History WesternAnimation / TheLEGOMovie

[[BuiltWithLego In a universe made entirely out of LEGO bricks]], Emmet Brickowski (Creator/ChrisPratt) is a perfectly normal, regular old construction worker who lives every day of his life happy and upbeat, [[TheEveryman always making sure to follow the instructions]]. One day, he crosses paths with a strange figure by the name of Wyldstyle (Creator/ElizabethBanks), and awakens with a mysterious red object attached to his back. It turns out he's in possession of the legendary Piece of Resistance, which [[TheChosenOne an individual known as "the Special" was foretold to find and save the universe with]].

All of this is true...[[PropheciesRhymeAllTheTime because it rhymes]].''

* AntiClimaxCut: A running gag is made of dramatic buildups set to swelling music and sweeping set motions only to cut to a distant shot of the set pieces being bluntly moved around against a hand drawn with mouth sounds like someone's playing with them.
* AirQuotes: During Emmet's first encounter with the Good Cop/Bad Cop, the latter thinks that Emmet is lying, but sarcastically says that he believes him, while making air quotes. By awkwardly rotating his claw hands.
-->'''Bad Cop:''' I "believe" you too. You see the quotations I'm making with my claw hands? It means I DON'T believe you!

* ArtShift: The end credits are the one part of the movie where genuine stop motion is featured.

* AscendedExtra: The Octan brand itself. For years they were only used in situations involving gasoline (prior to 1992 the real gas station Shell had been in that position). Here it's a MegaCorp than controls the entire world under Lord Business' leadership (also crossing into AdaptationalVillainy).

* BigBrotherIsWatching: Big billboards with the words "I've got my eye on you!" written on them are seen.
* BigDamnMovie: To the Franchise/{{Lego}} franchise in general.
* BigEntrance:
** President Business walks through doors with a dramatic burst and smoke trailing along the floor. He has his people arrange it ahead of time.
** [=UniKitty=] also has one with her leaping out of nowhere and saying "Hieeeee!"

* DidntThinkThisThrough: During the Micro-Manager attack on CloudCuckooLand, [[AsHimself Shaq]] tries to fight back by building a catapult and launching [[ImprobableWeaponUser a basketball]] out of it at the nearest gunship. It does absolutely nothing except for attract attention, causing every single gunship in the area to [[OhCrap immediately turn their guns on Shaq]].

** [=UniKitty=] as well, who's part unicorn, part kitten.

* ExorcistHead: Done frequently with the characters. But, since they're anthropomorphic LEGO, the squicky side is avoided.

* TheFool: Emmet.

* INeedToGoIronMyDog: Superman avoids Green Lantern by telling him he "needs to go visit Krypton", and flies off. It takes Green Lantern a second to recall that Krypton was destroyed....
* InTheHood: Wyldstyle has one, although she rarely pulls it up.

* MagicalNegro: Vitruvius the wizard, who is the only brown-skinned non-licensed character in the movie (and in LEGO history).

* MistakenForBadass: Emmet.

* MundaneMadeAwesome[=/=]MundaneObjectAmazement: Several commonplace items that can be found at home (such as glue, a band-aid, a penny, and a Q-tip) are treated as ''relics'' in the LEGO world, and some are even used as potentially threatening weapons.

* MyNaymeIs: Wyldstyle.
* MythologyGag: The [[http://lego.wikia.com/wiki/Octan Octan]] Corporation, a fictional company mostly seen selling gas in various LEGO sets, plays an integral role in the film. TheReveal shows us the reason for this.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: The surfer looked very much like Laird Hamilton.

* OfficerOHara: Good Cop/Bad Cop and his parents.

-->'''Duplo:''' ''[toddler girl voice]'' We are from the planet Duplo, and we are here to destroy you.\\

* OnSecondThought: While trying to distract the robot guards:

::The funniest part is that despite claiming afterward to absolutely ''hate'' the song, she sings it better than anyone in the film.

