[Viennacon]

Is there a transgendering Lego man?

[gov_bean_ counter]

Beep,beep

Zip-tang...

[Alex Murphy]

(Remember, the movie’s villain is named Business.)

Only when a Democrat is in office. When a Republican is in office, they're named Government.

[martin_fierro]

Ooooh, a movie about plastic cubes. Where can I find tickets. < |:/~

[AppyPappy]

If it was Communist, they’d be building gulags.

[CivilWarBrewing]

I noticed in the Lego movie preview there's a jab "or have a 'Tea Party' with your parents", implying they're old, conservative, no fun and out-dated.

DO.. NOT.. SEE.. Don't Go See Lego!

[apillar]

Remember, the movie’s villain is named Business. Last time I checked Lego Inc. wasn't a non-profit....

[colorado tanker]

Didn’t this guy see the trailer? This movie isn’t worth watching, much less writing a column about it.

[Coffee... Black... No Sugar]

Kids will go (and be taken) to this movie if for none other than because the bricks are shiny and the film is new. The submerged idology may not even register on the surface. Our author is very adult-smart (and I agree with him as an adult), but a well trained young person KNOWS better than to bite so hard.

A good parent will put on The Incredibles after dinner, though.

[wbill]

Or, it could just be a kid's movie about little pieces of plastic.

Geez, the author of this piece thinks waaaaaaaay too much.

[Lurking Libertarian]

If you think you know where the story goes from here, that’s because narratives of empowerment have become practically the norm in American culture. We believe that children need encouragement in order to become their best selves, and our movies and stories often reflect that. But have we taken it too far? In an eloquent article in the Atlantic last year, Luke Epplin criticized children’s films for what he termed the “magic-feather syndrome” — so named for the feather that Dumbo once thought could make him fly. (Of course, the feather wasn’t magic at all; the real feather was Inside Him All Along™, or rather inside his giant, flapping ears.) Epplin writes: It's probably no coincidence that the supremacy of the magic-feather syndrome in children's movies overlaps with the so-called ‘cult of self-esteem.’ The restless protagonists of these films never have to wake up to the reality that crop-dusters simply can't fly faster than sleek racing aircraft. Instead, it's the naysaying authority figures who need to be enlightened about the importance of never giving up on your dreams, no matter how irrational, improbable, or disruptive to the larger community.

The small, seemingly insignificant person who goes on to perform heroic deeds is not something new dreamed up by the self-esteem movement; it's as old as children's literature ("The Little Tailor"), if not as old as literature itself (David and Goliath).

[gura]

Communists used to live in LEGO blocks:

[christianhomeschoolmommaof3]

Everyone is special because they were made in the image of God. That being said; not everyone is equally talented/gifted. People need to realize their own potential and stop focusing on the achievements of others. Ordinary people can do extraordinary things and that is a good message to me.

Since I really am not clear about the movie’s storyline from this review, I am not sure if I agree/disagree with the worldview. More problematic to me are instances in movies when bad behavior goes unpunished or get rewarded. For example, in “The Little Mermaid”, Ariel’s disobedience leads to a happy life with her prince. That is not how the book ended.

[Cicero]

This review is more than a little confused. There’s nothing wrong with starting small and, through hard work and determination, accomplishing heroic things.

No, the problem—aside from the fact that it’s apparently a bad movie—is that the villain is “President/Lord Business.”

Clearly the film was funded by wealthy Hollywood Obama supporters.

[a fool in paradise]

Is/was there a Lincoln Log movie?

[a fool in paradise]

Erector Set - The Movie?

[NittanyLion]

We’ll be taking our kids to see it...will have to judge for myself. The boys are too young to care about politics but will love the movie.

[Hetty_Fauxvert]

Really interesting analysis. I have been badgered into promising to take my kids to this movie, so I appreciate the heads-up on themes (or possible themes) in the movie.

However, I wonder if this reviewer has possibly misinterpreted the ending. I took my kids to “Monsters University” so I saw that one first hand, and this reviewer has, in my opinion, misinterpreted Mike’s final realization about himself. Mike is NOT just a “functionary,” as in, someone who keeps the books or makes sure that the official scarer gets places on time or whatever. Mike is, in fact, a coach and teacher. He is Scully’s director. Scully is many times more effective in his scaring with Mike as his team member, analyzing what he needs to do, working on his timing and delivery, telling him, “Go!” Scully is the “talent” but he’s not half as good without his director, Mike. So Mike’s realization is not that it’s okay to be just a wannabe, but that in fact you don’t have to be the “talent” or point man to still be a necessary and vitally useful part of a team.

We’ll see the Lego movie next week and I’ll take a careful look at its themes then. But it sounds to me like I’ll actually like the movie’s theme. This almost sounds like a reprise of the American Revolution. It sounds like Emmet’s realization is that no anointed princeling (even if he is called “Mr. Business”) has the right to run others’ lives, but that everyone should practice self-determination and “speak truth to power.” I think I might like that. :)

[Popman]

Took the grandkids to see this movie last night...

It was vastly more political than I ever imagined...

Stupid me thought it would be about Lego's

Grandkids really enjoyed it...

I'm still trying to digest it's message...

One of the many things in the movie I enjoyed was they put all types of references only adults would recognize...they took a theme from just about every popular film made and inserted in the movie...

Almost every superhero old and new was in it.

Lincoln was portrayed, I think Rembrandt character was in it, Hans Solo, the Wookiee, and CPO, Wonderwoman, Batman..