I was pleasantly surprised by the first Lego Movie a few years ago, and then by the Lego Batman Movie soon after. They are inventive, fun, films that demonstrate what can be created with these building blocks, and show how valuable imagination is throughout life. It is disappointing, then, to report that this next film is more tiresome than refreshing.

Mike Mitchell’s film takes place five years after the original, and everything is not awesome in Legoland. Space invaders kidnap Lucy and Emmet begins a rescue mission, aided by Batman and others. Lots of stuff happens and Batman almost marries an alien queen, before things revert back to normal. The story is needlessly complex, in my opinion, and characters such as Batman are forced into action that is just not in character.

In the first film, as I recall, the human interaction and control over Lego character was a surprise, one that suddenly made sense of what was going on. Here, we know from the start that brother and sister are warring over the play pieces, and while that helps us comprehend the weird directions that things take, it also kills some of the magic. And then things occur which just don’t make any sense, and cannot be believed.

If the first films didn’t exist, I might think that this one was unique and highly inventive. But now it seems repetitive and forced, and I am not as impressed. There are still terrific moments and funny lines, and it is worth seeing. But I think I am done with this concept, at least until the next Lego Batman comes to the rescue. ☆ ☆. 11 June 2019.