I'm really not sure people could have had high expectations for this. It seemed like the least inspired choice for a movie. Lego Batman atleast had an angle it wanted to play up, even if I didn't enjoy it once it became a big WB commercial. I saw the trailer for this and went "Uh... oh... okay?"
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
'The Lego Ninjago Movie' Review Thread
- Thread starter Oersted
- Start date
Caddywompus
Member
From the trailers it looks more like the trope I'm not like my father similar to Zuko in Avatar along with the Good and Evil Combine Forces to Defeat the Greater Evil like Zuko in Avatar.
Sgt. Kabukiman
Banned
They are stretching this franchise too thin. This shouldn't have been a theatrical realease. The Lego Movie did well but not THAT well. Its overseas numbers are fairly modest: $211,400,000.
At this rate, with these reviews and Lego Batman underperforming, The Lego Movie 2 might not even match the original at the box-office.
At this rate, with these reviews and Lego Batman underperforming, The Lego Movie 2 might not even match the original at the box-office.
Oh, I was talking about the TV show.
WhateverItTakes
Banned
Was this film delayed a lot? I swear I've seen the trailer for this far more often than the usual advertising cycle goes...
I saw a screener earlier this week and it was great. Not sure what they are talking about because all the adults were laughing in the theater, I felt more than the kids. The series, "moral" points of the plot dragged hard for me but otherwise I found it to be a great film.
I never understand reviewers.
I never understand reviewers.
Same with my son and I have the same thoughts. Changed the looks a bit and different voices are a letdown
Getting a bit ahead of yourself?
Different voice to sell the movie but the story is also more like a one-off/stand alone and I don't believe connects to the series at all, so that is a decent reason to have different voices.
Sgt. Kabukiman
Banned
Eh, just making predictions on a forum based on my gut feeling. I'm not claiming to be Nostradamus* or anything. I just think they're putting the cart before the horse with the cinematic potential for this brand considering The Lego Movie's international BO numbers.
*: or kswiston!
Charles Brandon
Member
Hmm really? I promised the boy I would take him to this but maybe he'll be disappointed if his favourite characters are different/not involved.
SteveMeister
Hang out with Steve.
I mean you can tell from the trailers that it's "separate" from the show. For one, the show moved past having Lord Garmadon as the main villain quite a while ago. I think kids'll be OK with it standing apart from the series. My son (9) has watched the entire series multiple times on Netflix and he's still excited about seeing the movie this weekend.
There have already been two LEGO movies, and both were very well received. The LEGO Movie in particular was straight up excellent.
Charles Brandon
Member
I haven't seen the the trailers. Neither has he (to my knowledge). Fuck it, he's only four, he'll adjust.
Took the family to see this yesterday. It was their first movie in the cinema. My daughter is 4 and my son is 2.
I'd say Lego Ninjago was 'ok', not great. I've seen The Lego Movie but not Lego Batman, I think the Lego Movie is better, the plot of Lego Ninjago is pretty rote. There isn't anything great about this aside from the animation. Jackie Chan as Master Wu was a bonus. Garmodon's voice actor is fantastic. The real disappointment is Lloyd who is perhaps the most boring hero I've seen yet in a kid's movie. The mechs are a real highlight and they're better than anything in the Transformers.
The kids enjoyed it, but Moana, Tangled, Frozen, Big Hero 6 are streets ahead.
I'd say Lego Ninjago was 'ok', not great. I've seen The Lego Movie but not Lego Batman, I think the Lego Movie is better, the plot of Lego Ninjago is pretty rote. There isn't anything great about this aside from the animation. Jackie Chan as Master Wu was a bonus. Garmodon's voice actor is fantastic. The real disappointment is Lloyd who is perhaps the most boring hero I've seen yet in a kid's movie. The mechs are a real highlight and they're better than anything in the Transformers.
The kids enjoyed it, but Moana, Tangled, Frozen, Big Hero 6 are streets ahead.
AlexFlame116
Member
I don't know about you guys but I was a big fan of redeemed Garmadon in the show.
Of course he is, he's voiced by the main actor of The Leftovers.
When's the Bionicle movie coming?
Obviously? The LEGO Movie and to a lesser extend the LEGO Batman Movie are great and were received very well by reviewers, this is the odd one out so far.
Caddywompus
Member
You think there's enough nostalgia for that? They would probably scrape the bottom of the barrel of license properties before they attempt another original series especially if Ninjago under performs.
Dandy Crocodile
Member
Hmm, still excited for this because I LOVE the animation in these Lego movies. I never expected it to be as good as TLM or Batman but it seems like it might still fall a bit short of what I hoped.
Considering the savage burn they threw at it in the first Lego movie, I'd say never.
Lan Dong Mik
And why would I want them?
Dudes I thought this was pretty fucking good. Was laughing consistently through out. Surprised me really because the trailers looked like shit but my sons are into Ninjago and legos big time. I'm surprised this didn't get better review scores
It doesn't hit the magic of the first film, but Ninjago is easily better than Batman.
