Rating: 3.5/5
Review: "The Lego Ninjago Movie 3D movie review" (101 minutes)

"It becomes less fresh due to the cliche and straight forward theme of a relationship between a son and a father. However it is saved by great detailed animation and some neat action scenes."

When the first Lego movie was released, I had doubts on whether the translation from a toy to a movie worked. Surprisingly, the movie worked well; it is fast-paced with wacky sense of humor. The second movie, The Lego Batman Movie, dipped in quality but nonetheless an entertaining and light-hearted animation. The Lego Ninjago Movie is the third movie in the growing Lego movie universe and the second Lego movie this year. It is still as fast-paced as the others. But my interest seems to wane after the third movie. It is still entertaining and humorous but the straight forward themes are not as fresh as they were in the first Lego movie.

The story: It is a very straight forward and cliche plot involving the relationship between a son and a father. It shouldn't be a spoiler that it ends with a happy ending. So I am not really going to talk about the story. The animation is beautiful and incredibly detailed. So kudos for the animation team to keep up the standard of Lego animation. It also has some great action scenes and I would say it is probably the most action-packed Lego movie. There is the usual barrage of pop culture jokes; some works and some don't. Music is generally good but cliche. It deliberately follows the mood of the scene. The voice cast kept the movie lively enough. That is the thing. There is no surprise at all. It is not bad but it doesn't stand out too.

The 3D: It is a little disappointing. I thought the effects could add an immersive depth into the movie. Yes, there is the 3D depth between the characters and backgrounds but that is about it. There is hardly any in-you-face 3D effect. During the action scenes, too many things are happening that distract you from the 3D experience. It is not amazing but it is serviceable enough. It is a type of movie that works in 2D.

Overall: The Lego movie franchise is dangerously becoming less fresh as more movies are churned out due to each's success. Hopefully in the next Lego movie, some freshness can be added in. The Lego Ninjago Movie is not a bad movie but it is hard to recommend it for a watch in cinema. Unless you are a die-hard fan of Lego. Even the 3D effects alone doesn't warrant a watch on the big screen.