While many would assume that a children’s movie based on a children’s toy would be nearly devoid of depth or impactful meaning, nothing could be further from the truth when considering The Lego Movie. This film, released in 2014, features the story of a young Lego man, as ordinary as could be, on a quest to overthrow the tyranny of the evil Lord Business. While he’s at it, the Lego man, named Emmet, will begin to discover that the things that he thought made him ordinary are actually the very characteristics that are uniquely extraordinary. These themes may seem cliché and heavy handed, but when one watches the film seeking the bigger picture, the individual social issues that the film deals with begin to reveal themselves. From start to finish, the Lego Movie dives deep into prevalent issues and seeks to engage the modern cultural both politically …show more content…
In his attempt to dethrone the corruption of conformity in his hometown, Emmet and his team will utilize their individual gifts and abilities to take down Lord Business and set free the realm of Bricksburg. This is similar to a concept that Paul refers to in his letter to the Corinthians concerning the body of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 12:18-20, “But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.” (ESV) Emmet and, by extension, the central theme of the Lego Movie desires to communicate that the things that make individuals different from each other is what makes them important and valuable to society. Creativity and imagination, in this way, becomes the opposite of conformity. The Lego Movie clearly and innovatively communicates that individuals are not just identical cogs in a monotonous machine; rather they are unique and equally important pieces in an intricate
In conclusion, by using the production elements of both allusion and symbolism; director Tim Burton has created the film in such a manner by making deliberate choices in order to invite a certain response. The film is constructed and given greater depth through the allusion to elements from other genres and ridicules the suburbia’s materialism and lack of imagination, which in turn enhances the invited response.
The “Wonderful World of Disney” has been a part of America for as long as I can
“I still collect toys.Toys are a reflection of society. They are the tools that society uses to teach and enculturate children into the adult world. Toys are not innocent.” (Burden). When you think of toys you probably think about dolls or Hot Wheels. What you probably don’t know is the toys can vary into anything. Toys are usually used to entertain yourself, but what if they represent more than just that. It can be a famous cite, make you question society, or just make you think about how we’re treating each other. Anything can be a toy. You just have to be creative to make it more than a toy. Chris Burden, an amazing artist, famously known for creating artwork that reflect on society, in most of his work he used toys to help him. Burden is famously known for two pieces of artwork, Shoot and Urban
Most people can remember playing with Legos at some point in their lives. From 1958-2013, 650 billion Lego bricks were manufactured and sold in 130 countries, making Legos one of the most popular childhood toys. In more recent years, with digital technology on the rise, Lego’s have a become popular subject in video games and movies. The Lego Movie was the first movie centered around Legos to use a fully CGI animation style. While The Lego Movie may at first appear to be an average children's movie, it's storyline goes much deeper than that most movies marketed primarily to families, allowing it to quickly become one of the most sold movies of 2014. Through the use of creative cinematography which helps reinforce the storyline, as well as an ingenious adaptation of an Orwellian society, based upon capitalist values and extreme conformity, The Lego Movie pushes a pro-libertarian, anti-capitalist message, hidden behind the innocent facade of children’s movie.
of the sessions familiar to put their client at ease. As discussed previously, impairment in social functioning causes difficulty in communication which is necessary in typical counseling interventions. According to Woods, Mahdavi, and Ryan (2013), Lego therapy, a type of play therapy, is highly effective in improving social skills between pairs or small groups of children aged 6-11. Legos are an appealing toy to children with ASD as they are a methodical and predictable toy that are easy to control. Therapists are also faced with the difficulty of ASD children regulating emotions and behavior, which is often a typical reason parents seek therapy for their child in the first place (Samson, Hardan, Lee, Phillips, & Gross, 2015). It is encouraging
“More” is a touching, thought-provoking claymation film, directed by Mark Osborne, following the rise of a struggling inventor living in a colorless, monotonous society and working in a factory assembly line, building the same product day in and day out. In a short 6 minutes, the film explores the meaning of true happiness and questions the worth of success as a result of fame and wealth. Mark Osborne’s film proves that achieving innovation and success come at a high personal cost, and one must be willing to make sacrifices in order to catalyze positive change in a community. The films begins with colorful images of children playing on a merry-go-round, which represent memories of the protagonist's lively youth, contrasting the bleak reality
The LEGO Group organization is famous due to its flagship product – colourful plastic bricks that can be interlocked to form a variety of figures, and then disconnected again. These binding bricks originated in a wooden form when the company was first established in Billund, Denmark by Kirk Kristiansen in 1932 (The LEGO Group, 2012), and today’s well known plastic version was introduced in 1958 (Rosenberg). The company’s head office is located in Billund to this day, and The LEGO Group remains privately owned by Kristiansen’s family (The LEGO Group, 2012). They currently sell toys and teaching materials in over 130 countries worldwide.
I chose to analyze Despicable Me, an animated film geared towards a younger audience, because I was interested in examining underlying theories and messages that this film would be relaying to its viewers. Often times, when watching animated films, children are not aware of these messages, as they are absorbed by the characters, special effects, and humor. But as we have learned throughout this semester, our brains are subconsciously primed by the various surroundings we are exposed to. Since we also studied the impacts of entertainment, such as television and video games, on children, I wanted to see how a popular children’s film might also affect them.
