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| Scene from The LEGO Movie |
As awards seasons pick up, so do the campaigns to make your film have the best chances at the Best Picture race. However, like a drunken stupor, sometimes these efforts come off as trying too hard and leave behind a trailer of ridiculous flamboyance. Join me on every other Saturday for a highlight of the failed campaigns that make this season as much about prestige as it does about train wrecks. Come for the Harvey Weinstein comments and stay for the history. It's going to be a fun time as I explore cinema's rich history of attempting to matter.
The Movie
The LEGO Movies (2014)
Directed By: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Written By: Phil Lord & Christopher Miller (Screenplay), Dan Hageman & Kevin Hageman & Phil Lord & Christopher Miller (Story), Ole Kirk Christiansen & Godtfred Kirk Christiansen & Jens Nygaard Knudsen (Based on), Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman (Characters)
Starring: Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure
Running Time 100 minutes
Running Time 100 minutes
Summary: An ordinary LEGO construction worker, thought to be the prophesied as "special", is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil tyrant from gluing the LEGO universe into eternal stasis.
The Movie
It was only five yeas ago that the mentality surrounding toy-based cinema changed from something of ridicule to a thing of anticipation. Before 2014's The LEGO Movie, films like Transformers, Battle Ship, and G.I. Joe all embodied failed attempts to mix commerce with films that critics and audiences liked. While audiences were more prone to like these often action-driven stories, none could be called masterpieces of cinema. They were kitschy entertainment that felt more like big budgeted novelties. To make a movie about toys was silly, especially if they weren't being backed by Pixar. However, there was something in the prodigies of studio comedy known as Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (often called Lord & Miller) that shifted the course not only of how brands are seen in the world of cinema, but also how audiences consume comedy.
This wasn't their first rodeo with reinventing franchises, or even animated films for that matter. Following their adaptation of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, itself critically acclaimed, they moved to what was seen as the shifting point of their career from underrated geniuses to the new norm. 21 Jump Street was a comedy that brought the cult of Lord & Miller to the mainstream for the first time, making them realize that there's as much value in skewering pop culture institutions as there is paying tribute to it. The satire on police procedural shows struck a chord with audiences and would lead to an even more winking sequel two years later. Still, it was a move that was considered unfathomable. How could you take something as irrelevant as 21 Jump Street and make it appeal to a modern audience? They found a way, and its self-referential, deconstructing sensibility was now a calling card that would fuel most studio comedies to less success (see: 2017's Baywatch and CHIPS). Whatever it was, Lord & Miller were among the very few doing it right.
Things look a little different in February of 2019 where the Lord & Miller aesthetic has been shifted to two of the past six month's biggest animated films. Next weekend marks Lord & Miller's shot at an Oscar win with their nominated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which has earned some of the highest praised for a Spider-Man film in years. Similarly, this month also marked the release of The LEGO Movie: The Second Part, which was only written by the duo but may as well be an extension of their illustrious brand. While this is their first show at an Academy Award, it's a reminder of their first time trying to get there. It came at the period right before their, ahem, "brand saturation" when they produced half a dozen TV series and lead to several LEGO-based spin-off movies, TV series, and products.
There's so much that was riding on the film at the time, especially the idea that it was a dumb idea. Who could make something about Swedish yellow bricks into art? The answer turned out to be obvious: Lord & Miller. The argument has become not to underestimate Lord & Miller in recent years, and it shows in everything that made The LEGO Movie special. It wasn't just that it was animated in a bright and fuzzy fashion, but its story had far more pathos and heart than it really needed. The jokes were strong, but so was its ability to make the world compelling. It was commenting on LEGO's infinite possibilities while allowing creativity to flow at every turn. It was a joyous family film dense with story and jokes that made it one of the hallmarks of modern CG animation. It also gave off the idea that all it took to make a brand relevant in 2014 was to be self-deprecating in a way that was funny. That's kind of the truth, but there's more to it than that. It's hard to not know a world where The LEGO Movie is taken somewhat seriously, but that's the power of five years in which one film's success changed the course of pop culture in a lot of ways.
The film wasn't without backlash, as U.S. Senator Ron Johnson accused the film of teaching kids to like government over business. This was evident in the villain being named the unsubtle moniker of Lord Business. "They're starting that propaganda, and it's insidious," Johnson would suggest. The comment was met with plenty of ridicule and even came up as a debate point during his 2016 Senate bid. Others were critical of the film promoting brands over authentic art. Still, the majority of film fans saw it as something to be celebrated with filmmakers like Edgar Wright calling it one of the best films of the year. It was more than a story that featured LEGO, it was a sign of the shifting approach to comedy and consumerism. Lord & Miller were about to be omnipresent in pop culture, and this was their truest coming out part.
