The Lego Movie, film review: Screenplay with traces of Orwellian satire

The film has as many pop culture references as the average Tarantino movie

A scene from 'The Lego Movie' (Warner Bros)

Adults who go to The Lego Movie out of a weary sense of parental duty are in for a very pleasant surprise.

The Lego characters themselves may be totally inexpressive but this is still a zany and tremendously witty affair.

The screenplay has traces of Orwellian satire while throwing in sideswipes at corporate America (see video below) along with as many pop culture and film references as you would find in the average Tarantino movie.

The plot is some hokum about the evil President Business planning to end the world on Taco Tuesday. The only one who can save the day is a dim-witted construction worker called Emmet.

The voice-work is done with great brio (especially by Liam Neeson as Bad Cop and by Morgan Freeman in Moses-mode as an old wizard), the 3D computer animation is as fluid as the Lego characters themselves are rigid, and even the live-action finale isn't quite as toe-curling as might have been anticipated.

The Lego Movie is out in cinemas across the UK from Friday 14 February