Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

The LEGO Ninjago Movie 3D Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 27, 2017

The LEGO brand's transformation into an entertainment empire took a major step forward with the company's innovative, hilarious, exciting, and touching film The LEGO Movie, a film about an ordinary guy tasked with doing something extraordinary in a make-believe world of larger-than-minifig-life bricks and buoyant personalities. The spin-off The LEGO Batman Movie didn't find quite the same level of narrative excellence but veered its story more to the comedy side of the spectrum, exploring some emotional drama but largely building a fun, fast-paced movie around Batman's personality (and Will Arnett's exemplary, character-defining voice work). Now, the third feature from LEGO takes the line's popular Ninjago world and figures and drops them into a movie that feels more like the first, a film in which comic overtones and large-scale action support a touching core story about a father-son relationship that gives balance to the film's epic laughs and huge action pieces.

Lloyd (voiced by Dave Franco) isn't much loved at school. He's shunned and people whisper behind his back, not for anything he's done but because his father happens to be Lord Garmadon (voiced by Justin Theroux) who has long been estranged from Lloyd and makes it his life's work to take over the city of Ninjago. His attacks are thwarted time and again by a group of select and powerful Ninjas, each fueled by an element -- fire, earth, ice, lightning, water -- except for the Green Ninja, who unbeknownst to most is actually Lloyd. When the ninjas thwart Garmadon's latest attack, the villain is forced to go back to the drawing board, fire his top generals, and find a way to conquer Ninjago once and for all. Meanwhile, a new threat rises within Ninjago, and Lloyd and the ninjas, under the tutelage of the not-too-terribly-old and very wise Master Wu (voiced by Jackie Chan), must learn to harness the power of the The Ultimate Weapon and The Ultimate Ultimate Weapon if they are to finally bring a lasting peace to their city.

Jokes flow regularly and relentlessly in Ninjago, whether original humor born of the characters, world, and moment or others that are finely folded in from other sources, including a barrage of Wilhelm screams or reworked lines from Independence Day, Top Gun, They Live, and The Empire Strikes Back, just to name a few movies that earn hilarious verbal cameos. Unlike some other blockbusters from 2017 that don't know when to stop, Ninjago's relentless humor defines the story rather than undercuts it, and the jokes pause long enough to allow the critical moments to breathe, even if some of those moments -- the picture's climax included -- are built around a larger gag.

It's impossible to watch the movie without a smile, minus a middling midpoint that's more a temporary pause in pace than it is a movie killer. Action is large-scale and well choreographed. It can get a little messy, and it's often so fast that it's hard to soak in all of the wonderful little details the filmmakers have put into the movie and explore and enjoy the elaborate detail with which the LEGO engineers have constructed the various mechs and environments (each sold separately to be sure), but the overall tone and pace and presentation of the core spoof of old Martial Arts films -- with some wonderful live-action and stylized cut-ins, including a charmingly battered and aged Warner Brothers opening logo -- are easy to see and appreciate. Characters lack significant depth but the core story -- Lloyd's distant relationship with his father -- proves funny and tender alike, striking that now-expected LEGO balance wherein great storytelling can be whittled down to the basics if it's presented in an agreeable and approachable way. That said, the film's villain is a bit too Lord Business-ish, and Justin Theroux seems to have taken his voice acting cues from Will Ferrell, but the personality suits the familiar character well, anyway, and does little harm to an otherwise highly enjoyable film. Meow!

The LEGO Ninjago Movie 3D Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The LEGO Ninjago Movie's Blu-ray 3D presentation is an enjoyable one. Warner's (currently hard to find) 3D disc delivers a capable image in terms of both 3D and core visual elements. Basic 3D depth is solid, whether exploring the dense Ninjago cityscape or some of the more intimate terrain away from the city during scenes later in the film. Viewers will find a fairly consistent sense of space across the board, both from front to back but also between objects, where one can get a good feel of how far apart a couple of bricks or characters may be or enjoy the added sense of scope when large mechs do battle. The image produces an enjoyable sense of volume as well, where it's easy to identify all of the shapes around the film, whether minifig heads, studs on Lego bricks, or the various collections of bricks that make up a larger object. A few enjoyable protrusions exist throughout the film, a few of which extend beyond the "black bars," but never are they so intense that the viewer might flinch. Core visual elements are nicely complimentary to the 3D construct. Detailing remains strong throughout, perhaps a notch below the Blu-ray and UHD, but finer qualities on LEGO pieces and textural elements in the live action bookends enjoy thorough and satisfactory stability and clarity. Colors are pleasantly punchy, again a notch below the intensity of the Blu-ray and the greater depth and pronouncement of the UHD, but yellow-y Lego skin tones, the multicolored ninja vehicles, and other assorted shades from across the film's infinitely colorful world are handled well. Shadow detail and black levels are fine, and no serious encode or source issues are readily apparent.

