‘The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part’ Review Round-Up

Five years after The LEGO Movie took the world by storm, surprising both children and adults in the most charming way possible, Warner Bros. is preparing to bring the highly-anticipated sequel to theaters.

The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part his theaters on February 8th, but WB partnered with Fandango to offer just one round of early showings for anyone who bought a ticket. These early screenings took place this past weekend, and the critical reviews are starting to pop up all over the Internet.

For the most part, critics have enjoyed the new LEGO Movie, which was to be expected, given the love for the first one. However, while the adoration of the original movie definitely helps build hype for the sequel, it also damages expectations, as many critics note that The LEGO Movie 2 has a hard time living up to the quality of its predecessor.

Check out some of the early reviews for The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part below!

Variety

Variety’s Peter Debruge noted that the sequel to the beloved LEGO movie had plenty of jokes, but it didn’t drive home its point nearly as well as its predecessor.

“That may have been a funny joke to end on in the previous film, but it serves as a false conflict for this sequel, overseen by director Mike Mitchell (Trolls) but very much in keeping with Lord and Miller’s irreverent mile-a-minute sensibility — even if the novelty has dissipated now that the franchise’s once-radical aesthetic has settled into being a kind of official look for Lego movies, of which we have since gotten a Batman stand-alone (inspired) and a Ninjago spinoff (tired).”

You can read Variety’s full review here.

IndieWire

IndieWire critic Jude Dry notes that the sequel tries to go a little deeper by reminding kids that everything isn’t awesome all of the time, but it doesn’t consistently translate into a solid film.

“In The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, director Mike Mitchell, along with writers and producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller and a cadre of other scribes, decided to re-mix the first movie’s annoyingly catchy theme song, ‘Everything Is Awesome,’ reminding kids and adults alike that sometimes everything isn’t awesome — and that’s okay. Unfortunately, that message of mediocrity applies more to the actual movie than anything else.”

You can read IndieWire’s full review here.

Insider

Insider’s Kirsten Acuna had plenty of praise for The LEGO Movie 2, saying it was just as good as its predecessor. 

“While the film’s plot seems pretty clear cut from the trailers, that’s really only the beginning of a much larger story rooted in forgotten toys and the relationship between brothers and sisters growing up together that anyone with a sibling can relate to. It all makes for a sequel that’s just as enjoyable and endearing as the original.”

You can read Insider’s full review here.

The Hollywood Reporter

Michael Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter wasn’t nearly has high on the Warner Bros. sequel, saying that it lost much of the original’s charm.

“Replaying many of the visual gags that worked so amusingly before, the latest edition proves every bit as repetitive and uninspired as its glib title, bringing little that’s fresh or funny to the interlocking brick table despite boasting a script penned by originators Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.”

You can read The Hollywood Reporter’s full review here.

The Wrap

The Wrap’s Yolanda Machado seems to have loved the new LEGO Movie, point out that Lord & Miller have once again crafted a wonderful, all-ages adventure.

“With The LEGO Movie 2, the Oscar-nominated writer-producer duo are joined by director Mike Mitchell (Trolls) and animation director Trisha Gum (The LEGO Batman Movie, Robot Chicken) to create a film that expands on the original’s premise, adding new worlds and characters to the growing LEGO universe, while also crafting a story that is timely, inventive, hilarious and perfect for all ages.”

You can read The Wrap’s full review here.

Entertainment Weekly

EW’s Chris Nashawaty notes that The LEGO Movie 2 is far better than most animated films that arrive in theaters, but it doesn’t do enough to surpass the quality of the original.

“The good news is that the eagerly awaited follow-up, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, is still leagues better than most of the blandly diverting animated fodder that Hollywood serves up to young viewers (and their clock-watching chaperones) every few weeks. Still, and this was kind of inevitable, as hilarious and caffeinated and packed with rat-a-tat throwaway Airplane!-style one-liners as it is, it doesn’t match the novelty and sugar-rush heights of the first Lego Movie. Maybe it couldn’t.”

You can read EW’s full review here.