* OrderVersusChaos: Lord Business is all order ('Use the Instructions'), the Master Builders are all chaos ('Just be Creative'), and Emmet ends up somewhere in between.
** In the broader sense, Lord Business wanting to glue everything together (representing Finn's Dad) is 'Total Order' and Emmet and the Master Builders being Creative (representing Finn) are more in the middle, and going by the Stinger, the aliens that just want to destroy everything (representing Finn's younger sister) are 'Total Chaos'.

* RidiculouslyFastConstruction: Master Builders build things ''really fast.'' Batman defeats Bad Cop's flyer by rearranging it mid-air to a baby carriage. Wyldstyle builds so fast she can build a car in the middle of a chase sequence while she's running through a barn, or rebuild a motorcycle into a jet while it's still rolling. Even newbie builder Emmet gains this ability by the end of the film.
** Benny, when he ''finally'' gets to build his beloved ''SPACESHIP!'', rips the TV studio apart so fast, he's a barely visible, insanely giggling blur as the pieces flurry together almost of their own accord.

* ShoutOut / ReferenceOverdosed: [[ShoutOut/TheLegoMovie The movie has its own page.]]

* StopFauxtion: The film was made with CGI but was made to resemble a Lego stop motion film by limiting its framerate and/or animation speed, and giving the Lego figures things like fingerprints that make it look as if they're being manipulated by animators.

* TantrumThrowing: Bad Cop has... issues with chairs, it seems.

* UntitledTitle: The name of Batman's song is "Untitled Self-Portrait"

* WhenIWasYourAge: Lord Business's rant to Emmet is [[TakeThat pretty much a copy and paste of editorials complaining about Millennials.]] "Well guess what. No one ever told me I was special! I never got a trophy just for showing up! I'm not some special little snowflake!"
* TheWholeWorldIsWatching: Near the conclusion, Wyldstyle is able to broadcast her RousingSpeech to the entire world by hijacking the recording of ''[[ShowWithinAShow Where Are My Pants?]]''
* WhooshInFrontOfTheCamera: Parodied when a silhouetted LEGO figure jumps behind a wall in the background, accompanied by a stock "whoosh" noise. Emmett reacts to this by saying, "I think I heard a whoosh."

* WorldOfBadass: Despite all the robots and suppression of creativity, a world where you can build awesome stuff to help you, have specially trained builders who can all kick robot Mook ass and that everyone can make gigantic cool mechas out of everyday objects to kick your ass definitely qualifies.

* YouAllLookFamiliar: Considering that Emmet's default face is the standard classic LEGO smiley, this trope comes with the product. This becomes a significant plot point early on when Emmet realizes not only is he not special, he is exactly the same as everyone else, causing a HeroicBSOD thus kickstarting the events of the film. It did help him, though -- it was hard to catch him because he was so bland that it was hard to track him down.

->''One day, a talented lass or fellow''
->''A [[TheChosenOne special one]], with face of yellow''
->''Will make the [[ClingyMacGuffin Piece of Resistance]] found''
->''From its hiding refuge underground''
->''And with a noble army at the helm''
->''This Master Builder will thwart [[ArtifactOfDoom the Kragle]] and save the realm''
->''And be the greatest, most interesting, most important person of all times.''

->''All of this is true...[[PropheciesRhymeAllTheTime because it rhymes]].''
-->--'''[[EccentricMentor Vitruvius]]'''

[[caption-width-right:299:''"Everything is awesome!"''[[note]] Counter-clockwise: [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Lord Business]], [[CaptainColorbeard [=MetalBeard=]]], ComicBook/WonderWoman, ComicBook/GreenLantern, ComicBook/{{Batman}}, [[TheHero Emmett]], [[ActionGirl Wyldstyle]], [[MentorArchetype Vitruvius]], [[CuteAndPsycho [=UniKitty=]]], [[WesternAnimation/{{Ninjago}} Green Ninja]], [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Benny]], and ComicBook/{{Superman}}.[[/note]]]]

->'''Wyldstyle:''' You found the Piece of Resistance, and the prophecy states that you are the most important, most talented, most interesting, and most extraordinary person in the universe. That's you, right?\\
'''Emmet:''' Uhhh... yes, that's me.

