The Lego Movie as Brand Storytelling

The Lego Movie as an Example of Brand Storytelling

The Lego Movie is a feature length animated film released in February 2014 by Warner Bros. Pictures. The movie was initially conceived as a standalone project but, due to its immense popularity after its release, will now have a sequel slated to be released in 2018. Also, the Lego Batman character, voiced by Will Arnett, is rumored to have his own spinoff film released in 2017. 

The film is set in a fictional Lego universe where everything and everyone are Lego characters or pieces but at the same time is just a Lego town that is part of our (human) universe. The movie tells the story of Emmett Brickowski, an everyman construction worker whose sole job is to build whatever the manual given to him says to build. Day in and day out, Emmett, his coworkers and every citizen in the Lego universe do things “by the book,” and are more than content with this daily routine. One day, Emmett meets a girl named Wyldestyle and is mistaken for a legendary figure, known as “The Special,” supposedly chosen to change the monotony Lego people are currently accustomed to. Emmett eventually learns to deviate from his “by the book” lifestyle and becomes a “master builder,” one of a select group of Lego characters who can build whatever they imagine, something all other Lego characters lack. To rid the universe of its dull, routine lifestyle Emmett and his friends must defeat Lord Business, the self-proclaimed leader of the Lego universe, who seeks to make the universe “perfect,” by coating everything with the “Kragl,” (a real life container of Krazy Glue that is missing letters on the label.) The story ends with Emmett realizing that his universe is just a construct built by “The Man Upstairs” (Will Ferrell) and his son who is responsible for creating the master builders. The Man Upstairs sees what his son has done and accepts that some things aren’t meant to be perfect and that imagination is what keeps driving people forward. This is the primary message that the film’s producers (and Lego) tried to manifest. 

When the movie was announced about a year before its release, both the producers and Lego knew that most audiences and consumers would think of it as just a 90-minute commercial for Lego. Director and writer Chris Miller and Phil Lord sought to change the way people would react to the film and market it as not just a commercial, but a visual manifestation of Lego’s vision and philosophy. Lego was a crucial part of the filmmaking process, even going so far as to have Lego designers from all over the world come in and brainstorm with the filmmakers about the look of the movie and the characters and surrounding environment. They would then physically build, say, the pirate ship that appears in the movie and see if it had the right look and feel for that scene. 

The Lego Movie is unique in the sense that it is a very blatant promotion for Lego and its product, but was executed so successfully and creatively that no one seemed to even care or notice. People view it as a standalone product that just so happens to feature one of the most popular toys in existence, and this is because Lego itself understands the power of its branded image and the legacy that image has cemented into countless childhoods. 

The film received critical acclaim from reviewers and audiences alike for its originality, creativity, and appeal to all age groups. It would be kind of a stretch for other brands, specifically toy brands, to recreate the kind of attention and original storytelling The Lego Movie produced. If there is one lesson that other big name brands could take away from the film, it’s to always stay understand and recognize your audience. Lego understands that their product is timeless and is a popular toy mainstay generation to generation and appeals to the child in all of us that needs to let their imagination soar. In short, Lego lets today’s children know that your imagination is limitless and reminds the older generations that “ideas inspire, products don’t.”

The Interview

Last week my roommate suggested we watch The Interview just to see what the hullabaloo was about. I said, “Sure.” After all, I have a Netflix account and they so generously decided to say “fuck it” when it came to the ridiculous amount of hype and controversy lingering around the movie. But in the back of my mind I knew it would fall short of our expectations. Friends who had already seen the movie described it as “meh”, or “okay”, or, “I guess it had some good parts.” Pretty much the same answers you’d get asking “How are Seattle’s wide receivers?” (I’m still waking up in cold sweats.)

At least you didn't have to watch this movie, Richard.

The story revolves around a celebrity gossip TV show host Dave Skylark (James Franco) and his producer and best friend Aaron Rapaport (Seth Rogen) as they are very believably granted the divine opportunity to interview the world’s most reclusive madman, North Korea’s Supreme Glorious Great Leader for Life Kim Jong-un. Aaron reluctantly agrees and soon the two are preparing for the interview of the century, but not before the U.S. government decides it can’t possibly pass up the chance to intervene. Sent in is CIA Agent Lacey (Lizzy Caplan) to brief “Frogen” about their plot to assassinate the leader of the not-so-free world.

I’ll stop my synopsis here because the rest is shit.

Seriously, the rest of the film is just a rehashing of a Frogen odd-yet-so-fitting couple story. The dialogue is weak, most happenings in the movie occur for the sole purpose of pushing the story along, and most of the characters are as relatable as your stepmom’s cousin’s twice-divorced brother. The only character I found at least mildly likable, and at times believable, was Caplan. I found myself furiously nodding in agreement with her frustration with Franco during the mission briefing. Rogen brings nothing new to the table character wise, he’s the lovable, mostly level-headed foil to the other central character’s blissful ignorance. The ignoramus I speak of is Franco’s Skylark. The sheer idiocy his character exudes during the painstakingly dull two-hour abortion of a movie exceeds human comprehension. 

I feel you, Liz.

Maybe that’s a bit harsh. I have seen worse movies. (I’ll get to The Room at some point.)

That being said, the incredible amount of press this film garnered in the midst of the Sony hacks scandal seems plausible considering the TERRORIST THREATS it generated prior to its release. But watching Frogen stumble through Kim’s palace, shove lethal poisons up their ass, and develop a romantic interest so out of left field that Ken Griffey Jr. would kneel and call it king  brings everything to an equilibrium. 

But maybe I’m being a bit harsh. After all this is a Frogen comedy and wasn't intended to be Oscar bait. Its just a cash grab jumping in on the “hate North Korea” circle jerk. Then again, the duo has produced and starred in some of the finest stoner comedies in recent memory with Pineapple Express and This Is The End. But that doesn’t excuse the apparent lack of effort that went into this film. No amount of Katy Perry references that this film generates, however funny, will redeem it as an enjoyable experience.