The Lego Movie - A Review

You have every reason to dismiss The Lego Movie as yet another terrible cash-in of a widely recognized brand, and that the nostalgia-blinded rabble will flock to see it. Fortunately, however, this film is quite the opposite, and is in fact one of the funniest and most beautifully original movies to be released in a long time.

What is even more surprising than the fact that this film is good is that it was able to be made at all. A feature-length Lego fan film, animated to specifically look like stop motion? It’s amazing that directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were able to get away with this.

The plot revolves around Emmet, a completely ordinary construction figure that is hilariously oblivious to everything going on around him. He is by accident pulled into a conspiracy that has him as the hero of an ancient prophesy, destined to save the varied Lego realms. Think Toy Story by way of The Matrix. While this setup might seem familiar and cliché by now, it ingeniously turns itself around and even critiques the trite truisms the genre normally produces.

Every character is very memorable, well written, and entertaining. The set design (literally, in this case) is absolutely mesmerizing, and truly feels like an entire universe created of Lego. The animation, while solid, is made rough enough to give an impression of stop-motion plastic, which really flows with the narrative well.

Do not under any circumstances read detailed plot descriptions or analyses before seeing the film for yourself. While it doesn’t completely hinge on surprises, it really will be a much better experience without any spoilers. At the end is a reveal that absolutely makes the entire film even better.

The Lego Movie is, without a doubt, a fantastic movie that will be cherished by everyone for many years to come, and you should without a doubt go see it, especially if you have a younger child/sibling. It truly is an experience for all ages.

The Value of Personification

Why should we use personification? Would not simply describing the object in question with physical traits give a more clear, precise, and distinct grasp of the concept? Will this literary tool give a distorted view of reality?

 No, if used correctly, personification will result in not a muddled idea, but a greater understanding of it. For attributing human qualities or actions to non-humans will increase our connection to the non-human, since the characteristics which we know best, of course, are our own. Using it, we become far more intimate with the object's deeper concepts than we possibly can using terms which are normally associated with it.

It's simply of looking at the matter from a different angle, and it can very well change the way we know that thing.

Les Miz

Very likely, you fit into one of two categories: Someone who loves Les Misérables, or someone who’s never heard of it. The chances you fall in between are slim to none. If you are the latter, then you have been missing out on one of the greatest works of the millennium.

What is Les Mis? It is a riveting tale of 19^th century France written by Victor Hugo. It is a chronicle of society. If there is one word I could use to outline it, it would be redemption. Without completely expounding upon the plot, it is the story of a wretched convict named Jean Valjean whose life is completely transformed by an act of pure mercy. 

The title, Misérables, is a French word that cannot be fully described in a single English term. Some example translations might be The Miserable, The Wretched, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, or The Victims. It refers to, obviously, the downcast and low class that populate the story. The emphasis on the horrible condition of these people is a central topic throughout.

Now that the simplest possible form of the narrative has been laid, some more detail can be discussed. First off, there is a misconception that this work is about the French Revolution. It is not, but rather set around fifty years after, and it chronicles the June Rebellion, a relatively small but unsuccessful uprising comprised chiefly of students. 

Hugo’s themes are beautifully woven within the writing, such as Mercy, Justice, Injustice, Redemption, Love, Compassion, and of course it’s title, Misérables. Although the book is amazing, it is also incredibly dense. It requires a lot of effort to work through it, but in the end, as always in this echelon of novel, it is worth it.

The musical is truly astonishing. It perfectly manages to convey all of the book’s themes and the majority of the plot over into a form which may seem odd for this type of story. If you have not listened to it yet, then I strongly urge you to look into it. A movie of the musical is at the time of writing in production, and it is definitely going to be spectacular. 

Les Mis Trailer:

The movie based upon the book (not to be confused with the movie based on the musical) is also worth seeing, as it it portrays the main story arc between Valjean and Javert extremely well. It does a great job of condensing a 1400 page book into a 2 hour movie, as impossible as that seems. 

In the end, I can only hope this long-winded post will either turn interested ears towards a truly mind-blowing experience, or provide fans with a look back at it. Characters like Jean Valjean and all that they stand for shall go down in history as the individuals who we should take note of and look up to.

“Do you hear the people sing?

Singing a song of angry men?

It is the music of a people

Who will not be slaves again!

When the beating of your heart

Echoes the beating of the drums

There is a life about to start

When tomorrow comes!”