Let’s be clear. The LEGO movies – all of them – are so much better than they have any right to be. We don’t need to dredge up takes on The LEGO Movie that are cold and stale by this point, but it’s fair to say that when it was first announced, most everyone thought it would be a cheap cash grab. And a terrible movie.

Oh, how wrong we were. The LEGO Movie is, in my humble opinion, one of the best films about fatherhood ever made. For my money, The LEGO Movie and Finding Nemo are my 1-2 punch for films that say something deep and meaningful about parenthood while masquerading as a “kids’ movie.”

And then there was The LEGO Batman Movie. And The LEGO Ninjago Movie. Both of them: better than they had any right to be. And SO MUCH better than anyone really thought they’d be.

We’re in the middle of a significant “thing” at the moment with respect to animation. Something we haven’t seen since Pixar burst onto the scene in the late 90s, showed the world an entirely new style of animation, and proved that “kids’ movies” can still be emotional and meaningful.

Pixar is no longer the new kid (or the only kid) on the block, and while they’re pumping out predictable sequels with more regularity than their much more powerful original stories (more films like Coco, please, m’kay?), other creators have taken the reins and steered the animation carriage in fantastically new and exciting directions.

So it is that we now have The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, written by the dynamite duo of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (writers of the original). And, much as I hate to admit it, I went into this one with fairly low expectations. I know, I know. I should’ve known better.

Maybe I thought the novelty of the concept would feel stale. Maybe I thought Lord was tapped out after putting all of his creative energies into Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Maybe I thought the first movie ended on such a perfect note.

And let’s be honest, once the audience was clued in that Emmet, Lucy, Batman, Uni-Kitty, and their entire world existed in the imagination of a young boy playing with his LEGO in the basement… Where do you go from there? As a storyteller, how do you make a continuation of the story with that “big reveal” as your starting point?

If you’re Lord and Miller, you go all in. You tell a story that takes place five years after the first and is filled with winks and nods to the audience. There’s no mysterious kragle here that needs a climactic reveal. All of the jokes are meant to be immediately understood by the audience in the moment.

The seeming antagonist – a queen made of LEGO Duplo brick who belongs to the younger sister – is named Watevra Wa’Nabi of the Systar System. Because of course she is.

New character Rex Dangervest tells about his past getting lost in Undar the Dryar System (under the dryer). When a rescue mission is hatched, Emmet must pass through the Stairgate (the door at the top of the basement stairs). And of course they’re all trying to avoid Ourmomageddon and the Bin of Storage (stress on the second syllable).

If you want a plot synopsis, go to Wikipedia. But you’ll be better served going into this one as ignorant of the plot as possible. You’ll be rewarded. Trust me.

The writing is sharp and hilarious. You WILL laugh out loud. The animation is incredible. You’ll believe you’re watching toys move. And the music is infectious. If you thought “Everything Is Awesome” was an earworm, just wait until you hear “Catchy Song.”

But where the film really excels is its underlying message. Whereas the first was a subtle commentary on fatherhood and growing up, this one focuses squarely on the love (and rivalry) between siblings. Watching the film beside my 9-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son, there were scenes that felt like a sucker punch to my emotions.

Reader: I cried. And unless you’re made of stone, you’ll get choked up, too.

Both kids agreed: They liked The LEGO Movie 2 more than the first. And that’s saying something.

For my part, I need to find the set(s) that include a General Mayhem minifigure. She’s my favorite character from any film in recent memory.

And I’d like to suggest now that someone, somewhere, make an award for best end credits song and sequence. The LEGO Movie 2 and “Super Cool” should have it locked up for all time. Bravo.