for his sister?
Another way to look at this movie is how boys and girls play differently. I could buy adults versus kids in the original movie. Lego 2 typecasts boys as destructive little tyrants who must have things their way. They typecast girls as being fun loving and happy ALL THE TIME. There is no room for sadness in girls play.
I think some of the magic of the first movie was the late revel of what this universe actually was; a toy city created by a grown man. The second movie bounces in and out of the Lego universe multiple times to constantly remind you that the Lego universe is a fiction created in the minds of two children. I was able to separate the real world from the Lego world and enjoy the movie. I think that is the key to this movie, forget about the human world and dance along.