‘The Lego Ninjago Movie’
Directors: Charlie Bean, Paul Fisher, Bob Logan
Stars: Dave Franco, Justin Theroux, Fred Armisen, Abbi Jacobson, Olivia Munn, Kumail Nanjiani, Michael Pena, Zach Woods, Jackie Chan
Rating: PG
3.5/5 Globes
Plot: Lord Garmadon is a warlord intent on conquering the city of Ninjago, and he regularly attacks the Metropolis from his volcanic lair just off the coast. Garmadon is repeatedly thwarted by six masked ninjas, though, collectively called the Secret Ninja Force, that have been trained by Gardmadon’s brother Wu (Jackie Chan), and are led by his estranged son Lloyd. However, when Lloyd inadvertently unleashes a new threat on Ninjago, everyone has to team up with Garmadon to save the city.
It’s easy to see that too many people were involved in the “The Lego Ninjago Movie.” The movie has not only three directors, but also six producers and half a dozen writers involved in its development. That’s a lot of voices and ego to contend with, and you can feel them all pulling “Ninjago” in different directions in the opening act of the film. There’s the odd funny line here and there, but it’s too wild and frenetic to maintain your interest. The saving grace, though, is Justin Theroux’s over confident, inherently evil and generally idiotic Garmadon, who keeps the laughs coming. Once he heads out with the rest of the Secret Ninja Force the laughs really start to come thick and fast, though, as Garmadon bounces off each of the other characters with repeatedly hilarious consequences. The result is not enough to make “The Lego Ninjago Movie” overly memorable, but it does manage to hit consistent and pleasurable, and certainly better than the over-rated hotchpotch that was “The Lego Batman Movie.” Overall, it’s solid enough for kids and adults to enjoy.