Would rank the films:
1) The LEGO Movie (great for kids and adults)
2) The LEGO Ninjago Movie (fun for kids, amusing for adults, lacks depth of LEGO Movie)
3) The LEGO Batman Movie (looks cool, but just a bunch of random quips and story drags)
Considering the reboot a few years back crashed and burned so hard they didn't even bother to finish their original three-year plan for it, never.
(I actually think a skilled enough team/good enough budget could make a very solid Bionicle movie pitched less as a Lego thing and more as a general kids'/YA science-fantasy IP, but that's not the business Lego's in.)
Not super surprised to hear Lego Ninjago's not getting great reviews. It doesn't really have the hook for an adult audience that the last two films did, and at this point the animation style's losing some of its freshness. But I know Ninjago is pretty huge with kids so I imagine it'll still do decently at the BO.
ElBoxyBrown
Banned
So seeing some GAF opinions, I'll probably enjoy it? I still like the animation and chuckled at some of the jokes in the trailer. Maybe I'll see this tomorrow.
Just saw it with the family. I thought it was fairly similar to the other two Lego movies, for better or worse. I'm not going to go looking to watch it again unless the kids want it on digital later and they want to spend their own money on it.
The humor style gets old after awhile. I see reviews saying this without quite acknowledging that this is the same stuff from the other two movies. Had this movie come first, I get the feeling reviews would have been a lot better. Not on par with the original's reviews mind you, but still considerably better. Calling it more of the same is a valid criticism.
Jackie Chan is delightful as Wu, though. That was the bright spot for me.
The humor style gets old after awhile. I see reviews saying this without quite acknowledging that this is the same stuff from the other two movies. Had this movie come first, I get the feeling reviews would have been a lot better. Not on par with the original's reviews mind you, but still considerably better. Calling it more of the same is a valid criticism.
Jackie Chan is delightful as Wu, though. That was the bright spot for me.
Dandy Crocodile
Member
It's not as jam-packed with jokes every single scene, but it was a fun little movie.
I enjoyed it, knowing nothing about Ninjago.
I'll just never get tired of this animation. I could watch probably anything in this HD Lego style and be wowed the whole time.
I enjoyed it, knowing nothing about Ninjago.
I'll just never get tired of this animation. I could watch probably anything in this HD Lego style and be wowed the whole time.
ButteryPie
Member
I watched it last night. It was alright. Not too offensive, and definitely geared more toward children. Not as good as Lego Batman, and certainly not as good as The Lego Movie.
Its not as pretty as Lego Batman but there's next to zero squishy, "non-Lego" animation in the Ninjago characters which was my biggest issue with Batman, so it gets points for that.
I wish there was more action, though.
All in all, I still think WAG is the freshest big budget western animation film studio*, and I wish nothing but success for Ninjago and the studio.
*
Its not as pretty as Lego Batman but there's next to zero squishy, "non-Lego" animation in the Ninjago characters which was my biggest issue with Batman, so it gets points for that.
I wish there was more action, though.
The fight scene with the refrigerator in the first trailer was the single most shot that got my hyped for this film. "How cool would it have been if we had a western animated film with a focus on well choriographed martial arts!?" I thought. But alas, its only two seconds used as B-roll. Damn.
All in all, I still think WAG is the freshest big budget western animation film studio*, and I wish nothing but success for Ninjago and the studio.
*
Yes, even fresher and currently more interesting than modern Pixar.
The movie has a great cast, but I was left wanting for more. There were some jokes thrown to the adults, but it was pretty sparse. Felt hollow and unfocused. Kids seemed to like it though.
It didn't match the pure joy of the original or the constant barrage of jokes/action in batman, but it was still fun.
It didn't match the pure joy of the original or the constant barrage of jokes/action in batman, but it was still fun.
The problem with Ninjago is that although it's really big, it's audience is stuck at a specific age level because the property is still new.
Bionicle would have had a far bigger range, since it would have fans from it's early 2000s run in addition to the kids who were around for the mid 2010s run. Not to mention, Bionicle was Lego's juggernaut that saved the company back then.
Count Dookkake
Member
In for the art style, but Ninjago is a boring property.
Would love to see a GI Joe toy movie one day.
Would love to see a GI Joe toy movie one day.
See that's the thing, I know it's CGI, but the style is reminiscent of stop-motion. I love it.
It's like Seeingf an entire movie done up in Lego (we mostly - seems like there were more non-Lego elements here than in the Lego movie), and gives me the same vibe as staring at a huge Lego diorama - except this one is animated!
Love the mechs, the cheesey nostalgic martila arts movie sendup (I swear they actually used some Jackie Chan signature moves!), and I had a bunch of laughs.
For the record I have no idea about ninjago as a franchise, and part of going to see this was to see how ninjas fit in with animal mechs and tanks. Also have not seen the Lego batman movie.
I thought this was great.