ExtraDVD: The LEGO Movie (U)

Socially awkward LEGO mini-figure Emmet (voiced by Chris Pratt) works on a building site in his hometown of Bricksburg, which is controlled by President Business (Will Ferrell).

This nefarious tyrant plans to destroy Bricksburg and the neighbouring districts of Cloud Cuckoo Land and Middle Zealand using an artifact known as The Kragle.

Ancient wizard Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman) and his sassy henchwoman Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) mistake Emmet for a mythical figure known as Master Builder.

According to prophecy, Master Builder will locate the Piece Of Resistance and destroy The Kragle. Emmet is press-ganged into leading the perilous quest to defeat Lord Business aided by a rogue’s gallery of mini-figures including Wyldstyle’s boyfriend Batman (Will Arnett), Green Lantern (Jonah Hill), Wonder Woman (Cobie Smulders), Abraham Lincoln (Will Forte) and a classic 1980s-era blue spaceman named Benny (Charlie Day).

The LEGO Movie is a rollicking adventure, which cleverly employs the latest technical wizardry to mimic the crude, imperfect movements of stop-motion animation. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s film is a hoot, celebrating the enduring popularity of a toy invented in the late 1940s.

The script is peppered with wry one-liners, cinematic homages and an infectious theme song — Everything Is Awesome — that burrows into the brain and refuses to leave quietly.

Pratt, Ferrell and co deliver ebullient vocal performances, which are complemented by frenetic action sequences by LEGO land, sea and air. The directors, who donned hard hats for the first Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs film, strike a delicious tone of irreverence throughout to ensure parents enjoy the ride just as much as younger viewers.

Rating: 8/10