Tuesday, March 3, 2015

THE LEGO MOVIE



By HissyFit

The Lego movie was released in 2014 merely for entertainment, or so everybody thought. Just a funny, heartwarming movie. What else could it possibly be about? It’s more than what it seems. I personally think that this movie was meant for more than entertainment. It also has a message send that our society actually needs right now. The message that everyone needs to hear: “you are special”.Emmet is an ordinary guy in a perfect world of Legos. He knows everyone in the city and has lots of friends. His favorite show is where are my pants, his favorite song is everything is awesome, and his favorite thing to do is follow the instructions. After accidentally getting into trouble, Emmet finds out that he isn’t at all special…and he certainly doesn’t have any friends.


*pause right there for a minute. Have you ever felt or been told that you’re not ‘all that’ after all? I have; and it’s been hard to get over! In our society, bullying and putting other people down has been a big problem and getting bigger. Every cause has its effect. A person with low self-esteem will likely have much less success, and much poorer a life than the average person. Also, depression (most often caused by social abuse) can lead to self-harm, substance abuse, and even suicide. This is an epidemic in our country.*


In a mad dash to escape from the trouble Emmet is in, he meets a stranger who keeps saying Emmet is, according to prophecy, ‘the special’: “One day, a talented lass or fellow, a special one with face of yellow, will make the Piece of Resistance found from its hiding refuge underground, and with a noble army at the helm, this Master Builder will thwart the Kragle and save the realm, and be the greatest, most interesting, most important person of all times. All this is true because it rhymes.” Gee, what Emmet wouldn’t have given to be called that again…


SPOILER: the whole story of the Lego movie was made up and played by a young boy with a big imagination. He looked at Emmet, a seemingly ordinary, generic, and regular construction worker, and turned him into a hero. The boy’s father denied Emmet to be anything special.


*And, you know what? People are going to tell you that. Say that you’re not something special. There is no achievement in not being told it, but there is in what you make of it. You can let it infect you or you can put a cast on your heart and sign it yourself. Sign that they were wrong. Sign that you are special, no matter what they say. Emmet was scared, and thought that nobody was there for him because everybody saw him as little and worthless.at first, he believed it. But he didn’t let that stop him in the end.*


Basically, by the end of the movie, Emmet realizes that, even though the prophecy was a bluff, he really is special. And so is everybody else who thought that they were nothing extraordinary. Emmet finds out that when darkness rises (metaphorically), everybody is a professional at saving the world just being who they are. Nobody needs to change, nobody needs to level up, because nobody has time for that.

“You don't have to be the bad guy. You are the most talented, most interesting, and most extraordinary person in the universe. And you are capable of amazing things. Because you are the Special. And so am I. And so is everyone. The prophecy is made up, but it's also true. It's about all of us. Right now, it's about you. And you... still... can change everything.”


I feel like this is a very important message that everybody needs to hear when they feel like they’re at the bottom of the pyramid. I still remember the times that people told me how to feel about myself. Told me that I was good for nothing. Said that I wasn’t worth anything. Thinking that I could change the world was merely a dream. I am 100% sure that there is somebody out there feeling the way I did right now. Those people need to know that they can be the one meant to change the world being just the way they are. You are the special who can change the world. And that is the message I believe The Lego Movie was meant to get across.

2 comments:

  1. Hey, great write-up, HissyFit. Good thoughts, and good exploration of the theme.

    Here's my take on The Lego Movie, if you're curious: chriswei.com/filmreviews/films/0016.html

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  2. Will Hunter FriedmanMarch 16, 2015 at 6:42 AM

    Hear Hear, HissyFit!
    Well written.

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