I had heard good things about The Lego Movie but found it to be break-neck paced and too fast-moving, especially for kids. It felt like a video game. I didn't really feel like I could get a good look at the animation and came away feeling disappointed. The production quality was really good, rich, and I like the way the movie looked, but it sailed along so fast I felt like I missed a lot. The story was pretty predictable (I fell asleep several times and not because of sleep deprivation this time) and Will Farrell was great at the end. I would say go see it in 3D, but from the bits and pieces I've seen of Frozen, I'd say see Frozen first. Last thing on Lego - Elizabeth Banks gives voice to Wild Style, the main character Emmett's love interest. I went back and looked at her bio and hadn't even recognized her as Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games - thought that was interesting and that I'd pass that along. Loved the Hunger Games book series even though I found the writing to be appallingly sophomoric. I mean, I'm no novelist, but wow - maybe I should be.
If given the choice between Muppets Most Wanted and Frozen, I would also say see Frozen first. I saw a bit of Frozen in the dentist office and the last 30 minutes of it at my mother's house. From what I saw it was produced in a style similar to Tangled (which, honest to God, I absolutely love and believe is one of the best animated films of all time). I don't think the story was as moving as that of Rapunzel's in Tangled, but from what I saw it looked good.
Muppets Most Wanted was better and more fun than the Lego Movie. Both of these you could probably wait to watch at home though the 3D is fun for Lego. Ricky Gervais and Tina Fey are perfect for their Muppets roles, Gervais humorous as the Muppets' deceitful world tour agent, and Fey is hilarious as the warden of a Siberian gulag (yes, you heard that right). Embarrassingly, it took me a minute to place her - I guess because of the accent and costume.
I guess I'd say all three of these are worth seeing in the theater (if you can even still catch Frozen). Colin, who will be 5 end of May, liked Frozen the best, Muppets second, Lego last.
A little late to the game with these reviews I know, but I hope you find them useful.
*** No new Perflix to report, though I was remembering that I really, really liked Youth in Revolt (2009) which stars Michael Cera (Arrested Development, Superbad, Juno). Need to watch it again to make a determination if it goes on THE LIST, but you should definitely see it - in fact this may be the only useful information you get out of me here tonight. Enjoy!
- Alien
- Top Gun
- Ferris Bueller's Day Off
- The Road
- Warm Bodies
- The Shining
- School of Rock
- Say Anything
- High Fidelity
- Fight Club
- Risky Business
- Star Wars
- Brokeback Mountain
- Animal House
- Jerry McGuire
- Silver Linings Playbook
- Dallas Buyers Club
- Raiders of the Lost Ark
- No Country for Old Men
- Tangled
- Children of Men
- War Games
- 28 Days Later
- The Graduate
- From Dusk Till Dawn
- Lost in Translation
- The King's Speech