LEGO MOVIE 2

Voices of:  Chris Pratt     Elizabeth Banks     Tiffany Haddish     Will Arnett 

Alison Brie     Channing Tatum     Maya Rudolph     Will Ferrell

     Following upon The Lego Movie (2014), this sequel continues the adventures of the “Master Builders” who started out as resistance fighters against Lord Business and his army of Micro Managers. Emmet (Pratt) and Wyldstyle (Banks) were heroic in the previous story and ended up as best friends in a happy town, Bricksburg, where everyone is special.  It should be noted that Wyldstyle (Lucy as she is now called), is more pessimistic and skeptical, in contrast to Emmet’s sunny outlook. Each would like for the other to change just a bit. 

     Their town now is a darker, chaotic--maybe cooler--Apocalypseburg that is changed significantly from the sunnier Bricksburg. Within the backdrop of an exciting confrontation between their city and some invaders coming in from outer space (who are wrecking everything faster than it can be rebuilt in a city of Master Builders), Emmet and Lucy become significantly changed for the better.  Emmet is both helped and hindered by making the acquaintance of Rex Dangervest (also Pratt, signifying polar opposite traits in the same person), who is brash and confident and easily counteracts Emmet’s diffidence. When Lucy gets kidnapped, Emmet enlists the help of Rex Dangervest in getting her back.  Their struggles increase insight for Emmet and Lucy; however, Rex’s issues are more complex.

     This sequel continues the psychological journeys of the characters that were begun in the first rendition.  And in this sense, the movie seems addressed more to the adult audience than to children.  For example, themes of and questions around romance, marriage, self-actualization, and détente between warring factions make the film more interesting for adults.  The production design and animation are so engaging (almost to the point of overpowering the characters and the story), children are likely to enjoy that aspect of the film; I just don’t know how much of the import of the story actually gets through to them. I suspect little of it.  The beginning scenes are so laden with special effects, it’s often hard to decipher what is going on, especially when the chorus sings, with lyrics that are hard to decipher.

     At any rate, there are exciting scenes showing colorful vignettes of the invaders led by Queen Wa’Nabi (Haddish) and the heroic efforts of the Apocalypseburg trio (Emmet, Rex, and Lucy) to protect themselves.  The invaders are clever in “brainwashing” others to join their ranks, including Batman (Arnett) who is seduced into wedding the queen, despite his fiercely avowed bat-chlerhood.   [The manipulative clichéd means by which Queen Wa’Nabi seduces him are some of the scenes I hope do pass over the heads of children.]  But there is a quick twist toward the end of the story that seems to discount the charge of brainwashing.

     Tiffany Haddish is clearly the star in this production, with her character’s chameleon-like presentation and witty dialog.  Haddish is perfectly cast, managing to be both outrageous and lovable.  Pratt and Banks also capture their roles in a way that makes them as believable as real people. Numerous cameos of the likes of Richard Ayoade, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, Maya Rudolph, Will Ferrell, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Ralphe Fiennes, Will Forte, Will Arnett, and still others popping up throughout, do their part in increasing the entertainment value of Lego Movie 2.

The continuing adventures and personal development of Lego characters Emmet and Lucy/Wyldstyle.

Grade:  B                                    By Donna R. Copeland

TEEN TITANS GO! TO THE MOVIES

Voices of:  Scott Menville     Kristen Bell     Nicolas Cage     Tara Strong     Will Arnett

Khary Payton     Hynden Walch     Stan Lee     Patton Oswalt     Jimmy Kimmel

     In our narcissistic age, it’s fitting that we have more films for kids about its consequences, particularly when Hollywood has such a draw.  This animated film is about a “sidekick, a nobody” who has aspirations for greatness like the known superheroes enjoy.  Robin (Menville) is chafing about his insignificance in the superhero world, and his team’s references to his small hands only makes it worse.  (Wonder where the filmmakers got the idea that small hands has some significance in a film about hubris…)  So he begins to whip up enthusiasm among his team of Teen Titans, consisting of Raven (Strong), Cyborg (Payton), Starfire (Walch), and Beast Boy (Cipes), for making a superhero movie with them as stars.

