Olivia Telecky-

Since 2014’s release of The Lego Movie, four other movies have been released using that same blend of Lego and CGI. While Lego released movies before 2014, they were straight-to-DVD or made-for-TV films that didn’t have the same resources available to them. As such, it would be unfair to compare them to the larger Lego movies, and they will not be included in this ranking. They were also made more so to tell the story of specific Lego kits rather than using Legos as a means of exploring the main character’s mental state and vision of reality–more on this later–so while fun to watch, they are not a part of the same Lego Universe. Without further ado, onto the ranking! 

5. Piece By Piece (2024)

Being the worst Lego movie doesn’t make Piece By Piece a bad movie in any sense of the word. These films are all near and dear to my heart, as they are to a lot of young adults who grew up watching them, and being the worst of the bunch still makes it a great movie. It is simply the least great. Before researching this article, I hadn’t heard of this movie, which makes sense because it is very different from the rest of the movies in the Lego franchise. Instead of being a comedy about a fictional character, Piece By Piece is a biopic on famous musician Pharrell Williams. It was quite strange to see Lego being used to portray serious topics, as Williams discusses the loss of his grandmother, struggles in school, and creative decline as he became obsessed with business ventures. However, it was not out of place. The beginning of the biopic knows that the connection between Williams’ life and Lego is vague, and gives a reason for the story being told in this medium with Williams saying “What if life was like a Lego set? And you can out ‘em together whatever way you want, but you’re borrowing from colors that already existed.” This line is not only an explanation for the Lego influence on the movie, but also gives the audience an insight into how Williams sees music, constantly building on its own past creations. The Lego art style is used to show the way Williams sees the world, with producers flying into his hometown on a spaceship and beats being represented by crystals that pulse with different colors. From Williams’ first snare drum from his grandmother to his band The Neptunes, Williams’ creativity hit when “One day you wake up and realize that this was all designed, and because it was designed, there’s a potential to change it”. The creativity in this biopic makes it one of the most interesting ones I’ve seen.

4. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019)

Building off of the first movie, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part focuses on the relationship between Finn and his sister Bianca. As Emmet travels to the Systar System to stop Armamageddon (our mama gets in), he meets Rex; a cool older Lego who teaches Emmet how to grow up. The focus on needing to toughen up as you get older is one that many teens (who were children when the first Lego movie was released) can relate to. Rex also displays many aspects of toxic masculinity, as his code name is “Alpha Wolf Bro Dog,” and he uses anger, specifically punches, to solve his problems. On the other hand, this movie is unique in that it also looks into Bianca’s mind and dissects the way she sees the world. Many of Finn’s Lego rules don’t apply to her, as her characters eat lasers and she uses things such as her curtains and stickers to add to the world. This aggravates Finn who doesn’t realize that her adding to this world isn’t meant to destroy it, but rather expand it. While it is a great sequel, it doesn’t stand alone as well as the other Lego movies, and as such it is in the bottom half of the list. Still, it is a great watch for anyone who needs a distraction from finals.

3. The Lego Ninjago Movie (2017)

The funniest Lego movie out there, in my opinion, The Lego Ninjago Movie disregards the series it is based on to tell its own story about acceptance and forgiveness. While those themes might sound serious, they are not. This movie is a comedic masterpiece from start to finish. With the evil Lord Garmadon doing things such as crashing the stock market, sending out sharks with laser guns, and not so discreetly hiding behind buildings, the world of The Lego Ninjago Movie is the wackiest by far. Some of my favorite wacky gags are the sharks saying “nom nom nom” while attacking people, Garmadon insisting Lloyds name was pronounced “La-loyd”, and Garmadon making jokes about Lloyds fatherlessness, despite being the father who abandoned Lloyd in the first place- at one point exclaiming “How could I ruin your life?! I wasn’t even there!”. The emotional journey is there, but it does take a backseat to the comedy, which is what makes it a middle-of-the-road Lego movie. 

2. The Lego Batman Movie (2017)

2017 was a great year for Lego movies, with the two funniest ones being released just months apart. The Lego Batman Movie explores a version of the Bat who has experienced all other previous versions, from Batfleck to the Adam West comedy series. Because of this, he is arrogant, self-centered, and has severely isolated himself. This movie takes all of the worst parts of the character and cranks them up to eleven. Still, he is a joy to watch, and his journey to accept the help of others is touching. Throughout the movie, Batman claims he pushes everyone away to protect them, but they aren’t the ones he’s really protecting. As Alfred says, Batman’s biggest fear is “being a part of a family again”. His loneliness is portrayed incredibly well, with large echoing empty halls, a theater for just himself, and silence surrounding him. Batman is still incredibly funny, though, beatboxing in jail, having tuxedo dress-up parties, and not paying his taxes. This mix of sincerity with comedy makes him a character you can’t help but root for, even when his worst traits are amplified. 

1. The Lego Movie (2014)

There’s a reason this movie became a classic the moment it was released. The attention to detail was so substantial, with each Lego piece in the movie being one that exists in the real world, that it tricked many audiences into believing that this CGI movie was stop motion. From fingerprints on the faces of the Lego characters to cracks in the fake helmets, this world looks truly played in, which is important for the twist in the movie. For the first hour of the film it is easy to know where the movie is going, Emmet and Wyldstyle work with their friends to stop the evil President Business from gluing everyone in place forever. However, the movie takes a turn after Emmet destroys President Business’s evil machine, and it is revealed to the audience that this whole world is the imagination of one kid, Finn, as he copes with the dysfunctional relationship between him and his father. His father wants everything to be perfect and orderly, and Finn wants to let out some creative energy, which leads to them bashing heads over Lego. When I was younger, I didn’t understand why these scenes needed to be in the movie, but rewatching it, I now see that they are the point of the movie. Plus, in the stress of finals, it was refreshing to hear Emmet say “The only thing you need to be the special is to believe you can be”.