Summary
- The LEGO Movie features humorous cameos by famous celebrities voicing LEGO characters.
- Many superhero characters, such as Superman and Wonder Woman, make appearances in the movie.
- The movie includes clever meta-humor and unique animation, making it a fun family adventure with iconic cameos.
2014's The LEGO Movie derives a significant amount of humor from cameos made by various LEGO sets and characters, which are even funnier considering the celebrities who voice them. When it first premiered in theaters, audiences found The LEGO Movie to be surprisingly witty and metatextual. Following the adventures of average construction worker Emmet (Chris Pratt), who is thrust into the role of his world's savior, The LEGO Movie is a fun family movie showcasing a uniquely impressive animation style. Additionally, anyone who is familiar with the LEGO brand can recognize the real-life sets appearing in the movie.
Most superhero franchises have produced LEGO sets, and many LEGO superhero characters (only from DC, likely due to copyright issues with Disney) appear in The LEGO Movie. This is in addition to other LEGO pop culture characters and real-life figures, whose cameos are made even better by the massively famous names who were recruited to record only a few lines. Some celebrities and filmmakers also make appearances as completely random side characters. This creativity and meta-humor made The LEGO Movie a success and is part of why people are still eager to see The LEGO Movie 3.
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14 Christopher Miller As TV Presenter
The LEGO Movie's director voices a side character.
Chris Miller is the co-writer and director of The LEGO Movie and voices the unnamed TV presenter, whose appearance was based on Miller. The TV presenter makes announcements on behalf of President/Lord Business (Will Ferrell) and introduces the comedically terrible TV show "Where Are My Pants?" Miller's LEGO avatar also appears in the LEGO Movie bloopers, wearing the same clothes he does as a TV host. With so many famous people and characters making cameos in The LEGO Movie, it is not surprising that the creators refused to up the opportunity to make their own clever appearances.
13 Graham Miller As Duplo
Miller's son also has a role in The LEGO Movie.
Miller's son Graham voices the lead DUPLO figure when they arrive in the LEGO world, after the real-life counterpart to Lord Business decides to let his children play with his LEGO collection. DUPLOs are larger building block toys like LEGOs that are designed for younger children, implied to have been brought into the main characters' world by a toddler girl. The voice of Miller's son, then only a toddler himself, provided the perfect younger characterization for the DUPLO who speaks. Graham also voiced a DUPLO in the sequel, where they are the primary threat.
12 Dave Franco As Wally
Emmet's construction crew are voiced by various stars.
The LEGO Movie makes something of a mean-spirited joke about Emmet being a generic construction worker figurine and there being many more like him. However, the LEGO construction workers are more distinct characters than typical extras. They all have names and are voiced by of The LEGO Movie's crew, as well as some famous actors with connections to the directors. Dave Franco makes a cameo with only one distinctive line, as Emmet's co-worker Wally. Wally is the construction worker who proclaims that he likes croissants, holding up a croissant to prove it, as the workers leave the construction site.
11 Jake Johnson As Barry
Miller's Spider-Verse collaborator also voices a construction worker.
New Girl star Jake Johnson has several major connections to people who played major roles in the making of The LEGO Movie. He plays Lowery, a Jurassic World control room employee, in Pratt's first Jurassic World movie. Johnson also voices Peter B. Parker in the Spider-Verse movies, for which Miller is a producer. Strangely, these movies came out after The LEGO Movie, and it may be a coincidence that Miller would keep working with Pratt and Miller. Johnson voices Barry, the construction worker who wants to go to a sports bar after work and likes chicken wings.
10 Keegan-Michael Key As Foreman Jim
Key's voice acting career started with The LEGO Movie.
In recent years, comedian Keegan-Michael Key has taken on some now-famous animated roles, including the stuffed animal Ducky alongside his comedy partner Bunny in Toy Story 4, as well as Toad in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. He also has a recurring role in the Hotel Transylvania franchise, taking over the role of Murray the Mummy from CeeLo Green after the first movie. However, shortly after the start of Key & Peele, Key had his first mainstream voice role in The LEGO Movie as Emmet's (presumed) boss, Foreman Jim. Jim appears to be friends with the other construction workers.
9 Will Forte As Abraham Lincoln
Another comedian voices a LEGO U.S. President.
The LEGO Movie recruited another famous comedian, Will Forte, to voice President Abraham Lincoln in the scene where Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman) gathers the master builders to introduce them to Emmet. It is a nod to the historical LEGO sets that have appeared over the years alongside those based on fictional pop culture. As Lincoln, Forte paraphrases one of the president's most famous quotes, saying: "A house divided against itself would be better than this." He then takes off in his flying chair, unimpressed with Emmet. Lincoln appears again in The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part.
8 Shaquille O'Neal As Shaq
The retired basketball player voices the LEGO version of himself.
Retired NBA player Shaquille O'Neal has an amazing cameo in The LEGO Movie as "Shaq," another master builder who comes to the meeting in Cloud Cuckoo Land with some other basketball players. When Lord Business' forces attack, Shaq and the other players have a great comedic moment where they swiftly assemble a catapult to launch a basketball at the ships, which has no effect on them. Despite their defeat, it is a funny beat that shows off another celebrity whom The LEGO Movie was lucky enough to work with. O'Neal has done some other work in Hollywood since retiring from basketball.
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7 Cobie Smulders As Wonder Woman
The MCU star plays a LEGO DC heroine.
Cobie Smulders is well-known in the world of the last decade's superhero movies, playing Nicky Fury's right-hand woman Maria Hill throughout the MCU's movies and TV shows. She is a fitting choice to voice Wonder Woman in The LEGO Movie, also getting a memorable joke. When the dome where the master builders are holding their meeting is attacked, Batman (Will Arnett) tries to lead the heroes to the Batmobile, which is blown up moments later. Wonder Woman then repeats his wording to tell them to go to the Invisible Jet — which is also destroyed, although only the LEGO-rendered explosion is seen.
6 Channing Tatum As Superman
This action star voices the LEGO Man of Steel.
Channing Tatum claims the recurring LEGO Movie role of Superman. Superman is also among the master builders who gather in Cloud Cuckoo Land and are subsequently captured by Lord Business, necessitating their rescue by Emmet, Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks), and the rest of the main characters, before aiding them in the final battle. Superman flies around the dome and makes some jokes about kryptonite, but doesn't get as many moments as Batman dedicated to playing on the character's established canon. However, of all the characters in The LEGO Movie, Superman's scenes were specifically written around Tatum playing the role.
5 Jonah Hill As Green Lantern
Tatum's 21 Jump Street co-star completes their LEGO Movie cameo.
While Tatum voices Superman, the other half of 21 Jump Street voices Green Lantern. This casting was the basis for the dynamic between the two characters where Green Lantern believes they are friends, but Superman is actually annoyed by him. Superman is furious when Green Lantern tries to free him from a wad of bubblegum and only gets stuck himself, and when their boxes are placed next to each other in Lord Business' Think Tank. Both Tatum and Hill returned to voice their respective LEGO superheroes in The LEGO Batman Movie and The LEGO Movie 2.