     They proceed to Hollywood with high hopes of getting a contract, and wonder about who would be their nemesis, which all superheroes have.  Not surprisingly, one appears in the form of Slade (pronounced ‘slade-a’ to give it more oomph and voiced by Arnett). His power is in mind manipulation, and we see all kinds of manifestations of that in the story, except those times when Robin is onto him and doesn’t succumb to some of his mis-directions.  But Robin is susceptible to thinking about his own interests without regard to his team.  He keeps chanting that he wants “a movie all about me.”

     In the meantime, the Titans go to Warner Brothers and try to enlist the interest of director Jane Wilson (Bell).  [As an aside, much of this film is spoofing not only Hollywood, but superhero films in general, and this includes DC and Marvel comics.  Stan Lee of Marvel Comics has two wonderful cameos.] Wilson comes across as a caricature of director stereotypes, dismissing the Titans initially for their inconsequentiality.

     Eventually, though, the movie will get made, but at considerable cost; Robin will have to make compromises (like dispensing with his team) and learn a life lesson—one that will be to the edification of children in the audience.

     Clever references to previous superhero movies will please those knowledgeable about DC and Marvel Comics.  At one point when Robin wants to take him in, Slade reminds him that superheroes’ archenemies never go to jail—instead, their next plan gets foiled in the next movie by a superhero.  

     Teen Titans is clearly geared toward children, both in its humor (yes, farts and poops) and in its attempts to convey good principles such as thoughtfulness toward others and the pitfalls of pride. But with its running commentary on super hero figures and the comics behind them, it’s entertaining for adults as well, particularly those familiar with the genre.

     The core group responsible for the “Teen Titans Go!” TV series are at work in the movie version as well, for instance, directors Aaron Horvath and Peter Rida, production designer Dan Hipp, and musician Jared Faber.  The design, animation, and graphics match up nicely with the action, creating a unified whole.  Actors’ voices are apt for their parts, and special shout-outs go to Scott Menville as Robin and Will Arnett as Slade who are onscreen the majority of the time.

High Jinks and fanciful animations keep this production entertaining for children and adults.

Grade:  A-                                    By Donna R. Copeland

SHOW DOGS

Will Arnett     Natasha Lyonne     Omar Chaparro     Andy Beckwith

Voices of:  Ludacris     Alan Cumming     Stanley Tucci     Jordin Sparks     Shaquille O’Neal     Gabriel Iglesias

     Show Dogs, directed by Raja Gosnell and written by Max Botkin and Marc Hyman, is one of the rare animated films that will appeal to children and adults equally.  There is a little pandering to adults in the romantic theme, and to children in a fart joke; but for the most part, the film models good messages about the importance of friends and family and respect for individual and cultural differences.  

     Max (voice of Ludacris) prides himself on being a police dog who is street-wise and disdainful of offers to be his back-up by his feathered admirers whose motto is, “Birds of a feather fight crime together.”  He takes pride in his abilities, and enjoys elite status in the New York Police Department. But he is suspicious when an FBI agent, Frank (Arnett) appears on the scene to solve an animal trafficking problem.  It seems that a baby panda has been taken from his mother, and Max makes a promise when he gets a glimpse of the child that HE will return him to his mother.  But when Max is ordered to partner up with the FBI agent to investigate the crime, still in the planning stages at a dog show, he continually tests Frank’s capabilities, giving him more than a few nips. Frank is just as unhappy as Max, and clearly knows nothing about dogs.

     When he seeks out an expert in Animal Control, Mattie (Lyonne), she realizes right away that Frank (who has lost Max) is clueless about dogs; but she is a patient and kind person, so tries to help him. 

What follows is a combination of a thriller (finding the perps), comedy about poor Max having to become an “undercover” show dog, and gratification for dog lovers who get to see all the breeds primping up for and competing for the prize of Best in Show.  

