Piece by Piece

You might think that Pharrell Williams is too young to have his own documentary biopic. I did too, until I saw PIECE BY PIECE. This is an animated LEGO portrayal of Pharrell's life and career, which is the most "Pharrell" thing he could do: defying genres as a person and with his music. I've only known him as a musician, but he's done so much more as a producer. This movie also shines a light on what music producers actually do. It opened my eyes to just how many huge songs Pharrell and his band The Neptunes had a hand in creating. To name-drop some artists: Gwen Stefani, Kendrick Lamar, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, Pusha T, Missy Elliott, and even Snoop Dogg, who has a very funny joke in this. This movie is directed by Morgan Neville, who won an award for the documentary 20 FEET FROM STARDOM. He does a great job detailing the ups and downs of life. One of the more fascinating aspects of this is how it depicts the way Pharrell listens to music. He has synesthesia, where he can actually see colors in his head while listening to music. This movie has lots of fun small details, due to the LEGO aesthetic. One thing I didn't expect to see is the portrayal of loss, especially not the Black Lives Matter movement. Pharrell didn't want to make just another regular biopic, it's definitely a breath of fresh air that is much more than just a gimmick. Imagination is such a powerful thing. This is a testament to self-belief and being uniquely yourself. If you're a Pharrell fan, go see it. If you're a LEGO fan, go see it. If you just wanna be happy, go see PIECE BY PIECE.

Rating: 7.5 Overall, a pretty good movie that opens the possibilities of what stories we can tell through Lego Animation; but, it is basically a biased documentary on Pharrell Williams' life.

Direction: Pretty Good The direction on a macroscale is unique and interesting as they basically had a narratively driven documentary about Pharrell's life but told it through Legos, and used the Lego animation well to help paint the world and show Pharrell's imagination; the direction on a microscale feels like an interview-style documentary, though Pharrell is given space to work with and share his emotions; the storytelling is very similar to other documentaries, though told in a very meta, creative style

Story: Pretty Good The concept is really interesting as it is an interview-style documentary on Pharrell's life, but told through the lens of Lego animation; this movie opens the possibilities of what stories we can tell through Lego Animation; the plot structure follows many interview-style documentaries on a subject's life, but it puts a little too much weight in the wrong places that it feels like it runs out of steam towards the end; it is pretty unclear what is actually factual and what is made up for the movie; the present-day conflict between Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams makes the movie have somewhat of an awkward tension between the two characters; the character writing does not really do a great job at showing the ego of Pharrell because they mention it but kind of brush over it, but it does a good job painting how creative he was; the story feels a little biased because it was clear Pharrell had a big say in what was in this movie, and how his side was presented

Screenplay: Decent The dialogue is very meta and kinda pretentious at times, but besides that, it feels like any other documentary; the humor is pretty good, with them making a lot of jokes that push the rating limit; the symbolism is decent as the movie is a metaphor on how pieces come together to make bigger concepts and aspects of life, why they decided to make this movie with Legos; they try to have this political message towards the end of the movie, but there is barely any time left and they kinda just brush over it, so it felt like they had it just to have it without presenting any nuance; the foreshadowing is alright, but kinda predictable if you know Pharrell's life

Acting: Pretty Good Pharrell Williams: Pretty Good (He just plays himself as this is more of a documentary than a narrative; but it definitely shows his personality) Rest of the cast: Pretty Good (Really just interviews from people in Pharrell's life and people he worked with)

Score: Good Helped show Pharrell's personality, and incorporated many of his iconic themes and beats

Soundtrack: Very Good Basically, a Pharrell Williams Greatest Hits album, and it had different songs that influenced his childhood

Editing: Good

Sound: Good Incorporated both the music and Lego sound effects well

Animation: Great Loved the animation, as it opens up the doors for what stories we can tell with Legos

Pacing Pacing is not the best, as it feels like it places too much weight on his childhood and early days, that the movie runs out of steam towards the end

Climax The climax is not that well executed as the movie feels like it kind of runs out of steam towards the last 20 minutes; but there is some closure

Tone The tone is very documentary in style, with Lego animation flavors.

The idea of having a Lego movie that documents the life of Pharrell Williams is so unique and creative and it is the type of thing I would love to see more of in Hollywood. The film has some really nice animation and when the animation moves to the music it looks really cool. The movie basically serves as a documentary about Pharrell Williams which is nice and it's really funny seeing all of these legends from the entertainment industry in Lego form, especially Snoop Dogg. In classic Lego movie form this movie has heart and humor, and can be enjoyed by the whole family. I also like how even though this is a Lego movie the film didn't really hold back on some of the more adult elements of Pharrell's story. Morgan Neville did a good job directing and I think this is a pretty solid and entertaining watch.

Piece by Piece is a stunning exploration of creativity through the medium of LEGO animation. The film captivates with its vibrant visuals, particularly the breathtaking sea, speed boat and sunset.

What sets this film apart is its narrative style, utilizing interview voices to weave Pharrell's story within the fabric of the animation. The rhythm of the beat is palpable throughout, making it not just a visual treat but an auditory one as well, creating a deeply immersive experience.

Don't miss it in a cinema. It's made for the big screen with its vivid colours and super sound track played loud!

Pharrell Williams is one of the most iconic and creative artists of all time. Many generations can recognize his music, but few may know his story. From childhood to becoming a global brand, this is the unique story of Pharrell Williams.

This is a unique biopic told through Lego animation, which makes it enjoyable for both adults and children. The story does not get into the nitty-gritty of Pharrell's journey through the music industry. It sticks to what inspired him and how he became one of the greatest music producers ever. The animation is colorful and captivating, and with Pharrell's music, it is even better. The movie feels less than one hour and thirty-three minutes, and it will have you tapping your foot and bobbing your head the entire time. This is a great movie to introduce the new generation to some of the hits we grew up with and share the story of someone who has accomplished so much.