The Lego Ninjago Movie

It's amazing how far this franchise has gone on the power of post-modern yuck-yucks and an overall chipper attitude towards the cynicism of its central premise. The first film burst onto the scene with so much frenetic energy and easygoing glee that the kid in all of us rightfully celebrated. When the long awaited LEGO Batman Movie (2017) followed earlier this year, we all got a little older and a little wiser but nonetheless enjoyed it largely for its nostalgic qualities.

The LEGO Ninjago Movie on the other hand feels like a funny joke that you've heard three times on the same night. It's still funny but lacks the surprise from the first time and the sense of being in the in-group the second time around. Now it's just forced laughter jumbled into the same chock-a-block world and lovingly wrapped around the same old themes of daddy issues and struggling to work as a team. Are LEGOs a generational symbol for latchkey kids and I just didn't know it?

Ninjago however seems geared towards the younger set. It takes the same setup as the TV show (I guess), pitting a group of color-coded ninjas with building-sized mech suits against an evil four-armed warlord named Garmadon (Theroux). The kicker is one of Ninjago's heroes; the enigmatic Green ninja (Franco) is secretly Garmadon son Lloyd. A fact that makes Lloyd a social pariah at his high school and morphs the plot from the expected mech v monster setup to one with more personal stakes.

The personal stakes vis a vis resentments and eventual reconciliation are arguably the best parts of the movie. The antagonizing father/son relationship provides the plot with much needed complexity and impetus while also landing some of the most unexpected jokes. One reoccurring gag involves Lloyd's inability to catch and throw because (sob) he never had a father to teach him. It's a gag approached with the franchise's trademark absurdist glee guaranteeing that the kids will be none the wiser, but the characterizations still hint at unspoken sadness that adults are likely to connect with.

The franchise further bolsters its "something-for-everyone" style by parodying Japanese tokusatsu tropes and characters that most will knowingly catch. The sextet of ninjas is of course color-coded and, of course is given elemental themes that fit their personalities. Much of their quest is informed by a wise master (Chan) who speaks vaguely about this and that and of course at some point there's a monster that rampages through the city. Instead of being sincere about these predictable tropes, in true LEGO fashion, the film undermines and lampoons them to variant levels of success.

But despite a few good setups, Ninjago can't help but feel like déjà vu. Stripped of its genre trappings, its specialty bricks and its unnecessary framing device with a live-action Jackie Chan, Ninjago is left with many of the same things that worked the last two times. i.e. a self-effacing heroes journey where the story's twists and turns boils down to a secret f**k you to absent fathers. Add to that the sneaking suspicion that I'm not just being sold LEGOs but Ninjago brand LEGOs and it becomes clear the glibness of the franchise as a whole is starting to show its shortcomings. As far as kids movies released this year, Ninjago is pretty much on par. But as far as Lego movies go, Ninjago is definitely the weakest link in the chain.

I'm 15 years old, and I can honestly say that this was a good movie. Although some sections of the movie were definitely a bit dry, the fight sequences and voice talent surely made up for it. I've been a Lego Ninjago fan for a long time and this was a good refresher to the brand. Compared to the previous Lego movies, this might not have been the best, however when you compare to other kids movies- this is a pretty nice film. I do feel however that the other ninjas should have been given more of a story and much more character development.

Fresh off the success of The LEGO Movie and The LEGO Batman Movie comes The LEGO Ninjago Movie, about an elite ninja force fighting an evil warlord by night and existing as unpopular high schoolers by day. The kids are sort of like the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, in that each of them has a distinct color scheme and elemental theme going for them, like fire, water, ice(?), earth, and lightning(?).

The de facto leader of this young crew is Lloyd (Dave Franco), whose color is green and whose theme is…also green. (It's explained later.) Together, the team fights the ever-invading forces of Garmadon (Justin Theroux). The name of the city Garmadon wants to conquer is Ninjago, which looks like it should be pronounced like "Ninja Go!" but really is pronounced with the emphasis on the middle syllable: "NinJAgo." Anyway, the big secret that Lloyd and the gang hide, aside from their real-life identities as high school students, is that Green Ninja is – dun dun DUN – the son of Garmadon. Lloyd the teenager, on the other hand, is well known as the warlord's kid, and man does he bear the brunt of their ire. Kids sit on the opposite side of the bus from him. People boo him. He just has to deal, because it's what being a kid is all about, right? Now Lloyd, being a teenager, is just slightly resentful that he has had an absentee dad, so after one of the many battles with Garmadon, he takes things personal and unleashes holy heck on his nemesis. Oh, I should mention that although each of them calls himself a ninja, they're just kids in mech suits. Totally not ninja like at all. This leads to Garmadon coming back with a vengeance, and…well, I think you get the idea. Someone is going to learn a Very Important Lesson here.

And if that were all that was to this movie, I'd say let's leave it to the kids and never watch it, fellow grownups! But the movie does inherit a bit of the sly humor from its predecessors. Remember how, when guns were fired in The LEGO Movie, the characters would make "pew pew pew" sounds? During one long battle scene, Garmadon actually fires sharks from (presumably) a shark cannon, and each time a shark is shot one hears "dun dun dun" aka the theme from Jaws. Later on, a bigger enemy is revealed, one that dwarfs Garmadon in destructiveness – a tabby. As in a real cat. If you've ever wanted to see a cat demolish LEGOs that you didn't have to pick up, now's your chance.

I found a lot of The LEGO Ninjago Movie to be entertaining. What it lacks in creativity it makes up for in sincerity, as it never gets terribly maudlin. The characters are fun, and both Franco and Theroux really sell them well. Movie's good for kids. Rest of us can wait for home video, if at all.

OK after seeing the lego batman movie earlier this year I expected nothing but the best from this too and I will say that I was disappointed it had its moments of genies and funny parts but not what I expected or wanted I really had high hopes with the trailer and all but I don't believe its the best of the year though fun

"The Emoji Movie", an attempt to emulate the success of "The Lego Movie", was released just weeks before "The Lego Ninjago Movie", the third construct in the popular plastic brick film franchise. "Emoji" was a disappointment, whereas "Ninjago" continues the winning formula of the Lego series.

Many children will already be familiar with the Ninjago television series and, like "Power Rangers" (another recent film based on a television series), we have a set of heroes with their own colours and powers and, for those are unfamiliar with them, there is a quick exposition of the the six members of the Secret Ninjago Force. Like "The Lego Movie", the story is neatly book-ended by some live action.

"Ninjago" does not have the originality of the first film in the franchise, but my 10 year old companion really enjoyed it and we can be sure that Lego characters will be back on the big screen sometime soon.