Everything is awesome in The LEGO Movie

I’m one of the few people who didn’t see The LEGO Movie when it hit theaters earlier this year, and from everything I was told I knew I had to see the movie once it came out on home video. And it did just that on June 17th, and thanks to our friends at Warner Home Video I was finally able to watch the movie … and in 3D!

If you’re like me and haven’t seen the movie yet, well what are you waiting for?! Even if you really have no clue about LEGO — like me — you should still find the movie extremely enjoyable for its stunning animation and pop culture references. The story is fairly simple: President Business (Will Farrell) plans to take over the world (or, rather freeze it in place with the Kragle), and it’s up to someone only known as The Special to save the day by stopping the Kragle with the Piece of Resistance. Unlikely Everyman Emmet Brickowski (Chris Pratt) accidentally stumbles — or tumbles — upon the Piece of Resistance and seems to fulfill the prophecy of Vetruvius (Morgan Freeman), but Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) and her boyfriend Batman (Will Arnett) don’t have as much faith in Emmet. But they must band together before their world becomes permanently permanent.

The LEGO Movie has a brilliant script by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (who also directed) with story assistance from Dan and Kevin Hageman. They totally embrace the entire world of LEGO, but don’t allow all the minutiae of that world to become too overwhelming for the casual viewer. The jokes come fast and furious, but the movie has real heart too. I’ve never been one to sit down and play with LEGO bricks but it’s always fascinating to see what others can build with them, and seeing all of the amazing creations in the movie is no exception. What’s even more amazing is that the entire movie looks like a really well-made stop motion animated film, but everything is CGI. The artists who have worked on this movie have given an enormous amount of detail and weight to each piece of LEGO seen in the movie … and every piece in the movie is based on an actual LEGO brick or plate or any number of pieces. There was no cheating.

The voice cast is excellent with Pratt giving Emmet that innocent goofiness he’s honed on Parks & Recreation, and Will Arnett is perfectly cast as the raspy-voiced Batman (and he also does a less raspy Bruce Wayne, who isn’t Batman so don’t think he is, okay). And to hear Morgan Freeman do comedy is worth the price of admission, or of the DVD or Blu-ray. Everything he said made me laugh. Actually, Liam Neeson is pretty hilarious as Bad Cop/Good Cop too. Alison Brie, Charlie Day and Nick Offerman round out the main cast, but listen closely for celebrity cameos including Will Forte, Dave Franco, Jonah Hill, Keegan-Michael Key, Shaquille O’Neal, Cobie Smulders, Channing Tatum, Billy Dee Williams and Anthony Daniels (it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out the last two).

The video presentation on Blu-ray is spectacular. The video is sharp and colorful with stunning detail on every brick and plate, and the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track brings even more dimensionality to the movie. This is one gorgeous movie. If you’re fortunate enough to have a 3D display, this is hands down one of the best 3D presentations of the year. Again, the detail is stunning, the depth is hugely immersive, and there are more than enough bits and pieces extending beyond the frame to make this a reference quality demo to show people how good 3D can be when it’s used properly.

While some recent Blu-ray releases have been a bit lacking in the extras department, The LEGO Movie is chock full of interesting tidbits. The highlight, and most in-depth feature, is the audio commentary with directors Lord and Miller and cast members Chris Pratt, Will Arnett, Charlie Day and Alison Brie. They all seem to be having a great time, and the directors break down every easter egg hidden in the movie. It is well worth a listen. Also included:

Batman’s A True Artist (1:12) — Music video made by Markus Jolly, age 6
Michelangelo and Lincoln: History Cops (1:21) — Fake 70s style trailer.
Enter the Ninjago (2:13) — A Hollywood bugwig reimagines Emmett’s life story … with ninjas.
Behind the Scenes: Bringing LEGO to Life (12:36) — A look at the film’s production, from character design to animation and a trip to Denmark, the home of LEGO.
Everything Is Awesome Sing-Along (3:19)
Behind the Scenes: See It, Build It — A video tutorial on how to build some items from the movie at home using your own LEGO, and  by using LEGO Digital Designer.

• Introduction with Senior Designer Michael Fuller (00:49)
• Build the Double-Decker Couch (3:53)
• Build Emmet’s Car (2:55)
• Introduction with Modeling Artist Adam Ryan (00:41)
• Digital Double-Decker Couch (2:11)
• Digital Emmet’s Car (1:51)

Behind the Scenes: Stories from the Story Team (4:02) — The story team talks about scenes that didn’t make it into the film with animated storyboards for illustration, and talk about how seemingly random elements came together for the movie.
Fan-Made Films: Top-Secret Submissions (3:51) — Chris Pratt hosts a look at fan-made LEGO shorts and three that were incorporated into the movie.
Outtakes (2:33) – Flubbed lines and prop and set malfuctions, created especially for the outtake reel.
Additional Promotional Content (3:51) — A series of teaser trailers and “actor auditions.”
Alleyway Test (00:55) – The first animation test for the film, building the motorcycle in a single shot.
Deleted Scenes (3:20) — Storyboarded scenes with temporary voices. The temp Batman voice is pretty funny.
Featurette: Dream Jobs: Meet the LEGO Builders (13:28) — A look at the true Master Builders of LEGO who create the toys and also worked on the movie, and how what was created for the movie translates back to a toy.

The LEGO Movie on Blu-ray or DVD is a must-have for fans of the movie, and even if you haven’t seen it yet, you should definitely give it a look. Even if you rent it first, it’s more than likely to become a purchase for your library. It’s certainly a movie that you can watch several times and pick up new things each time. Warner Home Video has done a stellar job bringing the movie from the big screen to the TV screen. The LEGO Movie is available as a 2-Disk DVD, a Blu-ray/DVD Combo, a Digital Download, or in the “Everything Is Awesome” package which includes the DVD, Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray and a collectible Vetruvius figure in a special collector’s box.