Lego Movie 2, X-Force

Lego Movie 2

Considering how much I liked the first one, I’m surprised at how little interest I had in the sequel.  As an additional indication of my complete lack of caring, I didn’t even read any reviews of the movie.  I think it’s a combination of the time that’s passed since the original (five years), the tepid response I had to The Lego Batman Movie in the interim, and the less-than-stellar Lego Avengers and Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 video games.  My enthusiasm for Lego-based entertainment had completely bled out.  

I went to this as part of a social outing, not expecting much of anything.  Taking the fine pedigree of the creators (Phil Lord and Christopher Miller return on writing duties) into account, it seemed like the perfect situation to be pleasantly surprised.  

Instead, I fell asleep for the middle chunk of the film, which I honestly did not expect.  It’s not like it was boring, I was really enjoying myself up to that point. There were genuine lols, even if it was coming up short in originality.  But the first Tiffany Haddish song sucked so very hard (as did all of the other songs. When this become a musical?), and I must have been more tired than I thought.  

I woke up in time for the wedding scene and everything that followed.  My main problem with the story is its incessant need to mix in the live action portion of the world.  In the first movie introduced it at the very end, as a meta twist that added a whole new level to the plot.  It was ingenious then, but trying to shoehorn it in to the Lego adventures this time around feels forced. It also raises a whole bunch of questions that I don’t want to spend any time thinking about - Time travel’s an actual thing in this universe?  Minifigs can really move around?

All the characters’ schticks come across as tired the second time around.  Each of their one notes - One’s a pirate. One’s obsessed with spaceships. One’s a sweet idiot - can’t sustain a full song.  

None of this is to say that it’s a bad movie.  It’s still enjoyable. But my life is neither the richer or poorer for having watched it, I might as well have stayed home and read more comics.  

Regret watching: No

Would buy on DVD: No

Would watch again: Yes

Rating: Nice

X-Force 71, 72, 75, 78

Okay, but not these comics.  For all my complaints, Lego Movie 2 is still better than these issues.  As I said yesterday, Adam Pollina’s art continues to lack the oomph of his first run.  John Francis Moore writing is completely forgettable - I didn’t remember any of it from my original readthrough, and I won’t remember anything from my second within a week.  An easy cut, and I’m eager to move on to the next title.

Regret buying: Yes

Would buy again: No

Would read again: No

Rating: Didn’t suck