Studios Animal Logic Opens Vancouver Studio To Make LEGO Movies Animal Logic, the Australian animation studio responsible for The Lego Movie, officially opened its Vancouver, Canada satellite studio this week. The 45,000-square -foot studio located in Vancouver’s Yaletown neighborhood will produce three of the company’s five LEGO-related movies currently on the slate. Animal Logic Vancouver’s first project will be The LEGO Movie Sequel, starting production in January 2016, followed by two other as-yet-unannounced LEGO films. Meanwhile Animal Logic’s Sydney homebase will continue production on LEGO Batman and another LEGO spinoff, Ninjago. Prior to the LEGO frenzy, the studio had produced non-LEGO films for Warner Bros. such as Happy Feet and Legend of The Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole. The new Vancouver outfit, which could eventually house up to 300 staffers, will be led by Animal Logic’s group head of production Sharon Taylor, whose new title will be executive vice president and general manager of the Vancouver studio.
“Sharon has been a key driver in the growth and success of Animal Logic over the last ten years,” said Zareh Nalbandian, chairman and CEO of Animal Logic. “I’m confident that her deep knowledge of our company and its culture, coupled with her collaborative leadership style and amazing energy, will ensure the success of our new Vancouver studio.”Lego CommunionLego 5ThCom LegoLego BdayLegosAnniv LegoCop BirthdayPolice Birthday PartiesBirthday Party DessertsForwardMaking the Most of Your DIY Photo Props (+ Lego Police Party & Donut Party)Emmet, Wyldstyle and Friends Reunite in All-New StoryEmmet and his Master Builder friends return in “The LEGO® Movie™ 4D A New Adventure,” an all-new, theatrical attraction that combines dazzling, 3D computer animation with “4D,” real-world effects such as wind, water and fog. Set after the events of the blockbuster movie, the 12 ½-minute story finds the gang entangled in an Evil Secret Plot involving a mysterious theme park inspired by their adventures in “The LEGO Movie.”
Returning to voice their iconic characters are actors Elizabeth Banks (Wyldstyle), Nick Offerman (MetalBeard), Charlie Day (Benny) and Alison Brie (Unikitty). Actor, writer and comedian Patton Oswalt voices the scheming Risky Business, brother of movie villain President Business, a new character created exclusively for the attraction. “The LEGO Movie 4D A New Adventure” plays multiple times per day in the theme park’s Wells Fargo Fun Town Theater, which recently underwent a dramatic, Hollywood-style makeover, adding giant, golden Emmet statues, character handprints in cement and an interactive red carpet filled with special effects.All important movies start with a black screen,” intones the titular character of The LEGO Batman Movie. “And logos—really long and dramatic logos.” And so continues our narcissistic hero, mansplaining every crucial component to a great film’s intro and sounding self-important, even when he pronounces his studio’s name “Warner Bras.”
With that, The LEGO Batman Movie already feels like a promising spinoff of 2014’s surprisingly entertaining The LEGO Movie, even though not one of the filmmakers involved in the original had a hand in creating its follow-up. This crew—the helmer and five (!) scripters—isn’t even well-versed in the film world, but earned their chops working in television: Director Chris McKay is best known for Adult Swim’s Robot Chicken while the writers bear credits such as Crank Yankers, Community, and American Dad. Collectively, however, they’ve captured the wit, silliness, and parodic spirit of The LEGO Movie note-perfectly.The LEGO Batman Movie sets up its storyline early: Batman/Bruce Wayne (Will Arnett, returning and just as terrific as in the first go-’round) is lonely. When the Joker (Zach Galifianakis) mentions to his nemesis early on that he’s his greatest villain, Batman bristles like a typical commitment-phobe: “Batman doesn’t do ’ships,” he says. “I like to fight around.”
Yet after he saves Gotham City once again (and a cheering fan mentions how great it must be to be Batman), Bruce returns to his literal island, heats up a dinner-for-one, and watches TV alone in the cavernous Wayne Manor. After losing his parents—Bruce is famously an orphan, of course—he’s afraid of letting anyone in. But during a lovestruck moment (one not unsimilar to what Emmet Brickowski experienced in the original LEGO Movie), Bruce unthinkingly agrees to adopt a puppyish orphan (Michael Cera) who follows him around. The love interest is Barbara Gordon (Rosario Dawson), who’s taking over as police commissioner after her dad (Hector Elizondo) retires. And though everyone at the orphanage calls the boy “Dick,” (“Well, kids can be cruel,” Bruce remarks), he’s renamed Robin—and we all know what happens there.Though the Joker is, in fact, the main villain here, he’s brought along pretty much everyone in the DC universe to help him destroy Gotham, from Superman to Harley Quinn to Godzilla.
Warner Bros. fantastically allows itself to be mocked, with not only knocks on its superhero flicks (Suicide Squad is a slow-moving target, as is Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice; there’s even a quick reference to Zack Snyder) but also romantic properties such as Must Love Dogs. And if you’re not familiar with the history of Batman, you may not catch the flurry of homage to former Batmen down to pre-Adam West days, along with their attendant styles or, in West’s case, goofiness. The re-created look of Christopher Nolan’s trilogy is particularly brilliant.As with The LEGO Movie, the jokes come too rapidly here to catch them all—at least in the first half. Batman has more flat moments than its predecessor, but when it hits, it’s hilarious: Batman’s dark-soul personality is consistent throughout (when Robin and the Joker exchange a “Namaste” greeting, Batman responds, “Gross”), and a protracted, nearly silent scene involving Bruce and his microwave may leave you laughing until you tear up.