     Creativity abounds in this unusual pairing of a thriller within a dog show that is animated and also a comedy.  Beyond that, it is more than simply entertaining; it has truths about our world and current issues we’re grappling with. Heitor Pereira’s music enhances and offers further entertainment in its puns, and David Mackie’s cinematography meets every challenge with artistry and skill.  

An animated film like few others, offering thrills, chuckles, and truths to live by.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THE NUT JOB 2: NUTTY BY NATURE

Voices of:  Will Arnett     Katherine Heigl     Maya Rudolph     Jackie Chan     Bobby Canavale     Bobby Moynihan

     In this version of the Nut Job stories, the animals have found that the nut store from the first story is abandoned and filled to the brim with nuts and nut products.  They are gorging to their hearts’ content, getting lazy and spoiled, according to Andie (Heigl); she realizes that the store has a real downside, whereas her friend Surly (Arnett) discounts her concerns and fails to get her point.  She tries valiantly to get the animals to forage for nuts, work hard, and save but they’re not really interested.  Their indolence actually results in the store burning to the ground after an explosion occurred when someone who was supposed to be minding the boiler forgot about it.  But it doesn’t really matter because what neither Surly nor Andie realizes is that the corrupt mayor of Oakton City (Moynihan) has plans to destroy Liberty Park and put in a dangerous (because he doesn’t want to bother with safety issues) amusement park with rides and all the junk foods that Andie abhors—cotton candy, peanuts, ice cream, popcorn, pizza. 

      Andie plays a kind of stereotypical female role in trying to convince the male Surly to step up, get the animals to pull together, exercise their instincts, and resist the humans.  His response is the male-like war cry. “You’re going to fight the humans?” says Andie incredulously.  He does get the animals to rally around, but they will go through many struggles, even trying to move to another park in the city, in fighting the humans.  Along the way, they run into hordes of mice with a cheeky leader, Mr. Don’t-call-me-cute! Feng (Chan), which constitute an additional threat as “a weapon of mouse destruction.”

    The film has good messages for children about working hard, being responsible, cooperating with one another, doing what is right rather than what is easy, and valuing the natural world and their own instinctual nature.  The mayor and his spoiled, mean daughter are shown to be truly evil forces that must be deterred somehow.  In the end, everybody seems to have learned something, or have suffered the consequences.

     The animation and visual effects are very good, but I noticed the picture was not bright, sharp, and colorful like most of these productions are.  It could have been the projector or other equipment at fault, and the version I was shown is not in 3D, which could also account for the problem; but this was a surprise for an animation and detracted from the film’s quality.

A film with some good points, but not a great improvement over the previous Nut Job.

Grade:  C-                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE

Voices of:  Will Arnett   Ralph Fiennes   Zach Galifianakis   Michael Cera   Jenny Slate   
Rosario Dawson   Zoe Kravitz     Channing Tatum   Jonah Hill   Jemaine Clement   
Ellie Kemper   Adam Devine   Kate Micucci   Seth Green   Eddie Izzard

     The humanization of Batman (Arnett) turns out to be very funny with glitzy animation and some substance to the message.  As evidenced by audience reaction at the screening, those familiar with DC comics will get many references that fly past those of us who are uninformed.  But even for those unfamiliar with all the Batman comics and movies, this is a flashy, entertaining story that will even pull your heartstrings in places.

Batman is full of himself, depicting the stereotypical male out of touch with his emotions or others’, and needing to be a savior in order to feel good about himself.  He has boxed himself in by shutting everyone else out, thinking he has to do everything on his own, ignoring his own needs for support and connection, and hell bent on being the hero of Gotham City.  His competitiveness with others—including Superman—is not overlooked.

     But the Joker (Gallifianakis) is back on the scene, and is intent on taking over Gotham City.  The police commissioner (Dawson) wants to help, as does Alfred Pennyworth (Fiennes), Batman’s aide, but he puts them off and strikes out on his own.  Someone he can’t put off is an orphan whom he absent-mindedly adopted one day.  Dick (Cera) is entranced with Batman, and insists on following him everywhere and getting outfitted in Batman-like clothes.  Batman tries to brush him off repeatedly, but the little guy is so persistent, Batman starts feeling some attachment to him—not admitting any such thing, of course.

