By Mikaela Arce

At a first glance, most would be rather skeptical about the quality of The Lego Movie considering the whole movie appears to be nothing more than a 90 minute advertisement, and in many ways it is just that – but in so many ways, it is much, much more. The Lego Movie is currently one of the best animated films for kids and adults because not only does it have things like really cool animation and popular Lego characters, but it also has a bottom line touching message of the potential within everyone and the importance of working together to utilize it.

The movie itself is great overall in terms of plot and character development, but even if it wasn’t it would still be an incredible looking piece of cinema considering the amount of work put into it. Over 75 million individual Lego pieces were used in the making and with the healthy combination of CGI animation and stop-motion filming, the directors gave the film a beautifully nostalgic style that takes the audience back to their own Lego skits from childhood (which is extremely evident given the amount of spectating dads and teens gushing in the audience).

Underneath all the whimsy comedy and sassy structure is actually a very valuable key message: everyone is important in their own way. It also illuminates the importance of being yourself while promoting creativity and the sanctity of it. As Emmit, the main character says, “You are the most talented, most interesting and most extraordinary person in the universe.