My Movie Review on The LEGO Ninjago Movie · 12:07am Aug 31st, 2023
Greetings and salutations, my friends.
This is your top-of-the-line film, TV show, and episode reporter here with another review.
Today, I'm gonna give you guys my take of "The LEGO Ninjago Movie".
Here's the rundown of this tale:
Lloyd Garmadon is a mild-mannered teenage boy who's secretly a superhero called the Green Ninja, as the leader of a super ninja team who serve as the guardians of Ninjago City. The team he leads consists of his friends, Kai, Nya, Jay, Cole, Zane (who's also a robot), and their teacher: Master Wu, who is also Lloyd's uncle.
In contrast to his Ninja persona, though, Lloyd's life as a regular kid is everything but positive. With the exception of his friends, Wu, and his mother, Koko, Lloyd is treated as a freak by everyone around him because he's the son of the Ninjas' arch-enemy: Lord Garmadon, who has frequently attacked Ninjago in order to conquer it.
However, during their biggest battle yet, a giant monster called Meowthra (a live-action cat) is unwittingly summoned to Ninjago and starts tearing the city apart. In an effort to stop the beast, the Ninjas must travel to the other side of Ninjago Island in order to locate a secret weapon, which Master Wu says is the only way Meowthra can be defeated. And like the day couldn't get any more strange for them, Lord Garmadon follows the Ninja from behind before later accompanying them on the mission!
Can Garmadon and the Ninjas' put aside their animosity to save Ninjago? Or is their conflict one that can never be put to rest?
After I did my review of "The LEGO Batman Movie", I knew that creating an analysis of "The LEGO Ninjago Movie" was gonna be on my to-do list since it was the only LEGO-based film left to check out. I wasn't as acquainted with the Ninjago film compared to the other three I already reviewed, but I was interested in giving it a look.
And yes, I'm well aware of the mixed reputation this movie has, but I still wanted to see it despite my uncertainty over whether I'd like it. The first time I saw the Ninjago film was after I borrowed a DVD copy of it from the library near my home, and I watched it with my mother, nieces, and nephew. For reviewing it, I saw "The LEGO Ninjago Movie" twice using a free movie website, mainly so that I'd be certain over what I thought of it.
So, what do I think of "The LEGO Ninjago Movie" in words? Especially after seeing it twice this year?
Well, since this movie gained a mixed reception upon release, I'd like to start off by pointing out the main flaws I noted:
Among the nitpicks was that there were some small joke sequences in the first half that were noticeably used more than once. Literally. An example is that, after Lloyd shoots all of his missiles at Garmadon during their first fight in the movie, the impact of the missiles and the results of their collision with Garmadon's mech suit is repeated six times. Each time it focused on the whole thing from a different angle or viewpoint, and they were all accompanied by a Wilhelm scream, which was repeated seven times thanks to another blow up. These repetitive moments pretty much threw me in a loop.
Aside from this, I also felt that the brief live-action montages played after the "Ultimate Weapon" and the "Ultimate, Ultimate Weapon" are introduced were deeply weird, and they came across as abrupt distractions more than anything else. I mean, I get that the filmmakers wanted to emphasize how amazed Lloyd and the other ninjas were when learning about the weapons, but still. Were they really necessary to begin with?
Outside of these detractors, though, I'm happy to say that I found "The LEGO Ninjago Movie" to be worth the watch. It was more enjoyable than I thought it'd be!
For instance, the direction by Charlie Bean, Paul Fisher, and Bob Logan, the story by Logan, Fisher, Tom & William Wheeler, Hilary Winston, and Dan & Kevin Hageman, and the screenplay by Logan, Fisher, the Wheeler brothers, Jared Stern, and John Whittington, were surprisingly spot-on.
Despite some of the same comedic footage being used more than once in the first act, the film was still one of the funniest animated features I've seen. Many of the jokes throughout the movie worked incredibly well, particularly because they had an innocent quality and were naturally executed. It also looked like the filmmakers were taking inspiration from the humorous style of the first LEGO Movie, only with a more grounded and less looney approach.
On top of this, "The LEGO Ninjago Movie" was perhaps the most emotionally-invested and heartfelt of the four LEGO films distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It had tons of heartfelt and emotional moments like the two LEGO Movie films, but...the way they were done in the Ninjago film was so powerful that they could tug at one's soul without even trying!
I enjoyed the morals and themes of the film as well. Just like the first LEGO film, this movie was teaching that people can make a positive difference and do great things if they put their minds to it. But, it also taught that it's important to believe in yourself and your loved ones, and that we should always take the time to improve ourselves for the better. Its message about resolving conflicts through love and understanding was well-done too, particularly on the grounds that there are some things in life that could never be solved through violence.
The animation was astonishing, if I may add.
