The Lego Movie - B+

Rated PG, 101 minutes

Wry, clever "The Lego Movie" plenty of fun for both adults and kids

Chris Pratt as Emmet

Whether or not the popular children's construction toy Lego's were a part of your childhood, you'll still enjoy the clever, witty new animated film "The Lego Movie," which crackles and pops with absurd humor and situations in spite of a thin, scattered script. In the Lego universe, an ordinary mini-figure named Emmet (Chris Pratt) is mistaken as being the Special who can save the Lego universe from destruction from the evil tyrant Lord Business (Will Ferrell). Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the team behind such comedic and animated hits as "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" and "21 Jump Street," the quick-witted, droll "The Lego Movie" is well-voiced and well-paced, and the absurdity of it all makes it work remarkably well. The film's adultish, tongue-in-cheek humor is a highlight, though some of the satire and witty lines (such as the fun parodies of Warner Bros. own Superman and Batman characters) may be lost on the young ones, though it helps the CG animation, which appears stop-motion, is colorful and detailed. The cast has considerable fun doing the voice roles, particularly the always delightfully evil Will Ferrell as the evil Lord Business, Pratt as Emmett, along with Morgan Freeman, Elizabeth Banks, Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum and Will Arnett in other voices. While the movie speeds by quickly and efficiently, it still feels a little long for what it really is (a movie about toys), but "The Lego Movie" is still pleasant, clean and often self-referential entertainment that the whole family may enjoy, and expect to be humming the film's signature and ingratiating tune, "Everything is Awesome."

Wes's Grade: B+