Rebuilding a relationship

Kids’ movies often avoid tackling weighty matters because of the intended audience’s immaturity. Such films typically settle for lessons like “The strongest weapon is inside you,” as Master Wu (voiced by Jackie Chan) teaches his young protégés in the mildly funny Lego Ninjago Movie. But this film’s writers, by dealing squarely with absentee fatherhood, seem determined to go where few animated movies have gone before.

Lloyd (Dave Franco) lives alone with his mother. His high-school classmates shun him for being the son of Garmadon (Justin Theroux), a supervillain who constantly terrorizes their city, Ninjago. This is yet another riff on Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, of course, and for the first half of Ninjago (rated PG for mild action and rude humor), the father-son tension plays for chuckles. But Lloyd has a secret his classmates and divorced parents don’t know: He’s the heroic Green Ninja, Garmadon’s sworn enemy. Still, Lloyd’s greatest battle is having to grow up without a father in the home.

“You ruined my life,” Lloyd exclaims after removing his disguise.

“How could I?” Garmadon retorts. “I wasn’t ever there.” Laugh if you can.

When a life-size house cat named Meowthra begins knocking over Ninjago’s buildings, Lloyd and his father team up to find the “ultimate ultimate weapon” that will expel the cat. Raw emotions, laced with some humor, begin to displace the lighthearted tone prevalent earlier. It feels as though the film’s writers are unburdening.

“I wish we could get that time back,” Lloyd pleads through tears. “I need my dad.” Luke never went there.

But who will appreciate all this catharsis? My opening night audience consisted almost entirely of parents and their young Lego builders. Preteens and teens who might themselves articulate Lloyd’s pain had probably ditched the fam for another film.