Age of The Nerd
The Movie
Upon a second viewing, The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part is a pretty solid sequel. While the film is a mostly-worthy follow-up to its predecessor, it’s also hard to top the brilliance of the 2014 original. Even though that film managed to capture lightning in a bottle, The LEGO Movie 2 is further proof that a fantastically unique concept can only be taken so far before it becomes normalized. Such is the case with the sequel, but it’s also a pretty well-told story nevertheless. It’s a story that not only manages to do a good amount of universe building, while also feeling timely and important on a thematic level.
Although the first film managed to be a response to the time in which it was made, it also remains a timeless story with a strong message. Whereas The LEGO Movie 2 is also a response to the current perception of society, it’s also much less thematically evergreen than it’s predecessor. The major reason for this is the lack of Phil Lord and Chris Miller at the helm. It’s true that Lord and Miller wrote the screenplay in addition to crafting the story. While the duo had a certain amount of influence on the film, it’s obvious that their presence in the director’s chair(s) is sorely missed.
RELATED: LEGO Group Unveils Three More Building Sets From The LEGO Movie 2
In general, Mike Mitchell and Trisha Gum do a good job of filling the massive shoes of Lord and Miller by keeping the spirit of the first film alive. However, The LEGO Movie 2 simply just lacks the magic of the original. Moreover, the direction is much less specific, in addition to lacking a certain sense of boundless kineticism that made the first so interesting on a visual level. Despite some interesting elements, the sequel doesn’t add much to the lexicon of the LEGO franchise thus far. As I detailed in my theatrical review for the film, The LEGO Movie 2 is a solid, yet faulty brick in the franchise. Either way, the film is ultimately worth checking out, especially for those who were fans of the original.
Rating: 3.5/5
The Picture
The 4K UHD presentation of The LEGO Movie 2 is quite impressive. Right from the opening logos, it’s clear that this disc offers a superior presentation to its 1080p counterpart. Encoded using an HVEC/ H.265 codec that upscales the 2160p native resolution to 4K. Luckily, the disc also preserves the theatrical aspect ratio of 2.39:1.
The color enhancement from the HDR10 format implemented on this disc is perhaps the most striking element of The LEGO Movie 2’s home video presentation. Along with the significant color improvement, the disc also shows a slight increase in overall brightness. Contrast is also noticeably improved, especially throughout the second act shenanigans in space. While black levels are passable, the image detail is downright ridiculous. Especially considering the hybrid medium of the film, the animated portions feature a staggering level of detail and texture. Similarly, the live-action portions provide nice skin tones and definition. There are no apparent issues with the encoding in terms of artifacting. The only thing really holding this disc back from a perfect score in the video department is the lack of a true 4K transfer. Otherwise, this transfer excels in this department, providing near reference-quality video – at least in terms of animated movies.
Rating: 4.5/5
The Audio
The Audio on the 4K UHD release of The LEGO Movie 2 comes via a Dolby Atmos track that is absolutely superb. Although the track reverts to a standard 7.1 mix for those without an Atmos setup, this track offers a sonically superior experience while watching the film. Channel separation is ever-present throughout; offering a nice balance between uses of high and low ends. In particular, the low end of the spectrum is particularly noteworthy for an animated film. Especially in terms of its integration during the film’s action sequences, this is a clear highlight. The environmental ambience is nice, and overall activity is present throughout the mix.
Clarity and positioning are also appropriate, but it’s the music by Mark Mothersbaugh that is the real winner in this mix. From the tender moments, to the more outright dance musical numbers interspersed throughout, the score is a high watermark for this mix. If there’s one nitpick, it’s that the track doesn’t feel properly calibrated in terms of overall volume levels. In other words, this track excels when the volume is pumped up a few decibels higher than normal. Otherwise, the audio track is not only a great representation of the film’s theatrical presentation, but arguably a comparable mix to the original exhibition of The LEGO Movie 2.
Rating: 4.5/5
The Special Features
As per usual, the supplemental material for The LEGO Movie 2 comes included on the bundled Blu-ray disc. Overall, the special features for the film’s home video release are largely disappointing filler.
Everything is Awesome Sing-Along (1:52:26; 1080p): As the title suggests, this sing-along version of the movie is geared mostly toward children. Interestingly, additional material such as trivia, animated dialogue, a Unikitty cameo counter and more.
They Come in Pieces: Assembling The LEGO Movie 2 (8:49; 1080p): Explores the reaction and impact to the first film, while also digging into the making of the sequel. The featurette quickly runs through the conception of the story as well as the new and returning characters. We also get insight into the new worlds that the characters visit, the production design, and the live-action portions of production. Although this featurette is insightful, it’s far too short considering the intricacies of production on a movie like this.
Emmet’s Holiday Party: A LEGO Movie Short (1080p, 2:43): A holiday-themed short film that serves as a prelude of sorts to the film proper. You can watch the short film here if you’re interested in checking it out.
Related: Emmet’s Holiday Party – A LEGO Movie Short
Outtakes and Deleted Scenes (12:22 TRT; 1080p): Features mostly unfinished scenes from the cutting room floor. Most of the “scenes” play more like extended bits and pieces that wither amend or add to sequences that are still in the movie. While it’s easy to see why most of this was cut, there is an interesting alternate scene where Mayhem saves Lucy toward the end of the second act. It’s always fascinating to see scenes like this, but I’m glad that the filmmakers decided to swap this encounter.
- Crosswalk
- Welcome to the Systar System
- Rex Signs a Check, Autographs a Pic, & Plays Tic Tac Toe
- On the Rexcelsior
- Guards Animated
- Superman’s Crystal
- Mayhem Saves Lucy
- Lucy Saves Mayhem
- The Video
- Justice League
Music Video (3:29; 1080p): Official lyric video for “Super Cool” by Beck, featuring Robyn & The Lonely Island.
Audio Commentary: Features director Mike Mitchell, Writers/Producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, along with Animation Director Trish Gum. This fun and informative track with the key creative personalities involved covers all aspects of the production.
Promotional Materials (1080p): As the title implies, a series of related content used to promote the movie. Although this material is somewhat amusing, it’s obvious that this is mostly filler.
- In 2019 Be Whatever You Wanna Be(0:43)
- Me and My Minifig(3:00)
- Please Silence Your Cell Phones(0:55)
- LEGO Sets in Action(2:17)
- LEGO Designers (3:30).
Rating: 2/5
Final Thoughts
As a whole, this 4K UHD release of The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part is a solid one from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. If you somehow missed the film in theaters, this 4K UHD disc is a solid representation of its theatrical presentation. The technical specifications are a clear highlight of this disc, which offers mostly-superior image and audio quality – especially in terms of color and the immersive sound mix. If you have little ones, the sing-along track might be appreciated, depending on the type of person that you are. While the filmmaker commentary is a highlight, the lack of quality supplements holds this release back from being truly great. Regardless, the good outweighs the bad, which means that this disc comes Recommended nevertheless.
