This new animated feature is a direct sequel to the big hit "The Lego Movie" released five years ago, which launched its own series of films with anthropomorphic Lego characters. It follows events from both the animated world of Emmet and Lucy in Bricksburg, as well as the real-life world of siblings Finn and Bianca.
The city of Bricksburg has been serially attacked by "cute"-looking alien creatures until it had evolved into a dystopic community called Apocalypseburg. The rough and angry life in Apocalypseburg had hardened all its inhabitants. Well, except for Emmet who was still chipper and cheerful as ever, who still believed that everything is awesome. Even if he was being bothered by nightmares of "Armamageddon," Emmet constructed a little house where he and Lucy can rebuild the world.
In the next attack by the Duplo aliens, General Sweet Mayhem abducted Batman, Lucy, Benny, MetalBeard, and Unikitty, to take them to the Systar system where their sassy Queen Watevra Wa'Nabi had a matrimonial ceremony planned at 5:15 that afternoon. Emmett goes out in pursuit of his friends using a spacecraft he made from the ruins of his dream house. He encounters space adventurer Rex Dangervest who tried to toughen Emmett up for the big fight ahead of them.
This sequel had everything we expected from it -- the imaginative animation designs with an explosion of colors, the catchy earworm pop tunes, the exceptional voice acting (by Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett), the offbeat sense of humor. We see inspirations from other movies, notably "Mad Max Fury Road," on which Apocalypseburg with all its dystopian vehicles had been based. There were a lot of cameos of various fictional characters -- JLA members, Gandalf, Velma of Scooby Doo, etc. There were also cameos of real-life people as Legos, like US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.and Bruce Willis.
Lego Duplo blocks (bigger and thicker Lego blocks designed for young kids) were used for the alien invaders, which I personally thought had corny and uncool designs. I did not like how Queen Watevra Wa'Nabi was first portrayed to us. Her square block of a face was so awkward-looking design-wise. The voice acting by Tiffany Haddish was so distinctly her usual screen personality, which could be really off-putting or annoying. But again, I get it why these aliens were portrayed this way as a metaphor for the real-life drama behind the whole animated storyline.
The problem with this film being a sequel is that the novelty that made the first one so great is not all there anymore. The new elements, like the Lego Duplo aliens, do not really help up its level of innovation or comedy. It is still fun and funny, yes, but anymore not as fun and funny as the first one was. 6/10.
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