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    Movie Review

    The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part makes for a manic outing

    Alex Bentley
    Feb 7, 2019 | 2:15 pm
    The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part makes for a manic outing
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    When The LEGO Movie came out in 2014, it was an unexpected blast of pure joy. Written and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, its combination of whimsy, creativity, and heart made it one of the best animated movies of that year. Following a couple of less appealing sidetracks into showcases for Batman and Ninjago, the LEGO franchise has come back home with The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part.

     

    Unfortunately, the world that Emmet (Chris Pratt) and Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) now inhabit is not as awesome as it once was. In fact, it has gone apocalyptic, thanks to an ongoing war with an alien race known as DUPLOs. The ever-optimistic Emmet makes the best of the situation, but Wyldstyle, Batman (Will Arnett), Unikitty (Alison Brie), MetalBeard (Nick Offerman), and more are on constant alert for more attacks.

     

    One such attack comes from General Mayhem (Stephanie Beatriz), who kidnaps a handful of people at the behest of Queen Watevra Wa’Nabi (Tiffany Haddish), who has a nefarious plot in mind. Emmet must try to overcome his inherent non-combative nature to rescue his friends and stop the plot from coming to fruition.

     

    As the LEGO franchise has gone along, it has gotten increasingly manic. The reason the first film worked so well was because it had a coherent story that enhanced the crazy and creative ways the filmmakers used LEGOs. Now, it seems that they’re content with creating enough chaos and referencing enough other pop cultural touchstones to distract audiences from the fact that they don’t really have a good story to tell.

     

    The first film ended with the surprise discovery that everything we had been watching had been the imagination of Finn (Jadon Sand), who dared to play with the LEGO collection of his father (Will Ferrell). They’ve made things significantly less mysterious in The LEGO Movie 2, as the sibling rivalry between Finn and his sister, Bianca (Brooklynn Prince), is integrated into the film as a whole. The trouble is that their squabbles are not that interesting and also that any time spent with them distracts from the fun with the LEGO characters.

     

    And, to be fair, just spending time with those characters continues to be a blast. When the filmmakers, which includes Lord & Miller as writers and director Mike Mitchell, keep things to a low roar, the charm and humor of the individual characters comes through loud and clear. Even when things are at top speed, enough of the gags land so that you can get the flavor of the cleverness they’re trying to impart.

     

    The song “Everything is Awesome” played a big part in the first film’s success, and they’ve gone all in with the music this time, almost turning it into a full-fledged musical. None of them are the equal of that Oscar-nominated tune, but the aptly-named “The Catchy Song” and “Super Cool” make the biggest impressions.

     

    You can’t really fault Lord & Miller and their team for going all out in an attempt to entertain us, but The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part is more of an exhausting experience than a truly enjoyable one. It’d be nice if they could go back to basics, but now that the LEGO beast has been unleashed, keeping things simple is an unrealistic expectation.

     

    Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) and Emmet (Chris Pratt) in The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part.

    Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) and Emmet (Chris Pratt) in The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part
      
    Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
    Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) and Emmet (Chris Pratt) in The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part.
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    Movie Review

    Dark comedy Oh, Hi! takes relationship anxiety to the extreme

    Alex Bentley
    Jul 25, 2025 | 1:04 pm
    Logan Lerman and Molly Gordon in Oh, Hi!
    Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
    Logan Lerman and Molly Gordon in Oh, Hi!.

    Movies that depict new or burgeoning relationships tend to focus on the romantic side of things, as the prospect of love is intoxicating whether viewers are in their own relationship or not. Less often depicted is the awkwardness and confusion that can arise when getting to know someone new, something that is done to extreme effect in the new film Oh, Hi!.

    Iris (Molly Gordon) and Isaac (Logan Lerman), who’ve been dating for a few months, decide to take a weekend getaway to the country, which for them means a small town called High Falls, New York (a broken welcome sign has Iris mistakenly call it O High Falls). Having rented a farmhouse for the weekend, the new couple get strawberries from a roadside stand, enjoy the charming nature of the countryside, and, of course, have sex.

    The discovery of some S&M gear in the house inspires Iris and Isaac to get a little kinky. But some post-coital talk turns tense when Iris gushes about how happy she is to have a great boyfriend, and Isaac, still chained to the bed, tells Iris that he doesn’t consider them to be exclusive. This revelation breaks Iris to a degree, and instead of unchaining him, she uses his vulnerable position to try to convince him that they should be together.

    Written and directed by Sophie Brooks, the film is initially an interesting twist on the anxiety that can come with new relationships. Typically manifested in things like obsessing over what to wear or when to call/text someone back, Brooks and Gordon (who came up with the story together) instead decide to go all in on a woman acting “crazy” when confronted with information that doesn’t match her reality.

    Iris’ bad decision to keep Isaac chained to bed and obliviousness to the off-the-wall way she is acting are heightened for effect, although the feelings she’s experiencing remain relatable despite her actions. The conversations Iris and Isaac have, as well as the Google deep dives Iris does to try to discover ways to get Isaac to see the error of his ways, are light and funny despite the seriousness of the situation Iris has created.

    Brooks brings more characters into the story by having Iris call her best friend Max (Geraldine Viswanathan) for help, with Max deciding to bring along her boyfriend, Kenny (John Reynolds). Although their presence adds to the humor of the situation, it also distracts from the main point and leads into some territory that gets a bit too broad. If the story had remained just Iris and Isaac, it might have been able to dig a little deeper than it actually does.

    Gordon, who might be best known for playing Claire on The Bear, does a great job of playing all sides of Iris, from sassy to manic. Although what her character does isn’t defensible, Gordon keeps her likable throughout by never going too over the top. Lerman, a rising star in the early 2010s when he played Percy Jackson, settles nicely into a more adult role, and he too never overplays the absurd situation.

    There are no real insights in Oh, Hi!, but it’s a pleasant watch that accomplishes the goal of delivering a completely different type of romantic comedy. Unless viewers have had an experience with someone who acted anywhere close to Iris, they should be able to enjoy the movie thanks to the committed performances of Gordon and Lerman.

    ---

    Oh, Hi! is now playing in theaters.

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