Connor Bynum // Film Critic
THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE
Rated PG, 101 minutes.
Director: Charlie Bean, Paul Fisher and Bob Logan
Cast: Jackie Chan, Dave Franco, Fred Armisen, Kumail Nanjiani, Michael Peña, Abbi Jacobson and Justin Theroux
The LEGO film series is a curious franchise. In spite of greatly enjoying both previous installments, when the trailer for THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE released I couldn’t help but ask, “Really? Another one?”
The fact that THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE only just hit theater screens in February is likely to cause some franchise fatigue. To add more to the pile, this newest entry happens to be built around a relatively unknown sect of the LEGO universe: NINJAGO.
Could this be a sign that these movies are losing steam? Apparently not, as it turns out that THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE is actually pretty good.
Set in the Tokyo-inspired city of Ninjago, the film centers around a group of six teenage ninjas tasked with defending their home against the dastardly Garmadon (a scene-stealing Justin Theroux) who apparently tries to conquer the city at least a couple times a week. However, it is quickly revealed that the leader of the ninjas, Lloyd (Dave Franco), a.k.a. the Green Ninja, is the son of Garmadon. Lloyd desperately seeks reconciliation with his estranged maniacal father. To make matters worse, all of Ninjago relentlessly blames Lloyd for Garmadon’s endless attacks on the city when all he really wants is a dad.
The relationship between Lloyd and Garmadon is truly the saving grace of the film. What begins as a seemingly forgettable tale about saving the world from the bad guy gradually evolves into a story that is surprisingly heartfelt and sincere. Movies aimed at children rarely explore the subject of broken families with more than a moment’s glance, but this one faces it head on and leaves audiences with a message fit for Pixar: Not all families are going to be perfect, but they are still family.
Although, the film is not without its problems. In spite of the interesting dynamic between Lloyd and Garmadon, the other characters are given very little to work with. Jackie Chan briefly appears in the opening and closing live-action segments, in addition to voicing the teacher of the ninjas, Master Wu. Chan is perfectly enjoyable in both performances. It’s just too bad that he spends most of his screen time on the sidelines giving exposition to Lloyd’s less interesting team of ninjas.
While the trademark fast-paced humor with which these films have become synonymous is certainly present, this time around, the novelty seems to be showing some signs of age. Younger audiences are sure to enjoy the endless barrage of self-aware absurdity, but parents may be in need of a break after two of these films in the same year. Yet despite its missing bricks, THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE is a far more enjoyable outing than it deserves to be. Let’s just hope Warner Bros. waits a little longer than seven months before they release the next one.
Grade: B
THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE opens on Friday (9/22) nationwide.
