LEGO Ninjago Movie Review
A worthy addition to the LEGO Movie universe
Ninjago. To the uninitiated, this word may have no meaning except for being the third of the LEGO movies. Or maybe it’s just some theme that you see in the LEGO aisles. Or maybe you even know of the TV show. It’s pervasive in its own niche, but outside of that it doesn’t have much hold in popular culture.
So I’ll give you a run down:
In short, Ninjago is a story about ninjas with elemental powers, who also practice the art of Spinjitzu, that live in a strange world with snake people (the Serpentine), magic, dragons, high tech, and…basically everything.
In reality, Ninjago is a LEGO theme that broke the mold. LEGO themes were supposed to last only a few years, have a show for a few seasons, sell a few waves, and then retire. Ninjago destroyed that with sheer popularity. Yes, a show/theme about Ninjas riding vehicles/dragons fighting Snakes/Skeletons/whatever blew up for kids and adults.
Why? You’ll get different answers. For me, it was a combination of the eccentric world and the tried and true cast of characters.
Because this couldn’t be Ninjago without its group of Ninjas.
They are:
Kai
The Fire Ninja. Originally put forth as the fire-headed leader/new-comer, he grows throughout the show as a dependable member of the team. Brother of Nya — this was used to bring him into the fold.
Zane
The Ice Ninja. Revealed to be a Nindroid. (I.e, Android.) Calm, and loyal. The show has some very powerful arcs with him. He progressively looks more and more android — as in, cooler (pun intended). There are some neat sequences with his android side and whole-season arcs regarding him.
Cole
The Earth Ninja. The comedic relief in a way, but not all the time. During the ghost arcs, he definitely gets the most interesting development. I don’t want to spoil it that much, but Cole goes through some changes that I really liked. Continuity is always appreciated.
Jay
The Lightning Ninja. Jittery, semi-anxious, and semi-insecure. Has a crush on Nya. His parents, both in show and in movie, are a bit off. Later in the show, his insecurities are brought to ahead when they engage with an evil Genie.
Nya
The Water Ninja. In the show, she was originally a support character that turned into an epic samurai who used a mech and then she became a ninja. Completely biased, but she’s the best because she is a samurai, a ninja, and an engineer. Also Kai’s sister.
Sensei Wu
Wise teacher of the group. Brother to Garmadon. Master of Spinjitzu. The cooky old guy character that is seemingly always old and never dies. He is the one that brings the Ninjas together and anchors them with sanity to a degree.
Garmadon
The Villain. Has issues because he was bitten by an evil snake once. Therefor he is evil. Looks the part too. Lloyd’s father.
Lloyd
Ah, Lloyd. The Green Ninja. Lloyd was introduced in the show initially as this whiny kid who was trying so hard to be evil like his dad. He failed miserably and did a ton of damage to Ninjago in the process. In the movie, he’s like the older version of his show self. Trying to be a good person, save his dad, and save Ninjago.
Onto the actual movie…
Those two last points about Lloyd are the core thrust of the movie.
In this inspired-verse, Ninjago City is routinely attacked by Lord Garmadon and his shark-themed army. The Secret Ninja group, our protagonists, pilot awesome mechs to stop him and his repeated attempts to take over the city.
I say awesome because the mech sets are quite possibly some of the best LEGO sets I have. And they look even better on screen.
But don’t get your hopes up — they aren’t in the movie for that long.
During an intense battle with Garmadon, Lloyd uses the Ultimate Weapon to stop him. Use of the weapon was forbidden, but Lloyd uses it because of his antagonistic relationship with his father hitting new levels. And by using it, Lloyd accidentally summons the great terror — Meowthra.
Meowthra, a legit cat, proceeds to wreck parts of city and the Ninja’s mechs. Garmadon is able to seize control of the Ninjago and the Ninja, especially Lloyd become shunned for their part in bringing Meowthra into the fold.
So begins the actual heart of the movie. A story of traveling across a dangerous land to get the Ultimate Ultimate Weapon with father-son bonding along the way. Garmadon and Lloyd’s relationship is what the movie focuses on. Can they ever got along? Will they? Will Garmadon stop trying to take over the world? Will Lloyd get a father figure?
It’s a family movie. That basically gives you the answer to those trite questions.
In addition to being a family movie, it’s a comedy, as is the rest of the series. The LEGO Ninjago movie doesn’t fail in that regard at all. There are great comedic moments and running gags. Speaking of moments, I would say the movie is tied with The LEGO Batman Movie for best music timing. The editing is pretty sharp at some points.
The action…oh the action is superb. This movie definitely has the best animation. Meowthra looks flawless and so does everything else.
Although it’s a pretty movie, it feels like it’s missing something. It’s good, I like it, but I would have been shocked if I didn’t. I think it needed more interactions with the other characters asides from Lloyd, Garmadon, and Misako (I don’t like calling her Koko). Without it, the cast falls a bit flat. I wanted to hear more lines from the other ninjas because the voice choices were spot on.
And that is why I’d probably rank the LEGO Ninjago Movie third or second with the LEGO Movie and The LEGO Batman Movie. The Batman movie being my favorite. LEGO Ninjago didn’t unthrone that one, but that would have been super surprising if it did.
I think part of my appreciation for it, among others I know who’ve liked it, is that I understand the material and enjoyed the show. I’m already a Ninjago fan. I get what it’s doing and I like the ideas of the characters. So I’m already sold on the premise. It’s a movie for us and it delivers.
I would primarily recommend it for existing fans. Others might not enjoy it as much, but the LEGO humor still stands on its own. It’s a good flick with some amazing sets coming out of it. Not as deep as LEGO Batman movie or heart warming as the original, but it’s a fun ride and that’s what I wanted — no harm in that.