     Themes that are treated both seriously and funny recurring throughout the movie include attachment, responsibility, cooperation, and the joy of play.  Even the Joker can’t get Batman to acknowledge that he is meaningful to him, and his wheedling and arguments with Batman are some of the funniest scenes.  A sense of responsibility outweighs anything else in Batman’s mind, preventing him from accepting help from others and making him actually lonely.  Pennyworth tries his best to get Batman to lighten up, and Dick enthusiastically takes to everything like it’s one big joyous game.  It takes a while for all this to get through to Batman and for him to become aware of his own emotional experience.

     Lego Batman is highly entertaining and visually beautiful, and is not directed toward any one age.  Children and adults should enjoy it for different reasons.  Although many of the references to other DC Comics film productions are likely to go over kids’ heads, there is enough animation and color—and even jokes—to keep them engaged.  Lorne Balfe’s music enhances the different moods of the film, notably playing Three Dog Night’s “One is the Loneliest Number” when Batman returns home and finds he is warming up his dinner and eating alone. 

     Director Chris McKay and the whole Warner Brothers-Lego-DC Comics team deserve the immense pride they most likely take in this production.  The voices of the actors deserve praise as well.

Fine animation with humor, adventure, and thoughtful points for viewers of all ages.

Grade:  A                                     By Donna R. Copeland

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: OUT OF THE SHADOWS

Megan Fox   Will Arnett   Laura Linney   Stephen Amell  

Noel Fisher   Jeremy Howard   Pete Ploszek   Alan Ritchson  

Brian Tee   Tyler Perry   Gary Anthony Williams   Stephen Farrelly   Brad Garrett

      There is a new villain in TMNT:  Out of the Shadows, who plots with the imprisoned/escaping  Shredder (Tee) for world domination through extraterrestrial means.  Kraang (Garrett) has a robot body that has a pink tumor-like head thrusting out of its midsection to snarl and threaten whoever comes into its path.  It and Shredder have enlisted the aid of Baxter Stockman (Perry) and his lab to assemble the necessary materials for achieving their ends.  The assembly requires obtaining three critical parts scattered around the world.  It also involves a purple substance that when ingested will transform two criminals, Rocksteady (Farrelly) and Bebop (Williams) into a rhino and a warthog who will be super soldiers for Shredder.  The thunderously bumbling antics of these two provide some of the better humor of the film.

          Meanwhile, we can savor the interactions of the four Turtle brothers horsing around, eating pizza, quibbling with one another, and going after the bad guys.  They are chafing at having to remain underground so they won’t frighten American citizens but will still be on call to rescue their beloved New York City when necessary.  Their reporter friend April (Fox) is excellent at snooping around and uncovering evil plots where the Turtles can intervene.  In addition to April, their team is able to call on diffident Vernon Patrick (Arnett) who took credit for the Turtles’ saving New York previously to keep the true heroes’ identity secret, and Casey Jones (Arnett), a vigilante with an assortment of sporting goods.

         April has uncovered the plot being set in motion and calls the Turtles into action.  Along the way, she will need the help of Patrick the “Falcon” and Jones, despite the latter’s offending Police Chief Vincent (Linney) and warrants for the arrest of the Turtles.

          I think one goes to see movies like this for the special effects and stunts rather than for the story, and in that respect, the film is entertaining and will appeal to mainstream audiences who like this genre.  Subjects did arise that would be worthy of discussion, such as arguments for and against the Turtles’ using the purple substance to transform themselves into human shapes, the struggle to maintain leadership and teamwork among the Turtles, and the “no honor among thieves” theme in regard to the villains. 

If you like the Turtles, you’ll probably like this; otherwise, skip it.  You won’t miss a thing.

Grade:  C                        By Donna R. Copeland