This wasn't their first rodeo with reinventing franchises, or even animated films for that matter. Following their adaptation of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, itself critically acclaimed, they moved to what was seen as the shifting point of their career from underrated geniuses to the new norm. 21 Jump Street was a comedy that brought the cult of Lord & Miller to the mainstream for the first time, making them realize that there's as much value in skewering pop culture institutions as there is paying tribute to it. The satire on police procedural shows struck a chord with audiences and would lead to an even more winking sequel two years later. Still, it was a move that was considered unfathomable. How could you take something as irrelevant as 21 Jump Street and make it appeal to a modern audience? They found a way, and its self-referential, deconstructing sensibility was now a calling card that would fuel most studio comedies to less success (see: 2017's Baywatch and CHIPS). Whatever it was, Lord & Miller were among the very few doing it right.
Things look a little different in February of 2019 where the Lord & Miller aesthetic has been shifted to two of the past six month's biggest animated films. Next weekend marks Lord & Miller's shot at an Oscar win with their nominated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which has earned some of the highest praised for a Spider-Man film in years. Similarly, this month also marked the release of The LEGO Movie: The Second Part, which was only written by the duo but may as well be an extension of their illustrious brand. While this is their first show at an Academy Award, it's a reminder of their first time trying to get there. It came at the period right before their, ahem, "brand saturation" when they produced half a dozen TV series and lead to several LEGO-based spin-off movies, TV series, and products.
There's so much that was riding on the film at the time, especially the idea that it was a dumb idea. Who could make something about Swedish yellow bricks into art? The answer turned out to be obvious: Lord & Miller. The argument has become not to underestimate Lord & Miller in recent years, and it shows in everything that made The LEGO Movie special. It wasn't just that it was animated in a bright and fuzzy fashion, but its story had far more pathos and heart than it really needed. The jokes were strong, but so was its ability to make the world compelling. It was commenting on LEGO's infinite possibilities while allowing creativity to flow at every turn. It was a joyous family film dense with story and jokes that made it one of the hallmarks of modern CG animation. It also gave off the idea that all it took to make a brand relevant in 2014 was to be self-deprecating in a way that was funny. That's kind of the truth, but there's more to it than that. It's hard to not know a world where The LEGO Movie is taken somewhat seriously, but that's the power of five years in which one film's success changed the course of pop culture in a lot of ways.
- The Campaign -
In a time before Lord & Miller were a tested commodity, the idea of The LEGO Movie felt blasphemous. Who could possibly make this product into a franchise that was worthy of praise? After all the franchises like Transformers, G.I. Joe, and Battleship all failed to do more than serve as insipid entertainment. There was nothing to compare it to, especially given that LEGO as a brand didn't have a defined story. There had to be some creative manhandling somewhere in the cards. It's where Lord & Miller came in, using influence from Bricksfilms and stop motion animation to make a style that felt more in line with how LEGO in the real world moved and operated. Many would praise the attention to detail on the layout of the film alone, and for good reason. Every single bump that came with a board was on screen.
It also helped that it was a film that came at the start of Chris Pratt's time as a movie star. Coming off of Parks and Recreation, he had a reputation for being a bit schlubby and not really the ideal action star. While that summer would see him get a live action role in the surprise hit Guardians of the Galaxy (and the following year with Jurassic World), this was a chance to see him in something upbeat and fun. He lead a strong voice cast that included major roles by Elizabeth Banks, Morgan Freeman, and Will Ferrell as the bad guy Lord Business. Everything was in place for the film's success, and it appeared in the advertising for the film. As it was rolled out, Warner Bros. Animation gradually released character posters and held contests for fans to raise awareness. There even was an online app that allowed them to transform themselves into LEGO characters, of which would be featured in the marketing.
In what felt like an unprecedented move, The LEGO Movie ended up having the second best opening for a February release after The Passion of the Christ. In total, it would gross $469.1 million internationally and have a strong enthusiastic response from fans and critics alike. It was one of the first toy-based adaptations to get this treatment. It helped that among its original story was some of the strongest product placement in film history. Among the more noticeable supporting characters was The Justice League, which included a new fan favorite in LEGO Batman, whose persona was dark and brooding even as his excessive nature made him silly. It was a film that balanced family entertainment with depth for adults to better appreciate. It would reward constant nitpicking, and it helped to establish Lord & Miller's style of comedy as something to embrace.
