The LEGO Ninjago Movie (2017)
2017
PG
Six young ninjas are tasked with defending their island home of Ninjago. By night, they’re gifted warriors using their skill and awesome fleet of vehicles to fight villains and monsters. By day,...
User Review
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The Lego Ninjago Movie rushes along faster than a ninja on amphetamine. This is Lego attempting to inject a fairly unknown intellectual property into the mainstream, most likely in an attempt to gain sales from their merchandise. Putting that monopolising thought aside, I strangely enjoyed this. I mean, it's absolutely bonkers and lathers itself in pop cultural references (similarly to 'The Lego Batman Movie'), but it had me laugh multiple times. A group of ninjas team up to prevent a warlord from conquering Ninjago, but is soon reversed when they must team up with him to stop the colossal cat "Meowthra" from destroying the city. In the most simplistic of descriptions, it's 'Power Rangers' with the aesthetic world of 'The Karate Kid' in the style of Lego. Except the focus on teamwork has been substituted for a broken relationship between protagonist "L-loyd" and his antagonising father. It's primitive, predictable and unoriginal, but the charm and chaotic humour more than makes up for the narrative's heavy handholding. The animation style remains identical to the previous entries by Lego, full of fluidity and vibrancy. Voice acting felt authentic, particularly from Theroux and Chan, however Franco did irritate me with his frequently moaning vocal chords. The focus on the hero and the villain did result in supporting characters being sidelined, however they are utilised to provide humour when it is required. The inclusion of real world acting in an animation hardly ever works, and again, was unsuccessful in this film. This entry in Lego's animation series feels more orientated towards children than entire families, but needless to say I still enjoyed it and laughed far too many times. Seriously, it was like I was a child! From the ridiculously manic montage that proceeds the "ultimate weapon" (and even more so with the "ultimate ultimate weapon") to a seemingly real domestic cat destroying a Lego city as if it was Godzilla. I certainly laughed out loud. So even with the basic plot and rushed pacing, the film's hearty charm and hilarity makes for a ninja good time.0 member like this review.
