June 17th  was the release date for the long awaited Blu-ray/DVD  of the LEGO movie (directed  by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller).  Viewers have the choice of the “Everything  is Awesome” edition or the smaller package containing the Blu-ray, DVD, and Ultraviolet discs.  I bought the second version for economic reasons, and it did not disappoint.

Story: When I saw this movie at the theater, I was expecting  an amusing look at some LEGO characters, but the film is so much more than that.  It combines fast-paced action with incredibly clever humor and a solid story.   Hero Emmet ( voiced by Chris Pratt) is a likeable everyman type whose ordered existence is changed forever when he encounters perky adventuress Wildstyle (Elizabeth Banks).   She informs him that the entire LEGO universe (composed of playsets like ClownTown,  Medieval Zealand, and Emmet`s hometown  Bricksburg)  is threatened by the nefarious plans of evil Lord/President Business (Will Ferrell).

With the aid of Wildstyle, wise man Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman),  and Batman (Will Arnett), among others, Emmet must fulfill  his destiny as “the Special” and prevent the LEGO verse from being crazy-glued into place forever.   What follows is a classic hero`s journey which is enlivened by a huge dose of wacky humor.

Some of the funniest moments come from Bricksburg`s cheery dedication to conformity.   Everyone roots for local sports teams, likes the same music, and  loves the TV show “Honey, Where Are My Pants?”  Also hilarious are the jokes about Batman`s  brooding personality and interest in writing “dark’ rap songs.    The LEGO movie is a fun ride of a film which contains some truths about believing in yourself and working together to achieve a goal.

Visual look:   The product has an aspect ratio of 1:77:1 and includes English DTS Audio 5.1 and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 audio tracks.  Visually, there are no problems with its transfer to Blu-ray or DVD: colors are as bright and crisp as they were on the big screen.   The LEGO characters and backgrounds appear somewhat three-dimensional even in the 2-D versions.

Features:  The “Awesome” edition has a few more features plus a figure of Vitruvius.  However, the standard package has its share of goodies.

Audio commentary by directors and voice cast:  This is helpful because the movie is jam-packed with Easter eggs, and the directors point  them out.  Though I try to be observant, a lot of stuff flew by me on first view due to the film`s fast pace ( the Bricksburg scenes alone are  filled with humorous posters and tons of characters running around).   The voice actors seem to be having a genuinely good time as well.

Outtakes:  These are done in the Pixar-type style of the animated characters as actors,  blowing their lines and messing around on the set.  Especially funny are scenes with Batman and the bubbly Unikitty.

Bringing LEGO to life:  Cute mini-doc(starring Emmet)  in which we learn  how the LEGO world was built for the movie.

“Everything is Awesome” singalong:  It`s always fun to get the lyrics to a theme song, and this singalong  video does the job well, incorporating the words with movie scenes.

This package also includes a 24-page booklet.   It`s a kid-friendly item loaded with games and stickers.  The character bios are a neat extra.  I liked that they included Wildstyle`s other nicknames (before she re-adopts Lucy as her real name).

In general,  this is a good one to own, whether it`s being purchased for kids to enjoy or for adult animation fans.   A lot of movies are described as “feel-good”, but the LEGO movie actually lives up to the label.

Grade: A

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