''[[JustForFun/DescribeTopicHere We're gonna describe The LEGO Movie Here? AWESOME!!!]]''

[[caption-width-right:299:''"Everything is awesome!"''[[note]] Counter-clockwise: [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Lord Business]], [[CaptainColorbeard Metalbeard]], ComicBook/WonderWoman, ComicBook/GreenLantern, ComicBook/{{Batman}}, [[TheHero Emmett]], [[ActionGirl Wyldstyle]], [[MentorArchetype Vitruvius]], [[CuteAndPsycho Unikitty]], [[WesternAnimation/{{Ninjago}} Green Ninja]], [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Benny]], and ComicBook/{{Superman}}.[[/note]]]]

[[WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie2TheSecondPart A sequel]] was released in 2019, and two 2017 {{spin off}}s; ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoBatmanMovie'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoNinjagoMovie''. A television show spin-off centered around the Uni-Kitty character simply called ''WesternAnimation/{{Unikitty}}'' had also been green-lit to air on Creator/CartoonNetwork in 2017. Lord and Miller would also revisit the ''LEGO'' universe, albeit briefly, in 2023's ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManAcrossTheSpiderVerse''.

* ActionGirl: Wyldstyle and Princess Uni-kitty at the very end.

** Additionally, [[FreezeFrameBonus one of Metalbeard's rules of the sea is "Never release a kraken."]]

* ArmCannon: Metal Beard has at least two of these mounted on his left arm. Unlike some examples these are literal powder-and-cannonball-based cannons!

* ArtificialLimbs: Metal Beard, by virtue of most of his body being rebuilt.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: Uni-Kitty becomes pretty badass in the film's climax, destroying a series of Micromanagers by eating them and ramming into them with her horn.

** Uni-Kitty also has one with her leaping out of nowhere and saying "Hieeeee!"

* BoardingParty: Metal Beard does this at least once, to get from some clouds to his ship.

* BreadEggsBreadedEggs: According to Captain Metalbeard, Octan Tower's security systems include lasers, sharks, and laser sharks. Counts as a ShoutOut to ''Film/AustinPowers''.

** Surprisingly enough, Princess Uni-Kitty. She received [[WesternAnimation/{{Unikitty}} her own animated series.]]
* BreakTheCutie: Uni-Kitty mourning [[WatchingTroyBurn the destruction of Cloud Cuckoo Land]] is by far one of the longest and most serious moments of actual, genuine drama in the film. [[RapidFireComedy Like, a whole fifteen seconds!]]

* CallBack: When we first see Uni-Kitty, she leaps out of nowhere and says "Hieeeee!". She does the same thing when the gang crashes the Where Are My Pants studio.

** Being produced by the same studio that owns Creator/DCComics means their super heroes can play a big part. Franchise/{{Batman}} plays a secondary role, and Franchise/{{Superman}}, Franchise/WonderWoman, Franchise/GreenLantern and Franchise/TheFlash all appear. Creator/{{Marvel|Comics}} characters, [[ExiledFromContinuity on the other hand...]]

** Film/SpeedRacer is part of Metalbeard's crew.

* CapitalismIsBad: This trope is played with. [[CorruptCorporateExecutive President/Lord Business]], whose name by itself invokes this trope, has several posters/screens emphasizing obeying President Business (particularly buying products made by his company), as well as the surprising suppression of creativity, or then at least [[ThePerfectionist his standards of perfection]]. The city of which Emmet is a resident of are portrayed as [[WorkingClassPeopleAreMorons sheeple]] [[BreadAndCircuses who blindly accept such a plutocratic society]], which would be consistent with Socialist and other Anti-capitalist propaganda. However, it is actually {{invoked}} [[spoiler: in-universe by Finn, of which Mr. Business is an {{Expy}} of his father (AKA The Man Upstairs) and is a criticism of the latter stifling the former's creativity due to conflicting with Finn's father's perfectionist ideals]].

* CheekCopy: A pair of RobotMooks try to photocopy their butts. Unfortunately for them, the copier is actually Metalbeard in disguise.

