The LEGO movie franchise expands with Piece by Piece, and that means it’s time to rank the five animated LEGO movies released in theaters from worst to best. Following the initial announcement that Warner Bros. Animation would make movies based on LEGO, skepticism quickly mounted. The brick-building toys – despite covering many different time periods, realities, and characters – have not been known for their storytelling. That changed with Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s The LEGO Movie in 2014, which follows a son trying to change the strict rules placed upon the LEGO land and characters by his father.
The success of The LEGO Movie spawned sequels and spinoffs from Warner Bros. over the next several years. The four films from Warner Bros. Animation grossed over $1 billion worldwide at the box office, although not all were met with the same level of critical acclaim as the original. That left Universal Pictures to acquire the LEGO movie rights and develop a Pharrell Williams biopic known as Piece by Piece. The release adds a fifth film to the LEGO movie franchise, even if it is disconnected from the rest. Here’s our ranking of the five LEGO Movies.
|
Movie |
Tomatometer |
Popcornmeter |
Box Office |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The LEGO Movie (2014) |
96% |
87% |
$470.7 million |
|
The LEGO Batman Movie (2017) |
90% |
80% |
$312.3 million |
|
The LEGO Ninjago Movie (2017) |
56% |
46% |
$123.7 million |
|
The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part (2019) |
84% |
68% |
$192.3 million |
|
Piece by Piece (2024) |
85% |
N/A |
N/A |
5 The LEGO Ninjago Movie
The Ninja Spinoff Didn’t Work
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4/10 The LEGO Ninjago Movie PGAnimationActionAdventureComedyFamily
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*Availability in US Director Charlie Bean , Paul Fisher , Bob Logan Release Date September 21, 2017 Writers Hilary Winston , Bob Logan , Paul Fisher , Kevin Hageman , Dan Hageman , William Wheeler Cast Olivia Munn , Kumail Nanjiani , Justin Theroux , Dave Franco , Jackie Chan , Michael Pena Runtime 101 minutes
Directed by Charlie Bean, Paul Fisher, and Bob Logan, The LEGO Ninjago Movie follows a group of teenage ninjas who protect Ninjago City. The city is constantly under attack by Lord Garmadon (Justin Theroux), and it is up to his son Lloyd (Dave Franco) and his Ninja Force to repeatedly stop him. When Lloyd tries to use the Ultimate Weapon (a laser pointer) to defeat his father, a cat named Meowthra levels the city. This sends the team searching for the Ultimate Ultimate Weapon to save the city from Meowthra’s attacks and defeat Garmadon once and for all.
It is largely just a less compelling rehash of everything covered in The LEGO Movie.
The LEGO Ninjago Movie maintains the light and fun tone that viewers had come to expect from the series to this point, with the jokes and inclusion of real-world elements into Ninjago making it an easily digestible adventure. That said, it is largely just a less compelling rehash of everything covered in The LEGO Movie. A father-son relationship is once again at the center, but there isn’t too much development on either side. This fractured dynamic does provide material for some good gags, but the payoff isn’t there to make it truly satisfying.
The other Ninja Force characters don’t receive substantial roles either, so the talents of Kumail Nanjiani, Michael Peña, Fred Armisen, and more aren’t properly utilized. The movie also does not appear to take place in the same LEGO Universe as the other entries in the franchise, based on Jackie Chan’s narration and introduction of the story, which makes it stick out even more. Ninjago still has some enjoyable moments, but it lacks the uniqueness of the other entries – making it the clear choice at the bottom of our list.
4 Piece By Piece
Pharrell Williams Movie Is More Biopic Than LEGO Movie
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7/10 Piece by Piece PGAnimationBiographyMusical
Director Morgan Neville Release Date October 11, 2024 Cast Pharrell Williams , Gwen Stefani , Kendrick Lamar , Timbaland , Justin Timberlake , Busta Rhymes , Jay-Z , Snoop Dogg , Morgan Neville Runtime 94 Minutes
Piece by Piece is easily the most unique of the LEGO movies from a story perspective. Instead of maintaining the imaginative narrative and world of the previous films, it completely shifts the focus to bring the real world to life, but in LEGO form, so it can tell the true story of musician and producer Pharrell Williams. Chronicling his rags-to-riches story, his thoughts on humanity, and much more, Piece by Piece is nothing like the other movies in the franchise. If it wasn’t for the LEGO animation style, they wouldn’t have any real connections or similarities.
This dichotomy is what makes Piece by Piece a strange entry in the franchise. The film works decently well as a standard Pharrell Williams biopic, showing most of the key moments and relationships from his life. It can’t cover everything, but Piece by Piece‘s soundtrack is stellar and keeps energy high as the movie peels back new layers to Pharrell’s life story. It’s certainly informative about his career and perspective, so the film is ultimately at its best as a biopic.
The LEGO animation decision for Piece by Piece feel like more of a gimmick
That makes the LEGO animation decision for Piece by Piece feel like more of a gimmick than a decision that was made to directly enhance the story. It looks like the other LEGO movies, but the approach is completely different. Outside of a few sequences showing Pharrell’s imagination, Piece by Piece doesn’t take full advantage of the creativity that comes with the brick-building toys in this format. The movie is still good and a great way to experience portions of Pharrell’s journey, but it’s not as bold or original as the music he often creates.