In the end, what Halberstam is doing in her essay “Animating Revolt and Revolting Animation”, is providing a new way of thinking. Not just about the animated films she discusses, but also about humanity as a whole. Films such as Toy Story, Over the Hedge, and even Finding Nemo are used to represent a new utopia for children where they can escape the troubles of reality that are created by those that they are surrounded with. And other films such as March of the Penguins , that are used to rework humanity. Altogether,
Presently, Disney known for its mass media entertainment and amusement parks technically bring warm feelings to many children and some adults. Personally, Disney elicits magical fantasies that children enjoy and further encourages imagination and creativity. For decades Disney has exist as an unavoidable entity with its famous global sensation and reach. Furthermore, Disney is a multibillion dollar empire with an unlimited grasp on individuals and territories. An empire per se, since they own many media outlets, markets, shops, etc., you name it they got it. However, the film Mickey Mouse Monopoly presents an entirely new perspective on the presumed innocence projected in Disney films. This film exposes certain traits Disney employs and exclusively portrays through its media productions, specifically cartoons for directing and nurturing influence beginning with children. Mickey Mouse Monopoly points out camouflaged messages of class, race, and gender issues in Disney films that occur behind the scenes intended to sway viewers towards adopting Disney values.
Toy Story is the groundbreaking 1995 motion picture developed by Disney and Pixar and directed by John Lasseter. The film was so revolutionary not only because it was the first feature length animation to be created completely by CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) but also, also the film was more rounded in all respects. The characters not only looked more sophisticated and three-dimensional but their personalities were also more human and fewer cartoons like. The film uses a constructed text in order to put across a theme of two very different characters learning to work together beyond their rivalries to rise above a common enemy and work towards a common goal. The film uses characters and imagery very cleverly to portray this theme. The music used in the film is also different to other Disney features. Rather than the characters bursting into song themselves as in Aladdin or Hercules, the songs are played and sung by an outside person (Randy Newman) and reflect the mood and emotions of the characters in a particular scene. For example, the title sequence song “Friend in Me”, when Woody and Andy are playing together, and the scene where Andy’s room has been made over to a Buzz Lightyear theme, “Strange Things” where the song reflects Woody’s confusion and fear not only about the change in his surroundings but also the change in his friends and his own character and self-confidence. The attention to the smallest detail for example the reflections in Buzz’s visor give the film even more realism and depth. The use of unusual and imaginative camera angles, made possible by the use of CGI, also adds to the texture and pace of the film.
Critics have warned the public audience about Disney programming’s affect on the “invasion and control of children’s imagination” (Ross 5). These movies express the typical gender roles “such as males being physically strong, assertive, and athletic, and females being prone to overt emotion, inc...
For decades Disney has been the source of happy endings, fairytales, and family friendly stories for children of all ages. These stories range from realistic and familiar, to the eye-catching magical fairytale. The key to each of these stories are the happy endings brought about by each of the characters unique personalities and dreams. Disney’s films are attempted to provide children with the basic understanding of wrong versus right, but instead influences our society’s beliefs and awareness. Although Disney’s efforts to provide the basic morals to our children are misleading and affect our society strongly, they also contain the use of racism in a form which shows the major differences between characters. The once admired and well-known characters are seemed to be recognized by their species, ethnicity and even their social class. Disney films have taken out of context and have persuaded their viewers understanding of racial stereotyping, which is thoroughly explained in Henry Giroux and Grace Pollock’s novel, The Mouse that Roared. They bring awareness to the underlying racial stereotyping in Disney films, which deeply affect our societies understanding today. Giroux and Pollock bring into perception these admired and regularly watched films through precise examples and racist rendering of the specific characters species and ethnicities which strongly influence our society and lead children to intake these negative influences.
“Entertainment has to come hand in hand with a little bit of medicine, some people go to the movies to be reminded that everything’s okay. I don’t make those kinds of movies. That, to me, is a lie. Everything’s not okay.” - David Fincher. David Fincher is the director that I am choosing to homage for a number of reasons. I personally find his movies to be some of the deepest, most well made, and beautiful films in recent memory. However it is Fincher’s take on story telling and filmmaking in general that causes me to admire his films so much. This quote exemplifies that, and is something that I whole-heartedly agree with. I am and have always been extremely opinionated and open about my views on the world and I believe that artists have a responsibility to do what they can with their art to help improve the culture that they are helping to create. In this paper I will try to outline exactly how Fincher creates the masterpieces that he does and what I can take from that and apply to my films.
Movies take us inside the skin of people quite different from ourselves and to places different from our routine surroundings. As humans, we always seek enlargement of our being and wanted to be more than ourselves. Each one of us, by nature, sees the world with a perspective and selectivity different from others. But, we want to see the world through other’s eyes; imagine with other’s imaginations; feel with other’s hearts, at a same time as with our own. Movies offer us a window onto the wider world, broadening our perspective and opening our eyes to new wonders.