The LEGO Ninjago Movie Trailer is here and it is dope!

February 9, 2017 | 18

Change my status to “Pretty Freaking Hyped” for the LEGO Ninjago Movie. The trailer just dropped a couple of hours ago and it looks fantastic.

2017 is a fantastic year for fans of the LEGO Cinematic Universe, with not one but TWO LEGO movie headed to the big screen. The LEGO Ninjago Movie tells the story of 6 young ninjas, led by the venerable and wise Sensei Wu who must do battle and defend the city against the evil warlord Garmadon, who is also known as The Worst Guy Ever.

Pitting mech against mech and father against son, the epic showdown will test this fierce but undisciplined team of modern-day ninjas who must learn to check their egos and pull together to unleash their inner power of Spinjitzu.

The LEGO Ninjago Movie’s release date is 22 September in the United States, but the Australian release date is 21 September! So glad they didn’t screw us over with this date. Mostly because that’s when the school holidays begin, but meh. I’m just glad we aren’t forced to wait like with the LEGO Batman Movie.

And yes, I’m still salty over it.

L – R Kai, Nya, Jay, Lloyd, Zane, Cole

The film features a star-studded (heh) cast of voice actors, with some of the biggest comedic names in Hollywood.

• Dave Franco as Lloyd (Green Ninja)
• Michael Peña as Kai (Red Ninja)
• Fred Armisen as Cole (Black Ninja)
• Kumail Nanjiani as Jay (Blue Ninja)
• Zach Woods as Zane (White/Titanium Ninja)
• Abbi Jacobson as Nya (Water Ninja) 
• Jackie Chan as Sensei Wu
• Justin Theroux as Lord Garmadon
• Olivia Munn as Koko (Lloyd’s Mum)

I am super pumped by the cast, firstly because it features Kumail Nanjiani and Zach Woods from Silicon Valley! Also a big fan of Michael Peña, SNL’s Fred Armisen, Dave Franco (loved him in 21 Jump Street and Bad Neighbours) and not to forget, Jackie Chan.

We didn’t get to hear from a lot of them in the trailer, but hearing Kumail’s bit of dialogue at the end has me all excited. Oh, and the entire movie will be worth it just for Jay’s hairpiece alone.

Call me crazy, but I actually think that this movie will legit be great. The art direction from the trailer looks amazing and I daresay that this will be the best looking LEGO Movie so far.

It just looks so organic, and I love the big focus on the outdoors as opposed to the dense big cities found in The LEGO Movie and The LEGO Batman Movie. I’m also digging the Oriental and Japanese influences as well.

Let’s dissect and check out some of the highlights from the trailer.

Firstly, Lloyd’s Green Dragon looks so sick. If this makes it as a LEGO set, I will buy it on Day 1. Not even joking.

This is my favourite portion of the trailer and has gotten me really excited for the upcoming LEGO Ninjago Minifigures Series (which has 20 characters to collect). The bad guys/henchmen led by Garmadon seem to be fish/aquatic themed.

In this screenshot, you can not only see Shark Guys, but also a minifigure with an Octopus mask, and next to him, a Lobster Mask, and on the far right, what looks like a deep-sea Anglerfish mask. I seriously can’t wait to get these as minifigures. Like, I am so hyped by the baddies.

Lord Garmadon should be no stranger to Ninjago fans, and I also really love his giant Shark Mech/Ship that is featured quite prominently in the trailer. Would love to see this as a LEGO set as well.

We get a very generous serving of mechs in the trailer. I believe this one will be piloted by Nya (?). Check out those wheel tracks and the sharp angular body. Really digging the anime-look on this one.

Edit: This is probably Zane’s!

#squadgoals amirite? We’re also treated to a look at the entire lineup of Ninjago mechs/vehicles. Kai’s Samurai-inspired mech looks awesome and should be a treat for fans of LEGO Mecha. I’m also quite intrigued by Zane’s Nya’s Spider-mech.

Later on in the trailer, we also get a great view of Zane’s mech which I assume is named “Quake“. Very interested to see if this manages to get turned into a LEGO set as it balances on just one wheel.

Glad to also see a cameo by everyone’s favourite minifigure – Hot Dog Guy!

Also got a look at what I believe is the Destiny’s Bounty, Sensei Wu’s flagship.

The brief fight scene between Sensei Wu and Garmadon surrounded by bamboo has me very optimistic about the movie. The animation looks incredibly fluid and because this has Jackie Chan, you know that you can expect some awesome martial arts sequences in this.

Apart from stylistic martial arts sequences, there looks to be a very healthy dose of Jackie Chan’s trademark physical humour in the movie. This sequence above where Lloyd holds a baby and fights off some Shark-Man goons is very reminiscent of classic Jackie Chan movies, especially where he uses the refrigerator door to bash these goons.

Oh, and I absolutely love Animal Logic’s attention to detail. In this shot above, you can see the LEGO words embossed inside the minifigure’s legs. Crazy cool detail.

And here’s why I’m so excited about the action sequences and fight scenes in the movie – Jackie Chan’s stunt team was intimately involved with the martial arts sequences in the movie. They filmed these sequences live before the the filmmakers animated over them.

So yeah, colour me very excited for the LEGO Ninjago Movie. Ninjago is a beloved LEGO theme and given the amazing track record of the LEGO Cinematic Universe, I think that this movie will surprise and delight fans – if they can only look pass the kiddie vibe so often attached to anything Ninjago.

So what do you think of the LEGO Ninjago Movie? Take the poll above and let me know in the comments what you think of the trailer!