Most documentaries tend to be a bit straightforward, but with Piece by Piece, director Morgan Neville (Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain), finds a creative new way to explore the life of 13-time-Grammy award winner Pharrell Williams…he has turned the documentary into a LEGO Movie! While the audio of the film takes the standard interview format, with Williams and many of the people who have worked with him recounting stories about working with the artist, the visuals are that of a LEGO movie. Whether it’s LEGO minifigure versions of the participants being interviewed on camera, or animated reenactments of the stories being shared.
Over the course of the documentary, Pharrell and the other participants talk about growing up in Virginia Beach, his struggles in school, his love of TV and music, getting into music with The Neptunes, his struggle to make it, finding success, his notable collaborations, getting into fashion, his fear of becoming a solo artist, how he and his wife met, getting distracted by varied business ventures, the break up of The Neptunes, losing his direction, finding his way back, and more.
I wasn’t really familiar with Pharrell Williams’ life or music—I only knew him as that guy with the tall hat who sang “Happy” on the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack. So I found this documentary to be quite an interesting look into the life and career of this very accomplished artist. It delves into the successes and struggles of this very unique man, I’m also a fan of the various LEGO Movie franchises, so it was a lot of fun to see a documentary come to life in that aesthetic. The use of LEGO pieces also helps to make the story more relatable and universal, and allows the filmmakers to visually demonstrate things such as Williams’ rare medical condition, called synaesthesia, which causes him to see music as colors.
The film is creatively shot, such as the opening sequence, which feel like a handheld documentary crew following Pharrell at home with his wife and kids… just that everything and everyone just happens to be made out of LEGO bricks. The stories come to life in ways that you couldn’t with a standard documentary. The film features a great mix of humor and heart, with some emotional moments as well as some excellent music. The soundrack includes some originals from Pharrell as well as lots of other music that is referenced in the stories that he wrote, produced and/or performed.
Some of the other folks interviewed in the documentary include parents Pharoah & Carolyn Williams, wife Helen Williams, uncle Bishop Ezekiel Williams, and friends/music industry folks Pusha T, Shae Haley, Timbaland, Missy Elliott, Chad Hugo, Teddy Riley, Tammy Lucas, Rob Walker, N.O.R.E., Jon Platt, Jay-Z, Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dog, Mimi Valdés, Justin Timberlake, Busta Rhymes, Nigo, Kawan “KP” Prather, Jimmy Iovine, Loïc Villepontoux, and Kendrick Lamar.
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment/Focus Features has only released Piece by Piece on Blu-ray and DVD, but it is also available in 4K digitally. We received the Blu-ray release for review, and despite not being in 4K, still looks quite amazing. The colors are bright and rich (exactly what you’d expect from a LEGO movie), and the level of detail is excellent. I can’t really imagine this looking better. The audio track provides not only clear dialogue for the interviews but also a fully-immersive ambiance as the stories come to life, and a great soundtrack, filled with so much great music that I wasn’t aware that Pharrell was involved with.
The Blu-ray release only includes a single disc, which resides in standard HD keepcase, along with a glossy carboard slipcover, and an insert containing a code to redeem for an HD MA digital copy of the film. The disc only includes a single 3-minute interview with Pharrell Williams and director Morgan Neville.
The sound is also fully immersive
What’s Included:
Film: (1:33:14)
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Blu-ray:
- 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
- Audio: English 7.1 Dolby TrueHD, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital
- Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
- HD Digital Copy (Movies Anywhere compatible)
Digital (code may not be valid after 1/31/2026):
Extras:
Play All, or select from:
- Building The Story (3:13)
Director/Producer Morgan Neville and Artist/Producer Pharrell Williams discuss documenting Pharrell’s life story, the film’s unique visual style, and the advantages this gave the filmmakers.
Final Thoughts:
Piece by Piece finds a fun and creative new way to tell what could have been just another biopic documentary, utilizing the lens of LEGO animation to make the stories and interviews really come alive. Universal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds amazing, but only includes a single 3-minute bonus feature. That said, fans of Pharrell Williams, or of LEGO animation in general should have a great time watching this.
Piece by Piece – Blu-ray + Digital
$22.95 (as of December 10, 2024 10:41 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Piece by Piece [DVD]
$17.95 (as of December 10, 2024 10:41 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Piece by Piece
$24.99 (as of December 10, 2024 10:41 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
