When most people hear the name Pharrell Williams, they’ll likely think of that number-one hit song, “Happy,” which was featured in the Despicable Me 2 movie in 2014. This song was an inescapable mainstay on pop radio throughout the mid-2010s.

However, many are quite unaware of Pharrell’s significant impact on the 2000s to 2010s pop music scene and his overwhelming contributions as a music producer. Nonetheless, his recent documentary, released in theaters on October 18, sheds a colorful and fun light on his career and offers a chronological look at his life story, all told with Lego.

The Lego animation in the documentary is, simply put, absolutely crisp. It is exceptionally well-executed, with many scenes that left me in awe of how vibrant and polished the animation was. It made Pharrell’s story much more sensational than the typical boring real documentary.

What captivated me most, however, were the stories of the obstacles Pharrell faced and how he overcame them. Pharrell was fortunate for the most part, for instance, Teddy Riley, a notable producer at the time, opened a recording studio right near his high school. A talent show hosted by Riley allowed him to scout Pharrell and enabled him to become a producer quickly.

But with rising fame comes tribulations, and Pharrell soon found himself in a creative rut, struggling to produce music he enjoyed. The next visually stunning sequence was my favorite, where a beautiful soundtrack plays as the Lego animation peaks, with scenes of the ocean and outer space where a childhood idol reminds Pharrell of a reason to keep going. His son’s inspiration and playful input ultimately led him to create his biggest hit, “Happy.”

“I think the movie had a beautiful message about how it’s good to give it your all, but you also have to be careful of what could come into your life, and to take advantage of it,” junior Mildreth Esquivel said.