The LEGO Ninjago Movie (2017)

October 26, 2017 2:30 AM

Shunned by everyone for being the son of an evil warlord, a teenager seeks to defeat him with the help of his fellow ninjas. The third big screen Lego Movie, this one focuses on teenage Lego ninja heroes in a futuristic city.
posted by EndsOfInvention (3 comments total)

I think I actually enjoyed this more than the Lego Batman Movie. I laughed a lot more and it relied a bit less on referencing the existing media (since there's a lot more Batman stuff that parents/adults will get vs Ninjago's probably only known well by kids) and a bit more on humour. The story was hackneyed (and quite similar to the original Lego Movie in a lot of ways), for sure, but it was an enjoyable romp and the kung-fu movie references were fun (I really want to see that compilation of martial arts films that Zane has again).

I also like the continued canon that all the Lego Movies are actually taking place as kids playing with the toys (explicitly shown in The Lego Movie, implied in the Batman* and Ninjago** Movies).

*Gotham city sits above a vast bottomless hole (it's built on a table), plus it includes a load of other media franchises (the kid combines all their Lego, as kids do).
**There's an actual life-size cat & laser pointer (another example of a real-life item being a super-weapon, like the Kragle), plus it's obviously a real human telling the story.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 2:40 AM on October 26, 2017

Oh yeah and my 5 year old loved it too. Definitely only went to see it for him. *cough*

Favourite jokes:
Zane's mom being all [dial-up modem noises].
Zane constantly insisting he's a "wild human teen" despite no-one accusing him of not being one.
The news voice-over (LOCAL BIRTHDAYS!).
The crab gun that goes crab-crab-crab-crab-crab.
The workman peeling off a giant sticker for Garmadon's mech.

Favourite ninja:
Nya & her unnecessary/badass motorbike-riding-through-school.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 2:52 AM on October 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

Boy howdy, we sure do have a lot of movies about middle-aged sociopathic manboys who make everyone's lives miserable until they learn how to empathize these days, don't we? I can't help but think the media is beginning to portray dads from the perspective of a disappointed Gen Xer, breaking the hegemony of the Boomer dad stumbling his way into incredible luck despite being a little dim.

Anyway, I liked the movie. The giant cat monster joke was clever.
posted by Kitty Stardust at 10:52 AM on October 26, 2017 [1 favorite]