Pictures of Lloyd From the New Ninjago Movie
In "The Lego Ninjago Movie," a group of animated teenage ninjas led by the issues-plagued Lloyd (voiced by Dave Franco) and mentored by the wizened Master Wu (Jackie Chan) fight to stop Lloyd's dad, the evil Garmadon (Justin Theroux), from destroying their fantastic toy city.
We asked two of the ninja actors, "Broad City" star Abbi Jacobson and "The Big Sick's" Kumail Nanjiani, and Olivia Munn ("The Newsroom," "X-Men: Apocalypse") who voices Lloyd's supportive mom, what playing little plastic toys means to them personally and to the larger human condition.
Q: We learn a lot about Lloyd and Garmadon in this movie. You guys have less time – and minimal facial expressions – to show us what your characters are like. So each describe them.
JACOBSON: I really love how Nya holds her own – because she has to – within this group of guys. I related to that; as a kid I was a tomboy and always trying to emulate my older brother, and also trying to find my own identity within trying to be like him. And she is just such a badass! She rides a motorcycle, she's got a leather jacket. She's confident, but fully so; she's really good at her powers.
NANJIANI: Jay's a very emotional guy; by that I mean, he gets scared easily and he falls in love easily. He's just sensitive and open, and that's sort of his gift and his flaw. He falls for Nya but also can't say anything to her because he's too terrified. He's always the guy who says, "Let's not fight right now. Let's go home and get brunch."
MUNN: Koko's got a lot goin' on; she's got her own secrets. But first and foremost, Koko is trying to be a great mother to Lloyd. She is just the always positive, always upbeat mother who is going to see the bright side of every situation. I loved that idea.
Q: What makes Legos such a popular toy?
MUNN: I don't know anyone in any culture that hasn't played with Legos. I was a military kid, I grew up mostly in Japan, so my American friends played with Legos and my Japanese friends played with Legos. Everybody did. I think it goes to the part of every child's brain of building and creating and, also, destroying. That's why Minecraft is so popular. Minecraft is just Legos in virtual reality.
NANJIANI: As a kid, I had a huge sack of Legos. I would just, like, pour them out and make random stuff. I was a huge Lego fan in Pakistan. They were popular there; I think they're big everywhere.
JACOBSON: I can't remember a time, as a kid, when I did not have Legos. That was our main toy. I loved the free-form Legos and building my own things. It was weird, but remember when you used to go to the bank drive-thru and you put the check in that suction tube? I was so enamored by this suction thing that I built a drive-thru bank with Legos. Isn't that the weirdest thing for a kid? I'm surprised that I didn't become a teller.
Q: What makes the Lego movies so successful?
NANJIANI: I think everybody was surprised when the first movie came out. Because Lego is such a recognizable brand, they could have just put out anything and people would have watched it, but they made a really great movie that was very funny but was also really interesting and surprising. "Lego Batman" was really, really good too, and what I like is that these movies are about something. They're not just kids movies and funny, there are actually lessons to be had.
JACOBSON: The visuals are stunning, but each movie has had a different style. That's sort of what makes Lego at its most basic form so great. If you give me the most basic set of Legos I would build something, and if you took the same set you would build something totally different. But we're working with the same stuff, and I kind of think that's what they're doing with the movies.
Q: What makes "Ninjago" stand apart from the first two movies?
JACOBSON: There's such a complicated family history within this comedy, and it's a really cool, nuanced situation. I also felt like, within the gang of ninjas, the takeaway is we all have something special about us, and once you figure out what it is, you can use it for good.
MUNN: The thing about this movie that I think is the coolest is that Jackie Chan got his stunt team from China to choreograph all of the fight scenes. They videotaped that and sent it to all of the animators, who animated our Lego fight scenes to the stunt team's. Nobody may end up seeing it at all because Legos have two ranges of motion – up and down [laughs] – but either way, the work was put in and that's one of the coolest things about this.
Q: Growing up, or even earlier in your acting career, did you ever imagine you'd play a miniature toy person?
NANJIANI: No. It was just a dream [laughs]. I mean, I have always wanted to play something where I get an action figure of myself. This obviously didn't look like me, but I'll take it.
JACOBSON: Maybe I should have always imagined being a teller, but no, I did not ever imagine myself being a Lego ninja. My kid self would be so speechless at this whole thing. I mean, I'm calling you from Legoland, sitting in a Lego-themed hotel room right now.
MUNN: I never thought I'd play a Lego mom, ever. So to do a Lego movie is so exciting, and "Lego Ninjago" is, like, "Fight Club" for six-year-olds!
Pictures of Lloyd From the New Ninjago Movie
Source: https://www.dailynews.com/2017/09/19/lego-ninjago-is-like-fight-club-for-6-year-olds-5-questions-for-the-stars-of-new-movie/