The Lego Movie is an amazing accomplishment. What could have been a terrible 90 minute long ad, is actually one of the best movies, animated or otherwise, of the year. It’s a great kids movie that also works on an adult level as well (I’m sure Pixar is proud of another team managing this).

Elliot is just an average Lego construction worker doing his thing every day. When he’s tapped as “The Special”, Elliot is thrust into a quest to stop the evil Lord Business from destroying the Lego world.

Elliot is an every man. He’s just a guy who plugs away in the boundaries of his life. When he’s told he has much greater capabilities, he has a hard time believing it. It’s a story of self confidence, taking control of your life and doing everything you can to succeed.

The characters and the voice over cast is outstanding. It’s a huge menagerie of TV and film stars all over the movie. The characters span many universes, which is a blast to see. Comic book characters, movie characters, original Lego set characters, they’re all in here. There’s a lot of funny lines (mostly from Batman, Superman and Green Lantern) which keeps things light, fun and always interesting.

And then there is the animation. Animal Logic has to at least get an Oscar nomination for their work. This movie looks mind boggling. It’s all CG but the genius’ behind this movie figured out how to make it look like real, stop motion animated Lego pieces. It’s so convincing, you think you are laying down on the floor on your stomach watching the biggest Lego play set ever assembled move on its own. Everything about it looks amazing. The lighting is perfect, the depth of field and camera movement is crazy. The backdrops and all of the “special effects” like explosions and water are all Lego based. This is one of the most striking animated movies ever made.

A real surprise and a real treat! Watch it!