Even the music of the film received a lot of praise. The most noticeable piece of the puzzle was the infectious song "Everything is Awesome" sung by the bands Tegan and Sara, and The Lonely Island. Composer Mark Mothersbaugh would note that it was a perfect satire of mind control thanks to its monotonous nature early in the film. However, the songwriter Shawn Patterson had a sadder story behind it. In the New York Post, he mentioned that:
It gives a sad undertone to a rather upbeat song. Still, it didn't stop audiences from creating jokes by randomly playing the song at awkward points for humor. As a whole, the film punched into the zeitgeist in a meaningful way. Everything about it resonated with audiences, even to the point of releasing 20 original toy sets along with a video game. More than any other 2014 animated film, The LEGO Movie left an indelible mark that was hard to ignore. Based on its many spin-offs that include a direct TV show (Unikitty) and film (The LEGO Batman Movie), it wasn't just an homage to LEGO, but an extension of the brand.“I think all of us in life have moments [where] you go, ‘Well, is everything awesome right now?’ ” he explains. “You know, your house is on fire and you’re standing on your lawn looking at your house and you go, ‘Man, everything is awesome.’ ”
The film wasn't without backlash, as U.S. Senator Ron Johnson accused the film of teaching kids to like government over business. This was evident in the villain being named the unsubtle moniker of Lord Business. "They're starting that propaganda, and it's insidious," Johnson would suggest. The comment was met with plenty of ridicule and even came up as a debate point during his 2016 Senate bid. Others were critical of the film promoting brands over authentic art. Still, the majority of film fans saw it as something to be celebrated with filmmakers like Edgar Wright calling it one of the best films of the year. It was more than a story that featured LEGO, it was a sign of the shifting approach to comedy and consumerism. Lord & Miller were about to be omnipresent in pop culture, and this was their truest coming out part.
- The Payoff -
On one hand, The LEGO Movie didn't fail. It received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song for "Everything is Awesome." However, many became curious as to why it failed to get a Best Animated Film nomination, considering it to be one of the most snubbed films of the year. Those who tried to solve the issue argued that a big issue was that voters didn't want to vote for a film that was almost exclusively brand awareness. However (in this writer's personal opinion) it was also the fact that a small section of the film was in fact live action. Much like how Avatar wasn't considered an animated movie because of live action sequences and motion capture technology that augmented it, The LEGO Movie wasn't a full animated movie because it incorporated non-animated techniques. True, there's no good reason given by an official source, but to suggest that it was solely because of the brand awareness seems a bit too simplistic. It just didn't fit the full aesthetic of an animated film.
With that said, the Oscars ceremony would've been totally different without The LEGO Movie. For starters, the performance of "Everything is Awesome" was considered to be a highlight of the show, especially with Mothersbaugh wearing a LEGO energy dome and various dancers handing out LEGO Oscars to the audience. The most noteworthy was given to Oprah (seen above). At a different point in the show, host Neil Patrick Harris would also suggest that "If you’re at the Oscar party with the guys who directed The LEGO Movie, now would be a great time to distract them." The song inevitably lost to Selma's "Glory," which again was considered a momentous snubbing. With that said, recreations of the LEGO Oscar have been known to be on display at various Comic Cons nationwide.
With Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse gaining traction as the possible front-runner for Best Animated Film, it does look like Lord & Miller's chance at an Oscar has come again. If anything, it's more of a testament to how well they have sustained themselves in modern pop culture and have made the craziest animated film into one of the year's most beloved. In a year that also saw them get infamously dropped from Solo: A Star Wars Story, they have remained in the conversation as figures of a young and new way of approaching brands. Star Wars was afraid that they would be too deconstructing of their brand, and it likely cost them the gig. It made many wonder if the George Lucas property was too old hat at this point. Still, it is doubtful that they won't have work with audiences eagerly clamoring for more.
The LEGO Movie is secretly one of the most successful movies of the entire decade, even if it's not a continuation of a superhero franchise or necessarily the biggest box office. What it does have is a sense of comedy that has been imitated constantly. In the realm of LEGO, it inspired now three LEGO sequels and spin-offs (The LEGO Batman Movie, The LEGO Ninjago Movie, and The LEGO Movie: The Second Part) as well as TV series, video games, toy lines, and more. In the realm of pop culture, it's inspired studios to take more risks on brand-name movies that includes: The Angry Birds Movie, The Emoji Movie, My Little Pony: The Movie, Uglydolls: The Movie, Jem and the Holograms, and even (in a baffling turn of events) horror films that include Truth or Dare and Ouija. Even the idea of an escape room has been mined for horror. Even if it's a stretch to call these truly inspired by The LEGO Movie, it's hard to imagine a world where one toy movie's success didn't inspire countless others. The cult of Lord & Miller is tough to not appreciate on some level.
With The LEGO Movie: The Second Part currently dominating the box office and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse potentially winning an Oscar next weekend, it's a good time to remember how family entertainment has changed in just five years, for better or worse. There's no denying that it would've been a long shot to think of this gunning for a Best Picture nomination, but it did something even better: it got the world's attention. The fact that the film's success lead to a LEGO shortage by September of 2014 is a sign that it raised the popularity of the toy and made the future look a little more brick-shaped. Because of Lord & Miller, there's a good chance that there will be an endless amount of LEGO-based entertainment for at least the next decade. More than 21 Jump Street or any of the TV series they have produced since, The LEGO Movie looks to be their inevitable legacy, and that's pretty awesome.
While this technically would be the last of the official season, I have decided to extend the Failed Oscar Campaigns column by two more entries. That is why this upcoming week will find a mid-week entry as well as one next Saturday to close out the season. To provide some hints for what I plan to cover, just know that they're inspired by Black Panther and Bohemian Rhapsody. Feel free to guess what they are, though know that they are more thematically tied to them.
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