Piece by Piece (Christian Movie Review)
The Lego aesthetic is fun, and fans of hip-hop will appreciate the sprawling cast of musical artists. But as a whole, the film is an adult-oriented vanity project with little to say.
About the Film
If you’ve ever yearned to see Snoop Dogg appear as a literal dog smoking weed in a PG-rated animated Lego movie, Piece by Piece is here to scratch that oddly specific itch. Hollywood struggles at times to generate new ideas, but a musical documentary that uses the framework of a colorful Lego film is undeniably fresh and unique. Yet as all musical artists know, not every promising new beat leads to a hit song. The Lego aesthetic is fun, and fans of hip-hop will appreciate the sprawling cast of musical artists. But as a whole, the film is an adult-oriented vanity project with little to say.
Disclaimer: I currently have 8309 songs in my iTunes library, and roughly 99% of them are by European power metal bands. The Venn diagram of my personal musical tastes and the music represented in Piece by Piece would show two untouching circles. In other words, I’m not likely to get a buzz from seeing Lego renditions of people like Busta Rhymes or Pusha T. I suspect the movie may land differently with those who love the artists it depicts. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have much to offer those without that preexisting affection.
Piece by Piece is a movie defined by surprising contrasts. Making a music documentary in the form of a Lego film is an out-of-the-box creative decision. In many respects, it pays off. The film’s vibrant visuals are a total delight. While lacking the comedic tone of previous Lego movies, Piece by Piece uses the playful potential of its concept in amusing ways. A byproduct of using the medium of animation is that it allows historic events to be re-created in ways that would not have been possible in a live-action film.
But even though Piece by Piece was created with Lego visuals, it’s not a “Lego movie” in the same sense that earlier films were. Universal Pictures acquired the rights from Warner Bros. in 2020, so this film was not made by the same studio that created hits like The Lego Movie (2014) or The Lego Batman Movie (2017). While those films’ zany tone was aimed primarily at young audiences, Piece by Piece is not really a movie for kids. It features a more serious tone, profanity, and adult themes that may appeal more to older viewers.
At times, it dances around its more mature aspects in an attempt to remain accessible to younger audiences (such as bleeping out some profane words with a “poop” emoji or having characters use “PG Spray” to fill the room with smoke as they get high with Snoop Dogg). But beyond the “content,” I’m not sure the story will keep younger viewers’ attention. The film is comprised of a series of interviews and industry scoops rather than a clear or compelling narrative.
Of course, Piece by Piece doesn’t necessarily have to be aimed at kids. Lego is more than a child’s pastime these days. The problem with aiming at adults rather than children, however, is that it’s not a very interesting character exploration of Pharrell Williams either. The film conveys a lot of information about Williams (and as an ignorant metalhead, I found some of these glimpses into the inner workings of the hip-hop industry intriguing), but it lacks a clear overarching story. Instead, it takes a “Wikipedia” approach, simply progressing through his musical career and checking off all the boxes along the way. The movie is more about what he has accomplished than who he is.
There are several narrative detours, such as one about the death of his grandmother and another about the Black Lives Matters marches. Both experiences presumably had a profound impact on Williams’ life, but neither is explored with much depth. He briefly verbalizes that the BLM movement made him realize the importance of his racial identity, but that thread is quickly dropped and never revisited. As a result, these events (and others) come across as merely boxes to check along the chronological pathway of Williams’ life.
I will also note that I’m skeptical of documentaries produced by the person they portray. They often come across as manufactured PR spins, which is the case here. Other than a few brief hints at shortcomings or failures, nearly every scene in Piece by Piece features people praising Pharrell’s genius as a trailblazing prodigy. Despite attempting to offer a message about the danger of an inflated ego, there is an unavoidable degree of vanity at the center of this film’s creation that reminds me of stereotypical Instagram influencers. The film presents a snapshot of Pharrell’s life, but it has been meticulously curated and edited.
Overall, I remain almost as mystified by this film as I was before watching it. Fitting for the unorthodox thinker Pharrell seems to be, Piece by Piece is not like any other film I’ve seen. If nothing else, it ought to be commended for that. Hip-hop fans may have fun journeying through the genre’s recent history and seeing cameos of industry superstars. But viewers without an attachment to the musical genre or parents looking for wholesome entertainment for their kids might be better off pushing “skip track” on this one.
For Consideration
Language: There are 5-6 uses of “S—” (a few are bleeped out with a “poop” emoji), a few instances of “h—” and “d—,” and a couple utterances of “God” or “Oh my God.”
Violence: None.
Sexuality: The re-creations of popular music videos feature women dancing in skimpy clothing (although they are obviously all Lego characters). The lyrics of many of the songs played throughout (such as “Good Girl”) also feature sexually explicit content, although most of the more problematic sections of those songs are not played in the movie.
Other: Characters drink alcohol and get high (using “PG spray” to fill the room with smoke that is clearly intended as a stand in for marijuana).
Engage The Film
Faith and Science
An interesting aspect of the film for Christian viewers is the inclusion of Pharrell’s faith and spirituality. At the beginning of the film, he notes that because life and the world were “created,” there’s nothing truly new, but we can nevertheless rearrange the pieces we have available to us (J. R. R. Tolkien has entered the chat…). Several scenes are set within a church, and Pharrell has conversations with his pastor and his grandmother about faith. They share their conviction that God has a special plan for his life. In one of the final lines of the movie, while looking out at an ocean, Pharrell experiences the sublime realization that it was “all designed.”
Yet these spiritual beliefs are joined by more naturalistic leanings. Famous scientist Carl Sagan is shown to have a huge influence on Pharrell. During a pivotal scene, Pharrell listens to Sagan give a speech: “Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.” (a quote from Sagan’s book, A Pale Blue Dot).
These seemingly opposing ideas are held in tension and left unresolved. Life on earth is either beautifully and purposefully created or the result of random chance. Pharrell thinks God has an important plan for his life, but the Sagan quote implies that there is no governing higher power. Pharrell seems to believe in God, and he repeatedly credits God for his talents. Yet there is also a humanistic (sometimes hedonistic) element to that belief, as most of his actions seem to be driven by his ambition to be great and successful. Only in his hit song “Happy” is there a clear sense that his God-given gifts are being used to edify others, not merely to chase after lofty career ambitions. Regardless of the somewhat mixed messaging, it is refreshing to see the artist’s faith openly explored in the film.
Talent, Beauty, and Potential
Near the end of the film, Pharrell expresses his belief that every person has talent, beauty, and potential. It is a positive message for younger viewers, and one I don’t doubt Pharrell truly believes. Yet the film struggles at times to balance the wholesome message that anyone can achieve greatness with its depiction of Pharrell as a singularly talented individual seemingly destined for stardom (although the film doesn’t downplay the hard work required to make the most of those abilities). These ideas can both be true (Pharrell’s own extraordinary gifts do not negate the amazing creative potential of others), but the message is less clear than it could have been.