As with the other LEGO films I previously reviewed, the visuals had a look and feel reminiscent of actual legos, and the way everything flowed was like a stop-motion animated film operated by computer. And added onto it all...was a sense of playfulness that immediately gave off a feeling that the visuals were controlled by either pure LEGO enthusiasts or a child's imagination. The choreography for the action scenes was an especially great standout, particularly whenever the characters were doing kung fu.
Just like "The LEGO Movie" and "The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part", I also enjoyed the Ninjago film's live-action scenes. The direction for them was top-notch, and by having the film open with a live-action prologue, the filmmakers brilliantly set the stage for the animated segments. In this case, they confirmed first and foremost everything was represented by the imaginations of Mr. Liu and the young boy in his shop. Also, it was amazing how the directors and animators were able to blend Meowthra the live-action cat with the LEGO-based animation. Her interactions with the characters and settings were so realistic that it was like she was in the LEGO world, and I'm still wondering how the film team was able to accomplish such a feat.
Additionally, the music by Mark Mothersbaugh was magnificent.
Returning from composing the first LEGO Movie, Mothersbaugh brilliantly differentiated the material for the Ninjago movie from his previous work. His score had a cinematic quality that was strong enough to vibrate off heartstrings, and the Asian-based melodies it contained were entrancing to the ear. Plus, the songs that were played throughout the film were all very pleasant to listen to, my particular favorite being "Found My Place", which was made by Oh Hush and sung by singer-songwriter Jeff Lewis.
Finally, the voice acting, characters, and character development were splendid.
I don't know about you guys, but the vocal performances and direction were honestly much more superb compared to "The LEGO Batman Movie". Based on some behind-the-scenes videos I saw for the film recently, it appeared that the voice acting sessions often ranged from solo acts to group recordings, mainly depending on the scenes or characters. And you know what? I think that worked incredibly well. All of the cast members sounded like they were having a great time portraying their respective parts, and they successfully helped their characters stand out by incorporating a genuine sense of personality and texture. Each of the characters also proved to be standouts in the best way, because they were much more engaging, likable, memorable, and well-developed compared to the ones featured in this movie's DC-based predecessor.
If I were to choose who gave the best performances out of everyone, though, it'd definitely be Dave Franco as Lloyd and Justin Theroux as Garmadon. Theroux managed to steal the show whenever Garmadon was around, even translating the character as a likable individual despite being antagonistic much of the time; and Franco's performance as Lloyd carried so much emotion and purity that it could easily break the heart, particularly to where people would want to give Lloyd a hug. Plus, Lloyd and Garmadon were also the characters who developed the most, because their individual growths throughout the film were mind-blowing.
In conclusion, "The LEGO Ninjago Movie" isn't 100% perfect, but...it's also one of the most underrated animated films I've ever seen! It has all the qualifications needed to be worth watching, and it's leagues better than "The LEGO Batman Movie". Heck, had Warner Bros.' rights to make LEGO films not expired before getting handed to Universal, I personally would've loved to see the Ninjago film have a sequel or more.
So, I rate "The LEGO Ninjago Movie" 4½ out of 5 stars.
Is that my opening line your using?
5744593
Where?
5744594
Greetings and salutations
5744596
Oh, that.
Actually, I didn’t even know that was your opening line. It was something that I developed myself quite a long time ago, to start certain reviews off with formality.
5744597
Eh, these things happen
5744599
Yay.
On a completely different subject, what were your thoughts on my review? And have you ever seen the film?
5744601
It's a good argument
Nothing really to add, but I like the mix of realistic water and greenery with the LEGO bricks. As somebody who played with my LEGO outside, it's really nostalgic to see minifigures in a setting that looks like it's out in a garden. I know some people are turned off by the whole aesthetic as it's not like the other LEGO movies, but I love it, and in some ways I think it's more visually interesting than an entire landscape littered with studs.
It's been a while since I saw the movie (saw it when it came out in theaters) but I like it. But here's a change I would have made.
Originally when Lloyd was born, Garmadon tried to go good (I think) and work at the same place as Lloyd's mother. But the film never gives the audience an explanation why he went back to being a villain.
Here's what I would have done if I wrote the movie. Everything was fine at first. But all of the other co-workers (besides Lloyd's mom) made fun of Garmadon and ostracized him (not unlike how most of the students treated Lloyd). One day, he finally snapped and decided, "if people were going to treat me like a monster, then I might as well be one."
5744674
I never even noticed that before, but now that you pointed it out...I admire that aspect as well.
5744874
It makes it distinct from the others, and it's the one reason that makes me wanna see the movie.
A bit unrelated, but honestly, I wish there were more LEGO dioramas that used some foliage.
5744875
Agreed.
Interesting that you preferred this to the Lego Batman Movie. Usually it's the other way around.
Whilst the film is enjoyable on its own merits, it sadly contributed to the overall cancellation of the Lego movie franchise a few years later.