Created by the toy company Lego with directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, The Lego Movie (2014) is about an ordinary Lego figure who soon must fight an evil tyrant and unify the world through creativity. On the surface, it’s a fun, imaginative story for children—but underneath the colourful bricks and catchy songs lies a sharp critique of capitalism and conformity. This seemingly simple film subtly encourages anti-capitalist sentiment and celebrates individualism, but where does it all add up?
THE SETTING AND PLOT
At the beginning of the film, we’re introduced to the protagonist, Emmett (voiced by Chris Pratt of Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World), an ordinary Lego figure who works in construction and lives his life by following instructions to the letter. He represents the ideal worker in a system that values conformity over creativity.
Emmett’s world begins to shift when he meets Wyldstyle—also known as Lucy—voiced by Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games). She draws him into a larger mission: a quest to unite the Master Builders and defeat the film’s antagonist, Lord Business (voiced by Will Ferrell of Barbie and Megamind), a tyrant obsessed with control and perfection.
Although Emmett is initially seen as insignificant, his journey challenges the rigid system around him. By rising up against Lord Business, Emmett is finally recognised—not because he followed the rules, but because he broke free from them.
THEÂ CAPITALISM COMPARISONS
The story is set in Bricktown, a highly controlled city where citizens live under the watchful eye of Lord Business and his corporate empire, the Octan Corporation. Octan controls nearly every aspect of daily life—from the overpriced coffee (a subtle nod to inflation), to the repetitive media content (the same song blaring on the radio, identical TV shows on every screen, and uniform restaurant chains). Citizens are taught to follow instructions to the letter, living within a rigid system designed by Lord Business. While the Lego figures appear content with their routine lives, this illusion of happiness masks a deeper issue: the suppression of creativity and individuality. Media censorship and the criminalization of building anything outside the approved designs ensure that no one disrupts the manufactured order.
HOW EACH CHARACTER REPRESENTS CAPITALISM AND ANTI-CAPITALISMÂ
The protagonist, Emmett, represents the working class. He seeks justice, creativity, and individuality in a world built on rigid structure and enforced conformity. As an ordinary construction worker, Emmett becomes the unlikely hero tasked with changing the system, fighting for the “outcast” Master Builders to reclaim their creative freedom and build without restriction. This introduces a central theme of artistic freedom versus structured capitalism.
In the second half of the film, the animated story is revealed to be part of a larger narrative unfolding in the real world. A young boy grows increasingly frustrated with his father, who prevents him from playing freely with the Lego set, insisting that everything remain perfectly in place. This conflict mirrors the themes within the Lego world, highlighting how the father’s control restricts the boy’s creative freedom. The dynamic serves as a metaphor for how capitalist systems can suppress imagination and individuality in favor of structure, order, and uniformity.
The antagonist, Lord Business, represents the embodiment of capitalist businessmen, highlighting the darker side of capitalism, where not everything about the system is inherently beneficial. Lord Business imposes a regime that limits the freedom of his citizens, stripping them of their individuality and independence. By enforcing conformity, he forces the Master Builders into exile, further isolating those who dare to challenge the system. His character embodies how capitalist structures can suppress creativity and self-expression in favor of control, profit, and order.
HOW THE FILM LINKS TO MODERN DAY SOCIETY
In a modern-day context, Emmett and Lord Business represent the working class and capitalist elites, respectively, from the audience’s perspective. The film’s depiction of media control and censorship serves as a metaphor for how capitalism manipulates society to maintain a singular perspective and uniformity of thought. The film’s depiction of media control and censorship serves as a metaphor for how capitalism manipulates society to maintain a singular perspective and uniformity of thought. The consumption of goods and media is portrayed as an illustration of society’s comfort with conformity. However, the movie advocates for creative freedom and challenges the negative impact of such conformity. It promotes the expression of art and individuality as tools to improve the world. By critiquing the capitalist system, the film highlights how a structure that limits individual freedom can ultimately hinder progress and empathy. Rather than overtly pushing a political agenda, the film encourages viewers to reflect on the state of our current society and recognize that, if change is necessary, it is up to us to make it happen.