There is a scene during The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part in which a new character by the name of Rex Dangervest (voiced by Chris Pratt) enters the scene and singlehandedly saves our lead protagonist, Emmet, through the use of a device that teleports the two away from the perilous “Duplo” toys. In the midst of this last-minute escape, Rex comically refers to this convenient tool as his trusty “plot device.”
This line is just one of many instances in The Lego Movie 2 in which the film points out its own fictional nature, as the character of Rex, an obvious amalgamation of Pratt’s most iconic action roles, serves as a wink to the audience regarding the actor’s shift in trajectory from genial comedies to blockbuster action adventures. The collective layers of the film being aware of its presence in the real world, as well as consciously pointing out its own shortcomings, are a prime example of the growing trend of meta-humor in stories.
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