The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part Parent Guide

Everything isn’t awesome anymore. Lego Duplo invaders have been attacking the Lego world for five years, destroying all attempts at rebuilding. Giving up in despair, the citizens finally stop trying, harden themselves, and rename their community Apocalypseburg.

But for Emmet Brickowski (voiced by Chris Pratt), awesomeness is a state of mind. Emmet remains relentlessly upbeat, focusing on the good things in life like his friend Lucy (voiced by Elizabeth Banks) and his brand new house. Even when he tries to assume a brooding attitude, his cheerfulness keeps breaking through. Until the aliens return. This time their ship destroys Emmet’s home and seizes Lucy and some of their other friends – and it’s partly Emmet’s fault. Torn apart by grief and guilt, Emmet builds a spaceship and launches himself into outer space, determined to turn himself into the kind of strong, tough guy who is capable of rescuing his friends. And then he meets Rex Dangervest (also voiced by Chris Pratt), who is the kind of guy Emmet wants to be. “You need to be a master breaker”, Rex tells the master builder and encourages him to tap into his dark feelings to make that transformation. Can Emmet change? Should he?

This Lego sequel doesn’t hold any surprises for adult viewers – or for anyone over the age of 10. Older audience members will be able to predict plot moves several steps ahead and will groan at ‘Ourmommageddon” and “the Sis-Star System”. They might or might not laugh at the pop culture references scattered throughout the movie. And they will likely be driven nuts by the jerky animation and the musical numbers – especially the one which is deliberately composed to be an earworm.

But The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part isn’t written for adults. It’s written for kids – and the kids at the screening I attended loved it. Parents who are too jaded to enjoy the movie will nonetheless be happy to have their youngsters exposed to messages about having a positive attitude, remaining hopeful in hard times, working together, being open to different perspectives, and – here’s the motherlode – getting along with siblings. Adults who are being driven to the ragged edge of insanity by the non-stop quarrelling, whining, and nattering of their offspring might feel their money well spent if their kids absorb even part of what this movie has to say about the importance of getting along with family members.

Best of all, this production delivers all of these uplifting messages without profanity, vulgar jokes or potty humor. There is a fair bit of Lego violence but none of it is scary and, obviously, it isn’t gory either. The violence serves the plot and is never gratuitous. And the movie’s strongest theme isn’t about violence – it’s about making peace. As one of the wise little Lego minifigures says, “It’s easy to harden your heart. But to open it is the hardest thing we can do.” Most parents will be willing to open up their wallets and sacrifice some time to expose their kids to these messages.