Overall Score: 9.25/10

Most moviegoers know that when it comes to sequels, the first one is almost always undeniably better. Fortunately, I can say that The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part was probably one of the most enjoyable sequels that I have ever watched. Picking up directly where The Lego Movie left off, The Second Part is a funny, fast-paced, slightly quirky movie that is quick to make fun of stereotypical movie tropes in a new, unique fashion, and nicely blends stop motion animation and CGI effects to create a wonderful visual environment for viewers to enjoy. So, let’s get into the details and break this movie down. 

Typically, I tend to not enjoy the visual effects of stop motion movies. If not done properly and without enough patience, the animation tends to come out jerky and just looks odd, especially when mixed with CGI effects. The Lego Movie had a bit of leeway, though. Despite working with Legos, of all things, the animators did a wonderful job of making the movements of the characters relatively smooth, while still purposefully less fluid to convey that the characters are, well, Lego pieces. Throw in some decent computer graphics for background and combat effects, and you have yourself a movie full of multiple masterful scenes when it comes to visual effects. The facial expressions were wonderfully done; I can’t imagine how long it took to make the multitude of emotions and facial expressions that each character has throughout the movie.

One of the most essential parts of this movie is that it knows exactly when and how to apply comedic effect that appeals both to the younger and older audiences. Throughout the movie, there are various references to other movies or typical movie stereotypes, such as making fun of villains always announcing their plans or heroes always being rough n’ tough. There’s even a reference about Bruce Willis and the amount of time he’s spent in air ducts, as well as references to Chris Pratt and the amount of movie characters he’s played. While you’re watching the movie, keep an eye out for all of those hilarious cameos. There’s tons of them hidden throughout the movie.  

Plot wise, this movie was quite a thriller. It jumps right into the action from the start and rarely has a dull moment, and even those dull moments are full of their own little pieces of comedy as filler. While the plot is relatively straight forward, each segment has its own little plot twist and bits of foreshadowing that lead up to an extreme plot twist by the end of the movie. If you’re a fan of whacky and semi-straightforward plots, you’ll enjoy the story that this movie has in store. Throughout the movies, all the various characters change and develop new personalities, most of them for the better. Be ready to see some of your favorite characters, including Emmet, Batman and Wyldstyle change dramatically.

Overall, the movie is a fun, wacky, wonderfully animated movie that’s appropriate and enjoyable for audiences of all ages. I would recommend it to audiences that either are looking for a good laugh or have younger kids that they would like to take out to the movies. If you were a fan of movies such as The Lego Movie, Wreck It Ralph and The Lego Batman Movie, you too will also enjoy this movie.