Lego has had an over 20-year history of creating feature films. While there have been only four theatrically released Lego movies, well over a dozen feature-length films have been released across DVD, streaming, and even VHS.
While they’ve seen success with films such as The Lego Movie andThe Lego Batman Movie, their track record is far from perfect: it’s almost to be expected given the number of releases. That being said, a few stand out as genuinely significant, at least according to IMDb.
‘LEGO DC Batman: Family Matters’ — 6.1/10
Lego DC Batman: Family Matters was released in 2019 and is an incredibly loose adaptation of the “Death in the Family” comics arc. The plot follows Batman and his team trying to track down and apprehend the mysterious Red Hood. Users gave the film a 6.1/10 on IMDb.
Audiences were indifferent about Family Matters. Most found the film acceptable, with decent animation and a moderately intriguing storyline. However, critics and fans agreed that adopting the “Death in the Family” comic arc was a strange choice, as this film had to be massively toned down for children.
‘LEGO Hero Factory: Rise of the Rookies’ — 6.1/10
Lego Hero Factory: Rise of the Rookies was released in 2010 and was the penultimate Bionicle movie to be released. The plot follows a new rookie team of Bionicles that have to save the day when some old enemies interfere with their training. The movie was based on the toy and the show Hero Factory.
Like many Bionicle movies, Rise of the Rookies got middling reviews. However, this is the highest-rated entry according to IMDb, receiving a 6.1/10, and fans of the source material seemed to enjoy it. The highlights included solid animation and a cast of talented voice actors. Rise of the Rookies is nothing special, but you could certainly do worse when it comes to the Bionicle franchise.
‘LEGO DC: Shazam – Magic and Monsters’ — 6.2/10
Lego Shazam: Magic and Monsters is the most recent Lego movie on this list, releasing in 2020. The plot follows Shazam attempting to save the Justice League from his archenemies, the Monster Society. The story’s central theme revolves around trust and friendship, not dissimilar from the themes present in other Lego movies.
Despite most fans praising the film, Magic and Monsters received a 6.2/10 on IMDb. While critics pointed out the repetitive score and weak script, fans seemed to enjoy the offbeat humor and the reinvented backstory of Shazam.
‘LEGO DC Super Heroes: Justice League – Attack of the Legion of Doom’ — 6.2/10
Attack of the Legion of Doom was released in 2015. Along with having possibly the longest movie title ever, it also featured several heroes teaming up to stop the titular Legion of Doom. The voice cast includes voice-acting heavy hitters such as Mark Hamill, John DiMaggio, and Josh Keaton.
Despite an excellent voice cast and decent animation, fans and critics were lukewarm on this entry. Reviewers seemed to take issue with its uninteresting plot and overabundance of characters. Similar to Lego DC Batman: Family Matters, Legion of Doom was not panned, receiving a 6.2/10 on IMDb, but rather, fans were just disappointed at the lack of improvement.
‘Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash’ — 6.3/10
Lego Super Heroes: The Flash was released in 2018 and was the first Lego DC movie to focus on a singular character as opposed to the Justice League as a whole. While the League is still present in this movie, Flash is the main protagonist. The plot centers around Flash, who is stuck in a time loop fighting Reverse-Flash.
It may not have been loved by everyone who watched it, having a 6.3/10 on IMDb, but fans enjoyed it. While acknowledging that this movie, in essence, is for children, fans of the Scarlet Speedster were still able to enjoy the talented voice acting, humorous writing, and surprisingly complex plot. Critics took issue with the rough animation and the overabundance of secondary characters, but regardless, Lego Super Heroes: The Flash is still a ton of fun.
‘Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League – Cosmic Clash’ — 6.3/10
Lego DC Superheroes: Justice Leauge Cosmic Clash has a stacked voice cast and the second-longest movie title ever. Featuring the talents of Troy Baker, Josh Keaton, and Yuri Lowenthal, the dialogue and voice acting are as excellent as ever. Cosmic Clash centers around the Justice League working to get back to their own time after being scattered across the timeline by Brainiac.
Tying for 5th place with Lego Super Heroes: The Flash,Cosmic Clash also has a 6.3/10 on IMDb. Critics cited similar criticisms and praises as previous Lego movies. The dialogue and comedy are great; however, the plot is incredibly thin, and the movie serves as nothing more than a 78-minute commercial overall. It’s still enjoyable but certainly isn’t without flaws.
‘Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite’ — 6.4/10
Lego Batman: DC Superheroes Unite is a straight-to-video movie based loosely on the video game Lego Batman 2: DC Superheroes. The movie follows Batman, Superman, and other members of the Justice League as they join forces to take down Joker and Lex Luthor.
Of the straight-to-video Lego movies, Superheroes Unite is undeniably the best. IMDb rated it at a 6.4/10: a respectable score for a straight to video animated film. The voice acting is top-notch, as it features the talents of Clancy Brown, Troy Baker, and Laura Bailey. The animation is surprisingly clean for 2013, and the dialogue is snappy. Like most straight to DVD Lego movies, the biggest problem is the weak and inconsistent plot.
‘The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part’ — 6.6/10
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part is, as the title suggests, the follow up to the critically acclaimed 2014 film, The Lego Movie. The plot follows Emmet and his friends years after the events of the first movie, and Emmet is struggling to fit into a newer, darker world. Fans enjoyed this incredibly delayed sequel, but it wasn’t given nearly as much attention as the first.
In comparison to the original, The Lego Movie 2 was a failure. It received a middling 6.6/10 on IMDb, over a whole point less than its predecessor. In addition, the box office returns were drastically lower, only earning $163 million as opposed to the $468 million of the original. Regardless of that, however, fans still enjoyed it. Despite a shaky plot and some weak character development, the movie was still one of the best-animated films of 2019 and a blast.
‘The Lego Batman Movie’ — 7.3/10
The Lego Batman Movie was released in 2017 and became the second theatrically-released Lego movie. The film features Will Arnett reprising his role as Batman from The Lego Movie, as well as some other stars such as Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson, and Zack Galifianakis. While not as financially successful as The Lego Movie, it was still a hit with fans and critics alike.
The Lego Batman Movie is, at its core, the essence of what Batman is and has become over the years. It pokes fun at past iterations while simultaneously being a celebration of the past 80 years of the Dark Knight. It also has a surprising amount of depth, similar to The Lego Movie. Users loved the wildly funny, offbeat take on Batman, awarding it a 7.3/10 on IMDb.
‘The Lego Movie’ — 7.7/10
The Lego Movie remains to be the most acclaimed and financially successful Lego movie to date. Following the story of an everyman named Emmet and his new friends as they try to save Bricksburg, The Lego Movie is charming, funny, and a visual treat. It stars Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, and Elizabeth Banks.
Receiving a 7.7/10 on IMDb and a staggeringly high 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences loved The Lego Movie. Although it was heralded as one of the best movies of 2014, it was snubbed of an Oscar nomination, much to the chagrin of many fans. Financially, however, it was a huge success. It made back over four times its budget and went on to spawn a sequel, two spinoffs, and a third movie that is currently in development.
Part of what made The Lego Movie so special was that despite technically being a 100-minute long advertisement, nothing about the film feels forced or predatory. The Legos serve the plot instead of just being shoehorned in product placement. The Lego Movie is, according to IMDb, the best Lego Movie ever made (though Lego Batman fans might disagree.)