* ChekhovsSkill: Emmet's talent for convincing motivational speeches, displayed first with the Master Builders and then on Metalbeard's ship, not only inspires Wyldstyle to make one of her own but also serves as Lord/President Business's motivation for his HeelFaceTurn.

* {{Cloudcuckooland}}: A place in the movie ruled by Princess Uni-Kitty. It's even called "Cloud Cuckoo Land". This, of course, makes Uni-Kitty a {{Cloudcuckoolander}}. Granted, that's kind of obvious by her very nature.
* ColourCodedEmotions: Uni-Kitty turns different colors and/or changes her appearance based on how she's feeling at the moment.

* ContrivedCoincidence: Twice. The first time, when stranded in the ocean, Batman claims there's no chance of a rescue ship approaching just as Metalbeard's ship arrives. The second time, they need to build an Octan jet, to which Batman says there's no way they'll get access to a working hyperdrive. Cue the ''Millennium Falcon'' coming in.

* CoolAirship: A ship of this type is commandeered by Metal Beard during the course of the film.

* CripplingOverspecialization: Master Builders tend to only build things that reflect their own particular idioms -- Benny's only good with '80s technology, Batman only works in black (and very dark grey), and Uni-Kitty has to stick rainbows onto everything. The result is that when working together, they cooperate poorly, as shown with the main heroes' escape from the invaded Cloud Cuckoo Land; the haphazard submarine is not only an awkward mishmash of their aesthetics, but it starts to break apart minutes after being built.

* CuteKitten: Uni-Kitty. She is part unicorn but she acts more like a cat.

* DeathByOriginStory: Implied with Metalbeard's "hearty crew" in the flashback.

** Doesn't [[http://alienbee.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/lego-metal-beard.jpg Metalbeard]] look a teeny, tiny little bit like [[http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/mediawiki/images/9/98/Ghazghkull_vs_Yarrick.jpg Ghazghkull Mag Uruk EFFING Thraka?]]. Or alternatively a [[http://i.imgur.com/SAHlQfT.jpg Contemptor Dreadnought.]]

* EleventyZillion: Captain Metalbeard says that Lord Business's office is on "the infinitieth floor" of the Octan Tower.
* EliteMooks: The Micromanagers are ''much'' more competent than Skeletrons and actually get the heroes in tight spots many times. Even post-Master Builder Emmet can't handle them, requiring a rescue by Uni-Kitty.

'''Metalbeard:''' Yarr, if only there be more people in the world like he.[[note]]Wyldstyle goes on to hijack a TV program and convince ''everyone in the world'' that they can be Master Builders.[[/note]]

** Uni-Kitty as well, who's part unicorn, part kitten.

* EyePatchOfPower: Metal Beard.

* FateWorseThanDeath: Superman asks if anyone has [[MercyKill any kryptonite he can use on himself]] when he discovers he's imprisoned beside Green Lantern.

'''Finn:''' wut.

** Uni-Kitty's "Oh, forget it!" is not a PrecisionFStrike but she sure says it like one.

* {{Hammerspace}}: For all characters, particularly [[BottomlessMagazines Batman's batarangs.]] There's also the scene where Benny squeezes into a barrel that's clearly too small for him. And of course, the compartments under the Double-Decker Couch cushions somehow fit all six who hide in it. Metalbeard apparently crams most of his volume into it when he [[TransformingMecha transforms]] into a photocopier, and apparently has the bricks for said copier in the Hammerspace beforehand.

* HypocrisyNod: Wyldstyle calls Uni-Kitty on saying there is no rules but some things are forbidden, to which she adds that there's also "no consistency".

** Uni-Kitty explains that Cloud Cuckoo Land has no rules, then proceeds to list several things that aren't allowed.

* ImpossiblyCoolWeapon: Metal Beard's ''[[ShamuFu shark arm]]''.

* IsThisWhatAngerFeelsLike: Uni-Kitty has a feeling that she describes as "the opposite of happiness."

* JumpScare: When Uni-Kitty's StepfordSmiler façade first starts to slip.

