Five years after The Lego Movie, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are back with The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.

Some time has passed since everything was awesome. Emmet (Chris Pratt) and his friends are living in a wasteland known as Apocalypseburg. Despite being plagued by nightmares of Ourmomageddon, Emmet remains positive has built a home for him and Lucy (Elizabeth Banks).

The group is visited by General Sweet Mayhem (Stephanie Beatriz) who arrives and kidnaps Batman (Will Arnett) to force him to marry Queen Watevra Wa’Nabi (Tiffany Haddish) in the Systar System. With Batman and his friends kidnapped,  Emmett is forced to make the journey to the Systar System to save his friends and prevent “Ourmomageddon”.

The Lego Movie 2 is much like the previous film. It has the same humor, same hilarious cast, and they even poke fun at making a song that will get stuck in your head. And just like the first film, it’s a simple plot (in a good way) that tells a deeper story about family. It’s a animated film that’s made for all ages. There are scenes meant get get laughs from kids and other jokes that are for adult ears to pick up.

What makes these Lego movies work so well isn’t just the humor, it’s how unconventional they are. The animation is a little offbeat, plus the story flows free and easy start to finish. They’ll even throw a song from out of left field. The unorthodox way the films are constructed is what makes it so appealing to moviegoers  – they eye-popping visuals and the storytelling.

What’s different than the original is the story’s eagerness to step outside the animation more and expand the human characters on screen. The plot uses Finn (Jadon Sand) and Bianca’s (Brooklynn Prince) relationship as an analogy for what’s happening between Emmet and is friends. It’s Family and Friendships for Dummies told through adorable Legos and the tension siblings often have.

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part is a fun animated movie. It’s incredibly self aware and that’s what makes it so enjoyable. There are enough surprises and Lego cameos to keep audiences entertained. The heart of the film is the music, animation, and heartwarming family story. It’s everything people hope to get when they watch a Lego movie. Thankfully, everything is still awesome.

Grade: B+