‘Piece by Piece’ tells Pharrell Williams’ Story in Stunning LEGO Animation -

By Luis Zonenberg

Man, did I feel my age when I realized the first LEGO movie was released well over a decade ago. The groundbreaking animated film by Phil Lord and Chris Miller left a huge impact on not only kids and adults, but also on the animation industry as well. It launched a whole franchise of theatrically released LEGO films such as The Lego Batman Movie, The Lego Ninjago Movie and of course, The Lego Movie 2: the Second Part.

A mere one year after the release of the latter, Universal Pictures obtained the film rights to the LEGO brand, which is currently set for a five-year term. Four years later, the deal finally bore fruit in this biopic about Pharrell Williams life and career. From listening to Aretha Franklin on the radio as a kid to singing “Happy” in Despicable Me 2, we see how Pharrell Williams accomplished his dream through the lens of stunning LEGO animation.

It is narrated in a documentary-style set up in which the director of the movie itself, Morgan Neville, interviews Pharrell Williams about his life. We see him flashback to memories of his childhood and his early careers, seeing him encounter several upcoming celebrities who all play, or I guess voice themselves, in the movie. We see how Pharrell gets blinded by the flashy consumerism and greed of the corporate world, but also see him rediscover himself thanks in part to his wife and a little Happy song.

Let me just state for the record that I am a huge LEGO fanatic, with the first movie being one of my absolute favorite movies of all time! Considering it’s been over five years since the release of the last one, it was just spectacular to see this type of animation back on the big screen. With vibrant colors and absolute creative energy beaming off of every scene, it was just a visual feast from beginning to end.

The voice acting was actually pretty great, especially considering that almost everyone voices themselves in this film, from Snoop Dog to Gwen Stefani to even Pharrell’s real life wife, Helen Lasichanh. All of their performances were very sincere, ranging from casual to downright emotional anchors that really helped add in much weight to Pharrell’s crazy world.

This is a highly unconventional way to deliver a biopic and I was impressed how the Lego aspect brilliantly meshed with this type of storytelling. The visuals and brilliant animation helped elevate an otherwise standard biopic, allowing us to better understand Pharrell’s creativity and his outlook on the world. While I can’t say this worked all of the time, I was impressed how a lot of it did, which was much more than I was expecting walking in.

All in all, this is a fantastic piece of filmmaking craftsmanship. Pharrell Williams and company’s decision to produce it in this style was a bold move that delivered a huge payoff! With stunning voice talent and an awesome soundtrack, Pharrell Williams uses his Lego bricks in Piece by Piece to deliver an unconventional but highly creative biopic.
Rating: ★★★ ½ of four