The Unikitty Cartoon Network spin-off has one major flaw
By Phil Newman
Cartoon Network announced this week that popular LEGO Movie character, Unikitty, would get her own spin-off. The problem? No Lego.
The Unikitty! series will follow the titular character “into a world full of adventure, excitement and dance parties.” Princess Unikitty, a perky unicorn-cat voiced by Alison Brie in The LEGO Movie, won hearts and minds with her relentless optimism and
As a Cartoon Network press release c/o Deadline puts it:
"As ruler of the kingdom, Unikitty has busy days full of royal responsibilities. Unikitty is most interested in making sure everyone is happy and ridding the kingdom of negativity, but don’t misunderstand her optimism – she is one kitty not to be crossed. While she may be full of boundless energy and creativity, Unikitty is a force to be reckoned with if anyone gets in the way of spreading her positive vibes, especially if anyone makes her little brother and best friend, Puppycorn, sad. Also living in the castle are Dr. Fox, the resident scientist, and Unikitty’s trusty bodyguard, Hawkodile. Through it all, Unikitty and her friends make sure that every day is the happiest and most creative ever."
Which sounds well and good, except for one major thing. Unikitty! will be an animated show, and rather than the brick animation of The LEGO Movie, the Warner Bros. Animation production is more in line with other Cartoon Network fare like Teen Titans Go! While production costs explain some of this, it’s hard not to wish that the artwork was a bit more brick-reminiscent.
Pop culture favorites such as Batman often get the Lego treatment and while it’s neat to see a Lego original character be treated as a translatable icon, the novelty of seeing Lego play out on any size screen has not yet worn off.