* KeystoneArmy: Capping the Kragle not only blows open Lord Business' SupervillainLair, but causes the Micromanagers to shut down.
* KillerRabbit: Uni-Kitty has a dark side buried underneath her cute demeanor (as revealed in her introduction to Cloud Cuckoo Land)... which becomes a ChekhovsGun in the film's climax when she turns it loose on Lord Business's Micromanagers.

* LivingMoodRing: Uni-Kitty's eyes change colours as she changes moods and/or forms.

* LosingYourHead: Metalbeard survived the first assault on Lord Business's tower with just his head. Sadly, it was different for Vitruvius, who could only speak a few words before dying after being beheaded by a penny.

* MiniMecha: Metalbeard, who is a pirate head on an amalgamation of pirate ship parts (and a shark).

* MixAndMatchCritters: Uni-Kitty, who's a unicorn ''and'' a cat.

* MovingAngst: {{Implied}}. Pieces of Cloud Cuckoo Land can be seen in a box labeled Cloud Bros. Movers, indicating that Finn's family had to move at one point. Given that the events of the movie are a metaphor for Finn's life, Unikitty's sadness over watching Cloud Cuckoo Land getting destroyed may represent how Finn felt moving away from his old home.

** It's easy to miss. Emmet's look from the submarine window during Cloud Cuckoo Land's destruction suggests this being that it was the tracking device that doomed it. He comforts Uni-Kitty because he doesn't know what else to do.

* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: In an awesome example, Metal Beard. He's a steampunk cyborg pirate ManInTheMachine crossed with a MiniMecha, combining the gruff-and-tough personality of the former and copious weaponry of the latter. In a weird sort of shout out to an unrelated famous Japanese commercial, he can also turn into a copy machine. Basically the guiding principle for him seems to be RuleOfCool.

* OutrunTheFireball: In his flashback, Metalbeard's head does this as he escapes Octan Tower.

* PaperThinDisguise: To infiltrate Lord Business' headquarters, they doodle glasses and dollar signs on Uni-Kitty, and Emmet and Wyldstyle wrap themselves in tin-foil.

* PirateParrot: Metal Beard has one on his right shoulder.

* ThePollyanna: Uni-Kitty. Even after her homeland is destroyed and her friends are captured, she still tries to remain positive. [[BreakTheCutie Until she finally cracks]] at the climax and unleashes her rage.
-->'''Uni-Kitty:''' I must. Stay. Positive! ''[heavy breathing]'' Bubblegum! ''[more breathing]'' Butterflies!... cotton candy?

* PrincessesPreferPink: Uni-Kitty's fur is mostly pink.

** Metalbeard's "hearty crew" also counts. Apart from Metalbeard himself and two actual pirates, there's Franchise/TheFlash, a magician, a DiscoDan, Film/SpeedRacer, a witch, a mime, some guy with a monkey, a Gorgon, and [[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles Michaelangelo]] (who survived!).
* RainbowsAndUnicorns: CloudCuckooLand, which can be reached by [[RideTheRainbow driving up a rainbow]], is the home of [[RidiculouslyCuteCritter Uni-Kitty]], a [[MixAndMatchCritter combination]] of a {{Unicorn}} and a CuteKitten. She is later seen walking on a rainbow-colored arch.

** Uni-Kitty.

** Metalbeard ditches the Master Builder convention after Emmet's RousingSpeech fails to actually do any rousing.

** Metalbeard is built from parts that are commonly found across Toys/{{Bionicle}} and Toys/HeroFactory sets.

* SignatureHeadgear: Metalbeard is already well placed in the nice hat stakes simply by wearing a pirate hat. Where it gets ''really'' nice is that the skull and crossbones are a riveted metal minifig skull and crossed wrenches. Also the "plume" is a LEGO fire piece. To summarize: a heavy metal pirate hat for a mad inventor. And it's on fire.

