LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu – Day of the Departed (2016)

Directed by: Peter Hausner | 44 minutes | animation, action, short film | Original voice cast: Vincent Tong, Kelly Metzger, Michael Adamthwaite, Kirby Morrow, Brent Miller, Jillian Michaels, Paul Dobson, Kathleen Barr, Ian James Corlett, Michael Daingerfield, Brian Dobson, Michael Dobson, Michael Donovan, Andrew Francis, Jennifer Hayward, Michael Kopsa, Alan Marriott, Colin Murdock, Richard Newman

‘LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu: Day of the Departed’ is set between Season 6 and Season 7 of the popular LEGO Ninjago series, which started in 2011. Foreknowledge is useful, because the characters have undergone considerable development since that first season (not so much in their character, as in their appearance). Like the series, the movie is primarily aimed at kids between the ages of six and 11, but don’t be ashamed if you fall outside the range and like to follow the fortunes of the Ninjas, ‘LEGO Ninjago’ is just like the toys it’s based on , secretly also quite fun for adults.

For those who don’t know them, a short introduction: Jay, Zane, Kai and Cole are the first four ninjas, later Lloyd and Kai’s kidnapped sister Nya join them. The ninjas are trained by master Wu to discover their spinjitzu (a martial arts technique). As the series progresses, they find themselves in increasingly strange situations, in which both the viewer and the ninjas themselves learn their strengths and shortcomings.

The Day of the Dead mentioned in the movie title is a day to remember the dead and honor your family. Master Wu takes his five students to the Ninjago Museum of History, because a room has opened there where – coincidentally – all the bad guys defeated by our heroes in previous seasons stand as life-size statues. Cole, turned into a ghost at the hands of Master Yang in Season 5, sees a weapon for a painting by Master Yang in a display case, but when he asks, no one can hear him. Have they forgotten him? It turns out to be a trick by Master Yang, who has nefarious plans during these festivities, which also happen to coincide with a rare lunar eclipse. Cole ends up in Yang’s temple, and the ninja’s other enemies come to life. Each of them chooses a ninja to defeat. Only in this way can they live forever. What follows is a fast-paced action movie in which all ninjas, including Master Wu, have to face an enemy. (Bland) humor and cool fights go hand in hand.

‘LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu: Day of the Departed’ is like a long episode of the series. There are some cringe-inducing moments (the one with the singing Royal Blacksmiths, for example), but young Lego fans will love the action sequences and the vehicles come to life. It’s easy to imagine that the adventures will later be reenacted lying on the ground. For loyal fans of the series it is of course nice to see all the bad guys together, but usually their role is limited to a few minutes. This film, which is not dubbed in Dutch (being able to read subtitles is a must) is a must for Ninjago fans, not least to be able to follow the continuity of the story. If you don’t like cartoonish action films that are mainly aimed at young viewers, you can safely skip this one.