‘The animated market is full of shameless cash grabs which are often based off of a suited guy in a boardroom saying “Hey, *blank* is pretty popular. Let’s make a children’s movie about it”. “The Lego Movie” (2014) may have started out like that, but it ended up surprising many viewers with its creative animation style, fun jokes and great voice acting. On top of a solid first and second act came an emotional twist that transported us into the real world, where Lord Business (Will Ferrell) learned to cast aside his rigidity and play with his real-life son.

“The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” had its work cut out for it. As the reviews were rolling out for the first movie, the businessmen were already wringing their hands and thinking “Hey, the first one was pretty popular. Let’s make another one.” But can “The Lego Movie 2” break the sequel slum?

The fan-made animation style of the original “Lego Movie” was a large contributor to the overall impact of the movie. The techniques used emulated homemade stop motion videos created by lego aficionados by limiting character models’ range of motion and drawing scratches on their plastic heads and bodies. The result is a unique look that is playful and helps set the tone of the movies.

Another factor that contributes to the tone of “The Lego Movie 2” is the distinctive humor that fans of the Lego franchise will quickly recognize. The jokes range from visual gags kids can enjoy to pop culture references and heavy slatherings of meta-humor that will have even the most “grown-up” grownups (or high schoolers) laughing. It would be difficult for anyone to get through this movie without at least chuckling. Viewers who are skeptical of being entertained by a children’s movie are in danger of having a lot of wholesome fun with this particular production.

Although the animation and humor were huge contributors to the success of the original film, the element that made it so memorable was the third act twist which showed that the events of the film were all going on in the mind of a boy. In fact, walking into the theater, a viewer might be wondering how the story is going to go in the second iteration, and if it can top its predecessor.

The plot of “The Lego Movie 2” picks up right after the end of the first film. Emmet (Chris Pratt) and Wyldestyle (Elizabeth Banks) fight the seemingly harmless characters which have entered their world, all while Emmet tries to become cooler and composed like the rest of his friends. The plot is engaging, and the action keeps you excited. Unfortunately, the story does get pretty convoluted at the end of the film, as does the emotional message. The conflict between the brother and sister in the real world serves as a good basis for some quality emotional ties, but it feels a bit confusing. At times it seems like the writers were straining to top the events of the original movie. However, there are a few touching moments that elevate the film from a goofy animated movie to something that has you empathize with the characters. Fans of the first film just might feel a little disappointed by the lack of a cohesive, impactful message and a super memorable ending.

Viewers who don’t normally watch animated movies are still bound to enjoy the film. Despite a slightly contrived plot that falls short of the creativity of the first installment, “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” is still a solid piece of wholesome and fun entertainment.