The Lego Ninjago Movie

This kid-friendly adventure rises above any potential Lego fatigue with sly humor and strong voice performances. Which is notable, because The Lego Ninjago Movie has a few strikes against it going in: an animation style we've now seen quite a bit, a familiar hero's-journey plot, three directors and 12 (yes, 12) writers credited between story and screenplay. At times, it can feel -- ahem -- assembled from incongruous pieces. That's seen in its on-again, off-again cheeky kung fu movie tribute feel, snapped together with obligatory positive messaging and product placement. Fortunately, it's all accompanied by some wacky laughs. For instance, by way of explaining how a character became a villain, there's a visual joke about his "unstable foundations." Plus, there are pop culture riffs and a fake 3D sequence. But perhaps the best-sustained gag is the nature of the movie's big monster (which we won't reveal here).

All of the Lego movies have had enviable voice casts, and Ninjago boasts one of the most interesting. Apart from leads Franco and Theroux (The Leftovers), who sounds as if he's having a whale of a time as the villainous dad, the legendary Chan appears in two roles. Chan and Theroux get most of the laughs. Other nice ninjas are voiced by Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley, The Big Sick), Zach Woods (also of Silicon Valley), Michael Peña (memorable in everything from Crash to Ant-Man), and Abbi Jacobson (Broad City). You can't help but wonder how their talents might have been used with a more integrated script. But what ends up on screen is easily the second-best Lego movie so far. It's funny, it looks good, the messages are positive, and it's less chaotic than Lego Batman. Good stuff for a family movie night.