The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

"The Lego� Movie 2: The Second Part" is the most recent release of the Lego movie franchise. It stars comedic voice actors Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, Charlie Day, and Maya Rudolph. Tiffany Haddish reigns as Queen Watevra Wa'Nabi. It is directed by Mike Mitchell ("Trolls," "Penguins of Madagascar," "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked"). The screenplay and story are by Phil Lord ("Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse"), Christopher Miller ("The Lego Movie," "How I Met Your Mother"), and Matthew Fogel. The movie hits U.S. theaters on Feb. 8, 2019.

In the five years since everything was originally awesome, the citizens of Bricksburg are now facing a huge new threat: LEGO DUPLO� invaders from outer space! General Mayhem (Stephanie Beatriz) has kidnapped Lucy (Elizabeth Banks), Batman (Will Arnett) and their other friends to deliver them to the clutches of Queen Watevra Wa'Nabi (Tiffany Haddish). Emmet (Chris Pratt), with assistance from uncannily familiar Rex Dangervest, must rescue them before 5:15 pm. Only time and a legion of velociraptors will tell if they can save their universe from Armageddon.

"The Lego� Movie 2" is epically fun! This movie is self-referential, meta and superbly adorable. One does not need to have seen the 2014 original, the spinoff Lego� movies, or played the video games to follow this one. It is more enjoyable if the viewer is familiar with science fiction and fantasy movie and TV references from the past five years, but the majority of the film doesn't require a pop culture education. Fans of the "Jurassic Park," "Game of Thrones," and any of Chris Pratt's movies are in for a special treat.

The soundtrack for this movie will enchant children and lovers of happy hardcore. "Catchy Song" featuring T Pain and That Girl Lay Lay is incredibly catchy. Its lyrics are incredibly simple and will inspire dancing wiggles in anyone who can tap a beat. "Super Cool" features Robyn and The Lonely Island. The track is in the same style as The Lonely Island's usual irreverent fun fare but much more suitable for kids.

Queen Watevra Wa'Nabi's galaxy exists within its own musical. The voice actors perform some singing with great success. Tiffany Haddish, in particular, is an expressive vocalist. She does not have a large range but she's so effusive in her delivery that it doesn't matter. The soundtrack is not yet available for download.

The real villain of "The Lego� Movie 2" isn't the presence of the LEGO DUPLO� invaders, but toxic masculinity. "The Lego� Movie 2" is about defying society's expectations of awesome and determining awesome for oneself. Emmett, Lucy, and the other denizens of Bricksburg (even Batman!) learn that being different is good. Not everything has to be awesome all of the time and that's okay.