Fans questioned why Pharrell Williams made his biopic a Lego animation — but critics say it’s way better than you’d think
October 11, 20240
Young lego Pharrell Williams in “Piece by Piece.”
Courtesy of Focus Features
Maureen Lee Lenker, a senior writer at Entertainment Weekly, wrote that the Lego animation concept was “tonally dissonant in the documentary’s more emotional moments.”
She wrote: “Perhaps the most head-scratching moment is watching the Black Lives Matter protests transformed into Lego animation. What should be an emotional turning point for Williams in his life and careers is instead, well, cartoonish.”
“Piece by Piece” is a fresh take on biopics, but could have revealed more.
One critic said they use PG spray to replace weed references in the film.
Focus Features
According to multiple critics, the film keeps things largely child-friendly (its rated PG) even when making allusions to marijuana and bleeping out expletives.
Bibbiani wrote: “‘Piece by Piece’ is designed with children in mind. It’s a laid back storybook, with inspirational moments and surprisingly muted drama.”