* SimpleSolutionWontWork: When Emmet, Wyldstyle, Vitruvius, Batman, and Unikitty are escaping Bad Cop's assault on Cloud Cuckoo Land, Benny arrives to build a spaceship for them to escape in. Wyldstyle stops him by pointing out that the skies are filled with dropships, meaning they could easily take it out.
* SirNotAppearingInThisTrailer: As late as a month before the film's premier, Uni-Kitty barely appeared in trailers and only had one word of dialogue in a TV spot.[[note]]That word is "Embarrassing!"[[/note]] Even ''Johnny Thunder'', who has appeared only as a FreezeFrameBonus, has gotten more cumulative trailer screentime than Uni-Kitty. This is despite the fact that she features prominently in the tie-in toys and is one of the main supporting characters alongside the likes of Batman, Benny, and [=MetalBeard=].

* StandardSnippet: Metalbeard reconstructs himself into a weird song-and-dance robot that somehow sings Creator/JudyGarland's rendition "How Ya Gonna Keep 'em Down on the Farm (After They've Seen Paree)?".

** Metalbeard has a treasure chest attached to his torso. It's his "chest".

* StepfordSmiler: Uni-Kitty. In fact, the explosive backlash of her absolute repression of anything negative with a creepily cheery disposition ends up turning into a something of a ChekhovsSkill.

* SwordAndGun: Metal Beard has guns-for-an-arm and a sword strapped to his back.

* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Wyldstyle is the Tomboy to Uni-Kitty's Girly Girl.

* TransformingMecha: Metalbeard can transform his massive robot body... into a copy machine.

* TwoGirlsToATeam: Wyldstyle and Uni-Kitty.

* UnstoppableRage: In the climax, Uni-Kitty tries to stay positive, but eventually decides to let her rage loose. It's equal parts terrifying and awesome to see her go berserk and eat up an entire legion of EliteMooks.

* VirtualAssistantBlunder: When Benny tries to hack into Lord Business' lair's computer system and disable the shields, the computer replies that there are no movies with that title in their area. He keeps having trouble with this until Metalbeard is able to explain the situation, much to Benny's confusion.

* WeCanRebuildHim: Basically the backstory behind Metal Beard. Interestingly, he's the one who rebuilt himself.

* WorldOfHam: [[EvilIsHammy The villains especially]], but the heroes are either exaggerated by default (Batman, Metalbeard) or have manic moments of ChewingTheScenery ("SPACESHIP!"). Given it's all a child's fantasy, perfectly justifiable.

* YouWouldntLikeMeWhenImAngry: Kind of self-defeating here; Uni-Kitty's temper is so terrifying ''because'' she usually represses anything remotely negative, but at this point all that buried anger has become enough of a mess that it's probably best she just keep up with the cheery act. For everyone else's safety.

* IKnowYouAreInThereSomewhereFight: Done by Bad Cop ''to himself.''

* {{Reconstruction}}: Following ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'' deconstruction of the "Everyone's Special" aesop, it had become far less popular in children's films. This movie brought it back in a big way.

* PandaingToTheAudience: A LEGO panda figure can be seen in Cloud Cuckoo Land's Dog Hall.

* {{Bathos}}: All over the place. The scene where Lord Business [[IfYoureSoEvilEatThisKitten forces Bad Cop/Good Cop to Kragle his parents]] is a prime example. On the surface, it's hilarious because it's framing Krazy Glue as the [[MundaneMadeAwesome most awful thing ever]] and half the scene is Liam Neeson literally [[TalkingToHimself arguing with himself]], but it's also genuinely horrifying and tragic because you're watching a man visibly struggling with the decision to erase part of his own identity and inflict a FateWorseThanDeath on ''his own parents''.

[[WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie2TheSecondPart A sequel]] was released in 2019, and two 2017 {{spin off}}s; ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoBatmanMovie'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoNinjagoMovie''. A television show spin-off centered around the Uni-Kitty character simply called ''WesternAnimation/{{Unikitty}}'' had also been green-lit to air on Creator/CartoonNetwork in 2017. Lord and Miller would also revisit the ''Lego'' universe, albeit briefly, in 2023's ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManAcrossTheSpiderVerse''.

