(Written by William)
As you probably know already, The LEGO Ninjago Movie is getting released tomorrow, September 22nd. Last week, I had an opportunity to watch a local pre-screening of the film, so I decided to write up my thoughts on it, without any spoilers. Once you watch the movie yourself, you can come back here to share your own review and we can discuss in more detail. 🙂
If you’d ask, “Is this movie worth my money?” I’d say that you probably won’t be blown away, but you will feel relatively satisfied afterward. I wouldn’t call it as great as The LEGO Movie or The LEGO Batman Movie, but overall it offered an enjoyable experience. The biggest drawback of the film is that I don’t feel it appeals to as many people as the previous two LEGO movies. I will try to explain this further below, without spoiling the story.
➡ IT’S NINJAGO… SORT OF…
First off, if you’re not a Ninjago fan, you probably won’t really understand who the characters are, and why you should care about them. This is not a movie with in-depth character backgrounds for all the ninjas. As you might tell from the trailers, you’ll primarily see Lloyd and Lord Garmadon’s story. The rest of the characters are just extras with not much info about them.
Next, this is not the Ninjago TV show turned into a movie. So, if you really love something about the TV show, and you have become attached to the characters and stories, chances are you’ll not be satisfied with the film. This leaves us with the biggest question about The LEGO Ninjago Movie; who is it exactly meant for?
On one hand, you have newcomers who will be dragged along by hardcore Ninjago fans. Then, you have the hardcore fans that will have trouble relating to all the changes from the TV show. Chances are that these two situations don’t make the best movie-going experience. This means that all there is left are those fans who saw The LEGO Movie and The LEGO Batman Movie, and just want to watch another LEGO film. This is still a good sized audience, but it is a diminishing fan base.
➡ IT’S BUILT ALONG SIMILAR LINES…
If you liked The LEGO Movie and The LEGO Batman Movie, you will most likely enjoy The LEGO Ninjago Movie as well. However, if you start thinking more critically, you will notice that the story is very similar to the previous two films, which can get a little boring and predictable.
Focusing on family relationships and friendships worked for The LEGO Movie, because LEGO is a family-oriented and family friendly company. The same angle was pushed in The LEGO Batman Movie, which at times felt somewhat pasted together. As for The LEGO Ninjago Movie, you can tell even from the trailers that it’s about mending another broken family. However, the movie doesn’t really tackle the topic deeply, so it makes the experience rather shallow.
The LEGO Movie was original and fresh in its presentation, plus it tied the childhoods of the past and present together, by showing the relationship of a father and son which mirrored the conflict within the LEGO world. The LEGO Batman Movie did something similar, by using the nostalgia of the Batman lore to show we can connect with more than just LEGO. Additionally, the story expresses that we don’t have to be blood related to be part of a family or care for one another. The LEGO Ninjago Movie doesn’t have the rich, deep and long history of either the LEGO experience or the Batman story to support the otherwise simple message.
➡ TAKING OFF THE CRITICAL HAT…
Having said all of that, do you really go to see a LEGO movie for deep feelings and insights? Chances are, you just want to hear some funny LEGO humor, immerse yourself in a light but engaging story, and see a few great LEGO models you wouldn’t mind buying or building. If that’s your reason for purchasing a ticket to The LEGO Ninjago Movie, you will have some fun!
It’s what I call a popcorn movie; light and fluffy and won’t leave you full. You’ll feel uplifted when you come out of the theater and recall all the best moments. And I assure you, there are a many good moments worth recalling.
➡ FINAL THROUGHTS & RECOMMENDATIONS…
The LEGO Ninjago Movie is undoubtedly fun, but I don’t think it will win the kind of awards The LEGO Movie did. But it’s not trying to be the next big thing or break new records. Most of us buy LEGO sets because we like the experience of happiness just from building. Sure, not everything is a LEGO Modular Building or Ultimate Collector’s Series set, but not everything should be. This is that type of movie; a fun little jaunt back into the LEGO universe. You are in for a whimsical treat!
What do you think? Are you planning to watch The LEGO Ninjago Movie? And how did you like the previous two films? And if you have seen all three movies already, which one is your favorite so far? Feel free to share your thoughts and own review in the comment section below! 😉
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I will definitely go see it. As for the movie not sticking to the t v show it doesn’t both me . It like looking at a painting and copy it in pencil , it’s the same idea but a different concept. I especially love the NINJAGO movie sets. So, far I have the destiny’s bounty, the Ultimate ultimate weapon and the manta ray bomber. I think my next move is the water strider.
I’m really looking forward to the movie too! Only one more sleep! 😀
Ah…can you believe it? We’ve had seven seasons over the course of six years with another season coming along at the start of next year,and now we have a movie. I’m immensely proud of how far my little Lego ninja children have come.
While it hasn’t come out yet,and I’ll most likely not get to see it in theaters- thanks,Momma- I don’t think it’ll be as bad as most of the people writing reviews over the film. A lot of complaints people seem to have deal with the pacing and the fact that the second half is “too slow” and focuses too much on character development as opposed to world building…and honestly,I don’t see how that’s a bad thing.
Anyways,I know I’m biased. The show has been a part of my life for years,and it’ll always have an emotional hold over me,so of course I wanna see the movie! Cheers to anyone who gets to go see it! c:
(Also,I don’t know if you’ve heard the soundtrack,so here are my three favorites from it:)
Found My Place- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgAn0fqnHfk
It’s Garmadon- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xgZab14eGQ
Operation New Me- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoXlrhojd3g
Oh, cool! Thanks for the links to the soundtracks! I’m also very much looking forward to the film, as I have been a Ninjago fan from the beginning too. I think it will be awesome! 😀
I ‘m a ( late bloomer) on the NINJAGO theme. I think my first start was ,I got one of the older sets the four headed dragon ,the dragon mech and the attack on NINJAGO city. After that it has been non stop ever since. Now I don’t have all the sets ( sadly) but I have two large plastic bins filled with Ninjago sets. That’s not counting the movie sets.
Not attack on NINJAGO city, I think it’s battle for NINJAGO city . Oops!
It was okayyyyyy. I loved the Lego Movie more than words can say and the Batman Movie was cute, I enjoyed it but I felt a bit letdown by the new movie. I just didn’t really feel any connection to the characters. It felt like the movie was trying too hard to be funny. I probably won’t buy the movie. I did however love the movie’s minifigure series and bought a few. 😉
Meg, thanks for sharing your review. I heard pretty much the same from others as well.