The LEGO Cinematic Universe?

Cinematic universes are tricky. On one hand, they require planning and a sense of overarching cohesion. On the other hand, they have to do that while still functioning on a microcosmic level. So far, the MCU seems to be making this look easy, while every other attempt at pulling this off has failed. (I’d argue Harry Potter franchise managed it before the MCU was conceptualized, but that may or may not count since it was a book series first.)

Fortunately, that’s about to change. Remember The LEGO Movie, that fun, quirky film that looked like stop-motion animation? It has a sequel now in the form of The LEGO Batman Movie, and, assuming LEGO continues this trend with The LEGO Ninjago Movie, well…we might actually get the first successful answer to the MCU.

Before you say anything, I’m as surprised as you are. Despite its initial trailer being cute, I didn’t think much of The LEGO Movie at first. Sure, it was being directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, two individuals capable of taking dumb concepts and making them work, but it was LEGO. I loved building cars and houses as a kid, but I doubted something like that warranted a high-budget film, let-alone a good one. And it had Will Ferrell in it, aka a man not known for picking the best roles. Still, the film ended up being my favourite of 2014 and made a lot of money at the box office, so now we have a sequel centred around Batman.

Right upfront, The LEGO Batman Movie isn’t as good as its immediate predecessor. The initial wow-factor is absent, and even outside of being more focused, it lacks the immediate punch of The LEGO Movie. Its core aesthetic and humour also aren’t quite as fresh either, with more jokes not landing. But I say that in the same way that I’d say Finding Dory is a downgrade from Finding Nemo: we all know what I thought of that film, so it’s not a big deal.

What makes The LEGO Batman Movie, not to mention the cinematic universe it’s a part of, work is that it knows how to construct a world that links to a grander design, yet doesn’t sacrifice individual uniqueness or enjoyment. Where as both are part of a grander universe, they barely connect outside of mild cameos and an aesthetic style. Fans of the first movie will get a kick out of hearing Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum as Green Lantern and Superman respectively, but the two films are really their own entities. The LEGO Movie was a send-up to how Hollywood has functioned since the late-70’s, while The LEGO Batman Movie is more a send-up to the evolution that Batman has undergone over the last 90 years. Both movies can be watched without a need for prior context, something even the MCU struggles with.

And you know what? This suits Warner Bros. better than the continuity-heavy universe of the DCEU. While Marvel has always built its film brand under continuing adventures with connective tissues, Warner Bros. has largely treated its franchise properties as separate. True, Harry Potter and The Matrix are both well-known franchises under the WB label, as is the Lord of the Rings series, but they’ve never felt a need to cross over. Warner Bros. has let them be their own ventures, so suddenly creating an interconnected continuity is tricky. Factor in that Warner Bros. has proven themselves inept at translating live-action superheroes that aren’t Batman and Superman to the big-screen, and even then only under the right talent, and it’s no wonder the DCEU has been struggling.

All the more reason why the LEGO approach appears to be boding well for Warner Bros. (aside from, y’know, having some of the best talent in the industry working on it.) For one, the lack of timeline continuity allows for greater freedom. Any and all LEGO films need not be connected outside of writing and animation style, which is a real advantage for creative freedom. And two, allowing for that freedom means Warner Bros. can do whatever it so desires without feeling bogged down by unreasonable expectations. This means that The LEGO Movie can criticize studio action movies, The LEGO Batman can self-parody Batman and superhero tropes and the upcoming The LEGO Ninjago Movie, from what I’ve gathered based on trailers, can poke fun at Eastern martial arts films from a Western perspective.

I only hope Warner Bros. picks up on this freedom and learns from it with their DCEU films. I doubt they will, DC isn’t known for taking much risk with its properties, but my hopes are still present; after all, I enjoy the LEGO film universe more than what the MCU has to offer. I definitely like the MCU, don’t get me wrong, but their films suffer somewhat from the pre-planned design that Kevin Feige has for them. LEGO has no restrictions outside of aesthetic and humour, so each entry feels more organic. And while not all entries will be equal qualitatively, it’s not such a big deal when the possibilities are endless.

So yes, I’m excited for the prospect of a LEGO Cinematic Universe, or whatever the eventual name for the franchise turns out to be. It’s a tongue-and-cheek jab at the modern need to connect everything to a specific franchise, but it does so while still having a backbone by which to connect. The humour is crude and childish, but in a fun way that adults can enjoy. And it looks amazing, although that last part is expected with theatrical animation these days. I only hope The LEGO Ninjago Movie turns out to be yet another success, as I’m craving a bi-yearly dose of film parody to counter-balance the dour portentousness in a lot of modern-day action films.