* ArtisticLicenseChemistry: The mineral spirits The Man Upstairs uses to un-Kragle the LEGO universe at the end would almost certainly remove the paint used to give minifigs their faces and clothing details, in the same way Lord Business uses nail polish remover to remove Bad Cop's "Good" face. [[MST3KMantra We can safely assume that, being a LEGO connoisseur, he was probably careful with the stuff.]]

[[WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie2TheSecondPart A sequel]] was released in 2019, and two 2017 {{spin off}}s; ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoBatmanMovie'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoNinjagoMovie''. A television show spin-off centered around the Uni-Kitty character simply called ''WesternAnimation/{{Unikitty}}'' had also been green-lit to air on Creator/CartoonNetwork in 2017. Lord and Miller would also revisit the ''Lego'' universe, albeit briefly, in 2023's ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse''.

[[WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie2TheSecondPart A sequel]] was released in 2019, and two 2017 {{spin off}}s; ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoBatmanMovie'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoNinjagoMovie''. A television show spin-off centered around the Uni-Kitty character simply called ''WesternAnimation/{{Unikitty}}'' had also been green-lit to air on Creator/CartoonNetwork in 2017.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

[[BuiltWithLego In a universe made entirely out of LEGO bricks]], Emmet Brickowski (Creator/ChrisPratt) is a perfectly normal, regular old construction worker who lives every day of his life happy and upbeat, [[TheEveryman always making sure to follow the instructions]]. One day, he crosses paths with a strange figure by the name of Wyldstyle (Creator/ElizabethBanks), and awakens with a mysterious red object attached to his back. It turns out he's in possession of the legendary Piece of Resistance, which [[TheChosenOne an individual known as "the Special" was foretold to find and save the world with]].

Unfortunately, this makes Emmet the target of Lord Business (Creator/WillFerrell), the CEO of the monopolistic [[MegaCorp Octan Corporation]] who plans to destroy the universe using an immensely powerful weapon that can only be stopped by the Piece of Resistance. Our hero realizes he's in way over his head, and thus seeks help from the old, wise scatterbrain known as Vitruvius (Creator/MorganFreeman), as well as many other Master Builders, people capable of dismantling their surroundings to create pretty much anything they can imagine.

* GRatedSex: Holding hands is the film's equivalent to TheBigDamnKiss. [[spoiler:Justified as the entire film is an eight-year-old's fantasy.]]

* {{Bathos}}: All over the place. The scene where Lord Business forces Bad Cop/Good Cop to Kragle his parents is a prime example. On the surface, it's hilarious because it's framing Krazy Glue as the [[MundaneMadeAwesome most awful thing ever]] and half the scene is Liam Neeson literally [[TalkingToHimself arguing with himself]], but it's also genuinely horrifying and tragic because you're watching a man visibly struggling with the decision to erase part of his own identity and inflict a FateWorseThanDeath on ''his own parents''.

* CosmicHorrorStory: No seriously, you read that right. ''The LEGO Movie'' [[TheEndingChangesEverything turned out to be this all along after]] TheReveal which is that all of the events of the story until this point had been a human boy named Finn's imagination as he played with his father's LEGO collection without permission. Said father, known to the LEGO characters as The Man Upstairs, and whom the BigBad is just a loose Expy of, wasn't letting his son play with the [=LEGOs=] the way they were intended and wanted to [[AndIMustScream glue his creations together so they couldn't be disturbed.]]

* ExorcistHead: Done frequently with the characters. But, since they're anthropomorphic [=LEGOs=], the squicky side is avoided.

* LastSecondJokeProblem: The film ends with [[spoiler:Lord Business doing a HeelFaceTurn while The Man Upstairs learns to be a better father]]. Everything is great in the world of Legos...and then suddenly Duplo blocks show up and declare war. Roll credits. This retroactively became a SequelHook in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie2TheSecondPart'', where the Duplo invasion is what causes the conflict of the film.

* NestedStoryReveal: After Emmet falls down from Lord Businesses' headquarters, he finds himself in [[RealLife the real world]], and we learn the whole story is made up by a kid playing with his dad's [=LEGOs=]. Though it's still [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane implied]] that it might not all be just the kid's imagination, as Emmet manages to move himself in the real world too.

