The Lego Ninjago Movie: A Samurai Tale That’s Fun For The Family

I wasn’t aware of the popularity that is Lego Ninjago; not only is it a hit on toy shelves but on the small screen as well. Memories of the pilot premiering on Cartoon Network in 2011 are surprisingly engraved in my head.

From what I can gather Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu is to many what Bionicle was to me growing up. Action-packed, warriors with elemental powers, nice doses of comedy executed with our childhood play set being legos. I’m honestly surprised that this series is still going on; at the time of this review Masters of Spinjitzu wrapped its seventh season early in the summer with no signs of slowing down. And I thought My Little Pony was the show no one expected to last, let alone receive a theatrical release.

One can watch this movie without any knowledge of Ninjago whether the toy line or cartoon but if you yourself or have kids that are fans don’t go expecting a continuation or spin-off Masters of Spinjitsu as the The Lego Ninjago Movie, the third entry of the Lego Cinematic Universe from Warner Bros Animation, bears no ties to its TV counterpart.

Much of the lore is intact when it comes to the ninjas themselves. Lloyd (Dave Franco), Nya (Abbi Jacobson), Cole (Fred Armisen), Jay (Kumail Nanjiani), Kai (Michael Pena) and Zane (Zach Woods) are trained under Master Wu (Jackie Chan) to protect the city of Ninjago from his evil warlord brother Garmadon (Justin Theroux). Ordinary teenagers (except for Zane who’s an android) attending high school but when Garmadon strikes (which happens on a daily basis via live news coverage) they became the Ninjago Ninjas. Their identities are kept in the shadows but what isn’t a secret is Lloyd being Garmadon’s son. As the Green Ninja Lloyd is a hero but as himself, he is shunned by society except by his kind mother Koko (Olivia Munn), his Ninja friends, and Uncle/Master Wu.

The heavy drama of this story is not saving the city from an evil entity (which there is but more on that later) but Lloyd wanting to connect with his father Garmaddon. Lloyd doesn’t like that his father is always trying to take over the city but he hates him more because he’s never acknowledged as his son. Garmadon makes Darth Vader a loving parent even if he tried to sway him to the dark side at least he cared for his son Luke. All that anguish leads to Lloyd making a catastrophic mistake that puts everyone in danger. Seeing this, Master Wu sends his students on a quest to find a weapon to save Ninjago City and perfect their ninja skills having relied too much on their giant fighting machines.

Lego Ninjago may not be as good as the first Lego Movie but it’s an improvement over The Lego Batman Movie. Don’t get me wrong, Lego Batman is a fun ride with plenty of heartfelt moments but as I said in that review it felt like a long Robot Chicken sketch that is funny and clever but in small dosages. Another aspect that I feel Ninjago does better is taking advantage of its Lego environment. Everyone is aware they are Lego pieces leading to some clever and creative moments. While the trailers have given away a certain plot point involving an enormous evil entity it hearkens back to what was brought up in The Lego Movie but never mentioned in Lego Batman of the world pertaining to the man upstairs. It’s a different situation but it’s what makes these Lego films work.

The conflict that Lloyd faces is something that many young viewers can relate of growing up with a neglectful parent and longing for that caring comfort that was never given as kid and the effect it has growing up.  

A lot of focus is put on Lloyd’s family that the rest of the characters aren’t given much screen time. At least with the cartoon they have more time for an arc and character development but in the movie they aren't given much personality. They have a couple of scenes but it’s minimal. The drama is poignant but it puts much of the action to the side in the third act;it didn't bother me but might disappoint others as anti-climatic. Then there moments that feels it would have have been better as a direct-to-DVD or TV special reboot with some of the dialogue and cliche set-up. 

Can’t finish a review without mentioning the master himself Jackie Chan; as proven with the Kung Fu Panda Trilogy and his own cartoon Jackie Chan Adventures, even in animation Chan is the man. True when I hear Master Wu, I hear the actor himself but its Jackie Chan’s voice and it’s awesome!

Lego Ninjago had three directors and a big staff of screenwriters, many of them being this their first feature film to make this movie. It benefited from having two writers who worked on the TV show helping it feel like a Ninjago adventure. I went in with the same mindset of The Lego Movie of not expecting much; what surprised me was not that the movie turned out to be an entertaining ride but it’s the second time that a movie comprised of little construction blocks had me crying towards the end.