Film

The Lego Ninjago Movie

Name: The Lego Ninjago Movie
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Adventure, Action, Family
Released: 2017
Cast: Dave Franco, Justin Theroux, Fred Armisen, Abbi Jacobson, Olivia Munn

Action
Light-hearted

A gleefully absurd action-comedy where six young ninjas save the world by night and navigate high school drama by day. The Lego Ninjago Movie leans hard into slapstick humour, pop culture riffs, and relentless visual gags. It's a film that trusts you to enjoy the chaos without needing everything explained. Pure, unambiguous fun for families who don't mind a little controlled mayhem.

TMDb rating

3.2

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy chatty, self-deprecating family comedy where the jokes come thick and fast and the sight gags of plastic bricks snapping together delight you as much as the story does.

Skip it if you want a tight, serious action film; the frantic pace, constant pop-culture riffing and sitcom-style banter can feel relentless, and the emotional beats are fairly conventional.

What it asks of you: Around ninety minutes of nonstop noise and colour, with little downtime, so you need to be happy to ride a loud, quick-cut sugar rush rather than settle into anything slow.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

The Lego Movie2014

The spiritual predecessor that nails the same tone: anarchic humour, self-aware comedy, and genuine heart buried under layers of brick-based chaos. It's where Lego started being funny for adults.

But If you're tired of meta jokes about corporate IP, this film is essentially 100 minutes of that premise. Also, the pacing never lets you breathe.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse2018

Another animated action-comedy that treats its teenage heroes with real affection while never stopping the visual gags. The energy is similar: busy, loud, full of heart, and genuinely inventive about what animation can do.

But Some find the frenetic animation style exhausting rather than exhilarating. It demands active watching; passive viewing gets punishing.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse poster

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs2009

Same DNA: a ridiculous premise played completely seriously, packed with visual comedy that lands on every level, and the heart never feels forced. The jokes are for everyone; the emotional beats are genuine.

But Relies heavily on slapstick and food puns. If your humour is drier, this will feel relentless and obvious.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Lego Ninjago Movie

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox2013

Both feature ensemble teams discovering their powers while learning to work together; both balance action spectacle with character beats, though Flashpoint is far grittier about the cost of heroism.

A DC animated film that proves superhero action-comedy can have real stakes. It's fast, violent, beautifully drawn, and genuinely funny without ever winking at the camera. Shows what animation can do when it commits.

But Darker and more brutal than Ninjago. The humour is drier and less constant. If you want the lightness of Lego, this won't scratch that itch.

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox poster

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part2019

Direct sequel with the same warm chaos. If Ninjago worked for you, this doubles down on what works: lovable characters, enormous visual creativity, jokes that work on multiple levels.

But Repeats the formula fairly faithfully. If you want something structurally different, you'll find it predictable.

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part poster

Kung Fu Panda 32016

Combines martial arts spectacle with comedy and a messy family dynamic (lo mein reference: Garmadon as absent villain-dad). The action sequences are genuinely thrilling even when they're ridiculous.

But The plot is straightforward to the point of blandness. Some of the humour feels dated, and the emotional stakes are paper-thin.

Big Hero 62014

A team of misfits learning to work together while maintaining their individual personalities. The animation is gorgeous, the action is real, and there's actual warmth beneath the humour.

But Slower and more earnest than Ninjago. If you want pure comedy momentum, the emotional sections will feel like the film is asking you to sit still.

How to Train Your Dragon2010

Takes an absurd premise—a teenager befriends a dragon—and treats it with genuine craft. The relationship between the two leads has real texture, and the action sequences are stunning.

But The humour is gentler and less constant. Some sequences drag. If you want relentless pacing and gags, this will feel slow.

The Mitchells vs. the Machines2021

A chaotic family film that's visually inventive in the extreme, funny at a clip, and actually has something to say about connection. The animation is deliberately crazed and utterly committed.

But The emotional core about family approval might feel manipulative. The visual density can be overwhelming; some viewers find it exhausting rather than fun.

Wreck-It Ralph2012

A video game–themed action-comedy with real craft beneath the jokes. The world-building is intricate, the characters have depth, and it respects its source material while being genuinely funny.

But The plot meanders in the second act. Some of the gaming jokes have aged poorly, and it occasionally feels like the film is explaining itself to people who don't care.

Everything Everywhere All at Once2022

Both trust the audience to enjoy controlled chaos; both are visually dense and rely on quick cuts and gags. Both ask: how do you matter when the stakes keep getting bigger? But Everything is deadly serious about it.

A wildly inventive film that treats its premise—infinite parallel universes—with the same visual abandon and commitment to absurdity that Ninjago brings to Lego ninja. Chaotic, generous-spirited, emotionally real.

But Completely relentless. Themes of depression, grief, and family failure run underneath. If you want escapism without emotional weight, the sadness will flatten the fun for you.

Everything Everywhere All at Once poster

Arcane: League of Legends2021

Both are animated ensemble stories about young people discovering their abilities and learning to work as a team. Arcane is what happens when that story is allowed to break your heart; Ninjago is the version where the heart is never at real risk.

An animated series that builds from colourful, fun action into something devastating. Gorgeous frame-by-frame animation, characters you genuinely love, and emotional depth that sneaks up on you. Proof animation can do anything.

But Starts as a teen adventure and becomes a tragedy. The later episodes are dark, violent, and genuinely painful. If you came for the fun, you'll be blindsided by loss.