One thing that The Lego Movie manages is a visual style which almost appears to be lifelike, even though it is predominantly computer-generated. Everything in this movie is Lego and it is created to the finest detail. The designers of the movie are Animal Logic, an Australian-based company who are responsible for creating some of the visual effects for The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings and Happy Feet. It appears that Animal Logic have really outdone themselves this time round, though, with the sheer detailing in the movie. In The Lego Movie, the landscapes, buildings and even the laser beams are all original Lego pieces. It's quite a feat, constructing a universe where every single thing is made of Lego. The Lego Movie almost appears to be stop-motion at the same time. There is apparently a mix of both in the movie anyway, but Chris Miller and Phil Lord absolutely do not want audiences being able to tell which is which. Employing both methods of animation makes the movie itself look unique, and more importantly it looks like how Lego is moved in real life. The movie features very distinctive designs of the Lego sets themselves. What the animators and directors aimed for is a style reminiscent of a child's vast imagination. Remember those countless days building Lego monstrosities out of various sets? Well, the movie has aimed to capture that kind of creativity too. It adds a certain degree of charm, and Miller and Lord reportedly had to prove to Warner Bros. that animating The Lego Movie in such a manner was beneficial for the film. At a conceptual and technical level it was a challenge for the directors to achieve this unique look, but in doing so it looks fantastic and it truly sets itself apart from other generic animation.