* SeriousBusiness: Deconstructed big time. The father, AKA "The Man Upstairs", is like many [[TruthInTelevision adult collectors of toys and other like items]]. LEGOs are meant to be played with and enjoyed, but The Man Upstairs treats them like museum pieces. It's only after his HeelRealization and seeing his son's unique creations that he realizes how he's been sucking the fun out of the hobby.

* WhatMeasureIsAMook: Lord Business' minions are all robots, so the heroes don't have to feel bad about killing them. However, sometimes they seem to show individual traits and quirks, such as happily using a copy machine to print their butts. Of course, since they are both robots '''and''' [=LEGOs=], it's debatable whether they die or not.

* OrderVersusChaos: Lord Business is all order ('Use the Instructions'), the Master Builders are all chaos ('Just be Creative'), and Emmet is somewhere in between.

* ProductPlacement: [[Franchise/{{Lego}} Besides the obvious]], there's Band-Aids, Q-tips, Krazy Glue, etc. Unlike most examples of the trope, rather than being irrelevant to the movie, the products are actually integral to the plot.

and be the greatest, most interesting, most important person of all times.\\

* SeriousBusiness: Deconstructed big time. The father, AKA "The Man Upstairs", is like many [[TruthInTelevision adult collectors of toys and other like items]]. LEGO are meant to played with and enjoyed, but The Man Upstairs treats them like a museum piece. It's only after his HeelRealization and seeing his son's unique creations that he realizes how he's been sucking the fun out of the hobby.

* ShirtlessScene: In a behind the scenes feature, President Business listed other people who could have voiced him, including Creator/RyanGosling. Just at that moment, Business had his shirt off and had a ripped torso. In the actual movie, Emmet has a shirtless scene during his morning routine.

* SoundtrackDissonance: Touches of it during the "Everything Is Awesome" at the construction sequence. As everyone cheerfully sing the song, a rather menacing billboard of President Business passes by and a surveillance camera watches intently.

** The moments where everything is depicted on a much smaller brick scale with vocals for sound effects is, [[WordOfGod according to the commentary]], meant to imply that they run out of money in the production and had to skimp on a few shots. While this can lead to some brilliantly unexpected takes on certain moments, like the top of the Octan Tower detaching, it can lead to some dissonance in the scene where Cloud Cuckoo Land is destroyed. [[invoked]]

* CheekCopy: A pair of RobotMooks try to do this. Unfortunately for them, the copier is actually Metalbeard in disguise.

* CheekCopy: A pair of mooks try to do this. Unfortunately for them, the copier is actually Metalbeard in disguise.

* CuteKitten: Uni-Kitty. She is part unicorn but has a more kitten like face.

* CuteKitten: Uni-Kitty.

Unfortunately, this makes Emmet the target of Lord Business (Creator/WillFerrell), the CEO of the monopolistic [[MegaCorp Octan Corporation]] who moonlights as the tyrannical ruler of the universe with plans to destroy everything using an immensely powerful weapon that can only be stopped by the Piece of Resistance. Our hero realizes he's in way over his head, and thus seeks help from the old, wise scatterbrain known as Vitruvius (Creator/MorganFreeman), as well as many other Master Builders, people capable of dismantling their surroundings to create pretty much anything they can imagine.

-->'''Emmett''': Yes, it's true, I may not be a Master Builder, I may not have a lot of experience fighting or leading or coming up with plans, or having ideas in general, in fact, I'm not all that smart, and I'm not what you'd call a creative type, plus, generally unskilled, also, scared and cowardly. I know what you're thinking: "He is the least qualified person in the world to lead us!" And you are right!
-->'''Swamp Creature''': This is supposed to make us feel better?
-->'''Emmet''': What th-? No, there was about to be a "but"...
-->'''Gandalf''': [[NoYou You're a butt]]!

* LaResistance: The Master Builders.

* GladIThoughtOfIt: After Cloud Cuckoo Land is attacked by Micromanagers, Emmet quietly suggests that they go underwater. Batman immediately and loudly says the exact same thing and receives HundredPercentAdorationRating.