The LEGO Movie will set surprisingly high box office numbers this weekend. Critical praise and a great marketing strategy won the film most of its viewers, but the LEGO’s main selling point was its family appeal. Children and parents can enjoy the film equally: parents view a visually sophisticated and complex animated feature, while the younger viewers see something kid-friendly.

LEGO earned $17.1 million on Friday, which puts it on track to reach $60 million over the weekend. This exceeds most people’s expectations for the film. Even box office optimists didn’t expect the movie to make more than $50 million in its opening weekend. The film cost less than $70 million to develop and produce, so reaching over $50 million is a huge accomplishment. If The LEGO Movie continues on its box office path, it could extend to over $200 million at the box office – a number usually reserved for heavy-hitter animated features, like films from Pixar and Disney.

The LEGO Movie follows a young leader named Emmet (voiced by Chris Pratt). The film starts in a totalitarian-type world where an evil president (voiced by Will Ferrell) uses shallow entertainment and consumerism to keep the LEGO world people submissive. Emmet, who cheerfully follows the rules at first, is mistaken one day for a chosen ruler called the “Master Builder.” A rebellious citizen named Wyldstyle (voiced by Elizabeth Banks) works alongside him to take down the president. The pair encounters other important LEGOs who join their fight, including Batman (Will Arnett), Green Lantern (Jonah Hill), Abraham Lincoln (Orville Forte) and Wonder Woman (Cobi Smulders).

Many critics claim this is the smartest and most original animated film produced in years.  EW critic Owen Gleiberman called the film ”startlingly sophisticated.” And said, “The LEGO Movie, likewise, invents a kind of child-friendly meta universe in which the playthings on display are at once objects and characters. The transparently fake LEGO constructions embody the pure spirit of make-believe.”

Image Via Official Website