The LEGO Ninjago Movie 3D Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The LEGO Ninjago Movie's 3D release curiously contains a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack whereas both the 2D-only release and the UHD offer a Dolby Atmos soundtrack (in addition to this 5.1 offering). The 5.1 track is fine, borderline exceptional, even, but it lacks the absolutely fluidity, intensity, and spacious distinction found on the Atmos track. The 5.1 listen offers plenty of intensive bass, organic surround engagement, plenty of well positioned discrete and imaged effects, and clarity through even the most intensive battle scenes, but missing is that greater, grander openness and definition. Large, diffuse sounds, like the public address announcements when Garmadon returns to base following his defeat in Ninjago early in the film, fail to completely engage the totality of the listening area in the same way the Atmos track does. Still, the track is impressively large, always detailed, and highly enjoyable. Dialogue never misses a beat. 3D fans aren't getting a bad track by any stretch of the imagination, just one that can't match the excellence of its larger companion.

The LEGO Ninjago Movie 3D Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The LEGO Ninjago Movie contains a number of extras, most of which are not listed on the back of the box, and all of which can be found on the bundled 2D Blu-ray disc. No supplements appear on the 3D disc. A digital copy code is included with purchase.

• Team Supreme: Building Ninjago (1080p, 8:19): A broad overview of key filmmakers and their contributions, the film's locations and scale, location design, character design, feline involvement, humor, voice work, and more.
• Rumble in the Bricks (1080p, 5:19): A closer look at choreographing complex Kung Fu movements with limited-mobility figures with emphasis on Jackie Chan's involvement and live-action development.
• Rebrick Contest Winners (1080p, 4:39): A few fan-made shorts.
• Mini-Movies (1080p): LEGO-inspired animated shorts. Included are Shark E. Shark in Which Way to the Ocean (2:25), Zane's Stand Up Promo (2:02), and The Master: A 'LEGO Ninjago' Short (5:18).
• LEGO Ninjago TV Series Sneak Peak (1080p, 11:14): A preview for the television series.
• Music Videos (1080p): Included are "Found My Place" by Oh, Hush! & Jeff Lewis (3:21), Everybody Have a Ninja Day (1:06), Warlord Ballad (1:10), and Rocktagon (1:19).
• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Included are Animation Bridge Test (1:33), Baby Fight (2:50), and Dock Scene (3:16). With Director Charlie Bean overlay commentary.
• Gimmie Some Outtakes! (1080p, 4:42): Humorous asides from the "shoot."
• Promotional Material (1080p): Comical little shorts introducing the movie and characters and various other fun little bits. Included are The 'LEGO Ninjago' Movie: Behind the Bricks (3:59), Please Silence Your Cell Phones (0:47), Please Put On Your 3D Glasses (0:44), LEGO Sets in Action (2:32), The 'LEGO Ninjago' Movie: Ninja Formation (1:39), Find Your Inner Ninja with Jackie Chan (1:37), Ninja Jokes with Jackie Chan (0:27), Kicks & Bricks: Making the 'LEGO Ninjago' Movie (3:47), The 'LEGO Ninjago' Movie: Back to School (1:27), and Me and My Minifig (3:24).
• Audio Commentary: Director Charlie Bean, Editor David Burrows, Layout Supervisor Devin Scott, Animation Director Matt Everitt, Associate Producer Kristen Murtha, Production Supervisor Alex Kauffman, Editor Garret Elkins, Editor Ryan Folsey, Editor Doug Nicholas, Editor Todd Hansen, Editor John Venzon, Music Exec Nikki Sharon, and Music Exec Amanda Narkis all collaborate on a commentary track that is very informative with a wide range of insight, but the massive number of participants make it hard to keep up. Appologies for any misspelled names; some of these participants do not appear to be listed on the film's IMDB cast and crew page, there are no commentary subtitles available, and the menu screen's commentary tab does not list specific names beyond that of the director.

The LEGO Ninjago Movie 3D Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The LEGO Ninjago Movie falls more in-line with Movie than it does Batman. Based on an original property rather than a hybrid (Movie) or one completely borrowed (Batman), the film soars with a wonderful balance of humor, action, and drama. Characters are a bit one-dimensional, but all of the surrounding bricks and pieces largely eliminate that roadblock and altogether lift the movie to highly entertaining heights. Warner Brothers' Blu-ray 3D release, currently very hard to find, offers enjoyable 3D video, a fine 5.1 lossless soundtrack (but not the Atmos track from the other releases), and a nice allotment of bonus content. Recommended, if one can find it.