Review by C.J. Bunce
It probably should be no surprise that the latest LEGO movie is the biggest, best feel good movie since… the 2014 LEGO movie and the 2017 LEGO Batman movie. But the new LEGO movie is different from anything you’ve seen before. Director, documentarian, and rockumentarian Morgan Neville won the Academy Award for his 2014 documentary on back-up singers 20 Feet from Stardom, a subject we discussed last month in the context of Yacht Rock in our review of Yacht Rock: The Dockumentary (reviewed here at borg). Now in the new movie Piece by Piece hip hop artist and pop music star Pharrell Williams, known for songs like “Happy” and Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky,” gets his own autobiographical movie, a look inside a niche of music from Virginia Beach told via the popular animated LEGOs. It’s now streaming on Peacock, and another good entry for recommended movies during Black History Month.
Like his incredible internationally famous song, Piece by Piece is happy, positive, infectious, and inspiring. The story is told by Williams, with LEGO-depicted interviews by the director, featuring the voices of every major musician who influenced him or who he was influenced by. That includes Gwen Stefani and members of No Doubt, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Busta Rimes, Jaz-Z, Justin Timberlake, and Daft Punk.
Did you know Williams created the “ba-da-ba-ba-ba” theme for McDonald’s? Pharrell’s dad didn’t either. Unless you follow hip hop closely you’ll probably learn a lot about the music and the players. The friends and non-famous people in the movie really are the most fun. The only downside is if you see some of the celebrities as LEGOs in this movie in real life you may not recognize them–LEGOs can only come so close.
Williams’ path follows the typical beats of any and every rockumentary: influence of parents, key friends, forming a band, learning the craft, practicing, not getting any attention, strike of luck, foot in the door, first success, bigger success, false victory, meets spouse, false defeat, actual victory, self-defeat, big hit, back on top, and now what? The fact it’s music and his story has no drugs or stabbings is a plus.
Williams says he sees color when he hears music, a feature Neville makes great use of with the medium of LEGOs and animation. Aside from the story and rockumentary elements this is a fun LEGO movie, using LEGO special animation effects like water and sea creatures. Fun surprises include an appearance LEGO Mr. Spock and LEGO Carl Sagan, and Williams’ house in LEGOs, including his original Galaga video game console. It’s hard to beat seeing him as a LEGO with Daft Punk singing lead vocals on “Get Lucky” and the re-creation of the video for “Happy.” Everyone will take for granted getting the faces of the entertainers even slightly close to the real thing.
If you reach for the creative spark in your career, if you love music, if you love positive stories of good people succeeding with their dreams you will lvoe this movie. It’s for kids of all ages and fans of Williams and his music. From Focus Features, the next LEGO movie Piece by Piece is now streaming on Peacock.