3 The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part
A Sequel About Being Yourself
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9/10 8.3/10 The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part PGActionAnimationAdventure
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*Availability in US Director Mike Mitchell Release Date February 8, 2019 Writers Phil Lord , Raphael Bob-Waksberg , Chris Miller Cast Jonah Hill , Tiffany Haddish , Charlie Day , Nick Offerman , Margot Robbie , Chris Pratt2 , Alison Brie , Elizabeth Banks , Stephanie Beatriz , Channing Tatum , Will Arnett Runtime 107 Minutes
The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part brings back the characters, creators, and world that audiences fell in love with originally. Mike Mitchell takes over as the director, while Phil Lord and Chris Miller remained heavily involved creatively to tell the next chapter of this story. The bulk of the sequel takes place five years after the original, where Bricksburg has become Apocalypseburg due to the invasion of the DUPLO aliens. When General Mayhem from the Systar System takes Emmet’s best friends, it will be up to him and his new pal, Rex Dangervest, to save them and their universe.
Continuing the main story, The LEGO Movie 2 is a worthy followup and return for the franchise. This time, the relationship between the real-world brother and sister drives the story, as their different playing styles and ages have ripped apart the foundation of this LEGO reality. Loaded with jokes and The Lego Movie 2‘s music, it adds new memorable characters, like Tiffany Haddish’s Queen Watevra Wa’Nabi. At the same time, there are moments where the jokes can be firing off too quickly and the balance of characters isn’t quite as strong as what the franchise has done before.
A worthwhile message that can be sent to a predominantly younger audience
After the first movie told everyone they were special, the sequel is here to remind them that the most important thing is just being yourself. It is a worthwhile message that can be sent to a predominantly younger audience, and for those with siblings, the story resonates even more. The good of The LEGO Movie 2 heavily outweighs the few areas in which it struggles, so even though there’s a strong case it could be a spot higher on this list, it will just miss out on our top two.
2 The LEGO Batman Movie
Holy Great Spinoff Batman!
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8/10 9.3/10 The Lego Batman Movie PGComedyActionAnimation
Director Chris McKay Release Date February 10, 2017 Writers John Whittington , Jared Stem , Erik Sommers , Seth Grahame-Smith , Chris McKenna Cast Will Arnett , Ralph Fiennes , Mariah Carey , Rosario Dawson , Michael Cera , Zach Galifianakis Runtime 104 minutes
The first true spinoff in this universe, The LEGO Batman Movie delivers a borderline spoof Batman film, but also one that treats the character’s long history with reverence. The movie features the return of Will Arnett’s Batman, who is off on his own adventure in Gotham City this time. Directed by Chris McKay, the story pits Batman and Joker (Zach Galifianakis) against each other in classic fashion, but one where Joker turns in all of Gotham’s criminals to prove that he is Batman’s greatest enemy.
You can still honor the Dark Knight while also having some fun at his expense
After so many iterations of Batman on the big screen that range from campy to ultra-serious, LEGO Batman arrived to remind everyone that you can still honor the Dark Knight while also having some fun at his expense. It was a refreshing change of pace that allowed audiences to laugh at Batman’s lonely lifestyle and sympathize with him simultaneously. The adoption of Dick Grayson (Michael Cera) provides for some of the best comedic moments, and the comedy doesn’t let up until the credits end. In between, viewers are treated to Batman Easter eggs and meta-commentary on the superhero genre.
The biggest flaw that LEGO Batman has is the finale, where the Phantom Zone allows for Warner Bros.’s full array of cinematic villains to appear. This brings Harry Potter‘s Voldemort, King Kong, The Matrix‘s Agent Smith, Lord of the Rings‘ Sauron, Superman’s biggest villain General Zod, and more into the picture. It crowds the movie and strips away some of the focus from the complex exploration of Batman and Joker’s relationship, which is a highlight of the movie otherwise. Overall, The LEGO Batman Movie is an incredibly enjoyable ride, but Batman’s solo adventure just falls short of his debut.
1 The LEGO Movie
The Original LEGO Movie Is Still The Best
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9/10 8.8/10 The Lego Movie PGAnimationActionAdventure
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*Availability in US Director Phil Lord , Chris Miller Release Date February 7, 2014 Writers Dan Hageman , Kevin Hageman , Phil Lord , Chris Miller Cast Chris Pratt , Alison Brie , Channing Tatum , Nick Offerman , Liam Neeson , Will Ferrell , Cobie Smulders , Elizabeth Banks , Will Arnett , Charlie Day , Jonah Hill Runtime 100 Minutes
Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, The LEGO Movie tackles capitalism, a child’s imagination, and much more through a comedic lens. Emmet (Chris Pratt) is the most average LEGO in Bricksburg but soon finds himself being lauded as “The Special” that can save the world. The evil President Business (Will Ferrell) is set to employ TAKOS Tuesday to make the world and society look how he wants permanently, and it quickly becomes Emmet and his fellow Master Builders’ responsibility to stop him.
The LEGO Movie has yet to be beat when it comes to quality
The LEGO Movie has yet to be beat when it comes to quality. Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s sensibilities can be seen throughout the movie as they breathe life into this concept and make it work. The creative world and quick wit still make it stand out to this day. The story that The LEGO Movie is ultimately telling is grand in scale, but the film does an excellent job of setting up what you need to know for the story and not worrying about fleshing out every area. It features the strongest story, characters, and the most memorable song, “Everything Is Awesome,” of the entire franchise.
The movie is incredibly smart from start to finish and even manages to take on the chosen one archetype without feeling overly cliche. Using real-world elements is also a franchise best, with President Business’ Hall of Relics paving the way for a true exploration of the real-world setting. The LEGO Movie doesn’t waste this opportunity either, as the father and son relationship in the real world adds another layer to Emmet and President Business’ different views. Frankly, The LEGO Movie is just special in that regard and showed that even a toy as simple as LEGO can be transformed into an awesome movie.