Entertaining Criticism: The Lego Movie

From the directors of 21 Jump Street, The Lego Movie has become one of the top-grossing films of the year. Voiced by Chris Pratt ("Parks and Recreation"), Will Ferrell (Anchorman 2), Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption) and more, the animated film premiered Feb. 7 and has received critical acclaim. As of Feb. 24, The Lego Movie has raked in $234,360,000 world­wide.

At first glance, The Lego Movie is exactly what it claims to be. An animated family-friendly film all about Legos. In reality, the film delivers much more than what meets the eye.

Emmet Brickowski (Pratt) is a construc­tion worker in Lego City. He meticulously follows instructions and never strays from society's expectations. In Emmet's words, "Everything is awesome" until he discovers he is the 'Master Builder' -- the only lego figure capable of saving the world from the evil villain, Lord Business (Ferrell).

The film follows Emmet as he maneuvers dangerous Lego territory and learns that it's okay to ditch the instructions and deviate from the norm.

Featuring cameos from several fran­chise films, including Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, The Lego Movie is unique in that it is entertaining for all audi­ences, from children to adults.

"This is truly a movie that children and their parents can both enjoy for differ­ent reasons," said James Berardinelli on Rottentomatoes.com.

A slew of pop-culture references make the film all the more hilarious.

"If this relationship is going to work out between us I need to feel free to party with a bunch of strangers whenever I feel like it... I will text you," said a Lego Batman in one scene. Based on 40 critic reviews, The Lego Movie has an 82/100 'Metascore' from Metacritic.com.

"The movie is a wonderful surprise, clev­erly written and executed brick by brick with a visual panache," said Peter Hartlaub of the San Francisco Chronicle. Hartlaub scored The Lego Movie with a perfect 100.

Other stars of the film include Will Arnett ("Arrested Development"), Elizabeth Banks ("30 Rock"), Alison Brie ("Community") and Jonah Hill (21 Jump Street).

The Lego Movie 2 is already slated to release May 26, 2017 but you can catch the first installment in theaters today.