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‘The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part’ keeps the jokes rolling in, feels fresh

Once again, “everything was awesome.” As original as the first, this time with a little extra heart (whether that be more emotion or literal, deceptively alluring, exploding hearts), “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” is just as funny and not nearly redundant as its name.

Picking up after the events of the previous film, the temporary peace in Bricksburg soon comes to an end when alien Lego creatures wreak havoc on the city. After five of Emmet’s (Chris Pratt) friends are kidnap by a masked figure working with the aliens, it is up to him to rescue them from across the galaxy.

Growing up with Legos on any available space of carpet, this film spoke to me.

The story this time takes a larger focus on the people playing with the Legos than it did in the previous film, allowing for more realistic and unexpectedly touching moments. The Lego world is just as enticing with its own story that is out-of-its-world. The real magic is when there is a combination of both however. Cleverly woven relationships between the real world and the imagined one gave the film an extra layer that made it not just another animated adventure. It required some thought that was satisfyingly intriguing.

The unique animation is just as pleasing to watch as it was before. There isn’t another movie quite like it because only Legos does Legos best. The blocky style that so many fans loved about the first will be pleased even more by the sequel. Creative new builds and environments will surely keep your eyes entertained. There are plenty of dazzling ways to use Legos, that I believe the franchise has only scratched the surface.

I did find my cheeks to be hurting a bit after the film, from too much laughing of course. The jokes kept on rolling and the audience kept on laughing. Each little quirk, small nod, and subtle pun were hilarious. With the capacity of jokes made, impressively almost all stuck. It was hard to believe the amount of all of the smartly timed, perfectly delivered humor. The only jab that didn’t amuse me was one that heavily influenced the ending. The film went a little too meta, taking me out of the movie a bit.

The “awesome” ending song was enough to make up for it though. All throughout the film, the music not only was catchy, but it helped progress the story. As an additional song accompanied the credits, I was reminded of the vast cast the film boasted. Each recognizable voice was rewarding to hear, no matter how small, including a hilarious cameo voiced by Bruce Willis.

All of the qualities that made the first film so loveable can be found in “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.” In fact, I liked the film so much that I went to see it twice, a praise that I reserve for very few movies.

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