Oh, he led them right to us.The Lego Movie · 2014 — Chapter 12 of 22 · 3'19" · B1
Cuckoo Land Gets Raided, Explained: every man for himself
When the bad guys track Emmet to Cloud Cuckoo Land, the alliance falls apart and someone yells, "every man for himself." The heroes still manage to build a submarine together—each insisting on their own additions—proving they can cooperate even while claiming they won't.
What happens
Bad Cop's forces track the MasterBuilders to Cloud Cuckoo Land and attack. The group scatters, with someone shouting "every man for himself," and Emmet is blamed for leading the enemy there. Regrouping, they build a submarine from odd pieces—Batman slaps on a name, Unikitty adds rainbows—and escape underwater as the hunt closes in.
Listen for
every man for himselfpatent pendingbe there for someonewhat if
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Phrase of the scene
every man for himself
each person looks out only for themselves
蝙蝠侠被机器人围攻时撂下这句，宣布大家各自逃命，谁也不管谁，团队当场散伙。
When the power went out, it was every man for himself in the elevator.
Also in this scene
- patent pending
a patent has been filed and is awaiting approval
- be there for someone
to support someone when they need it
- what if
introducing a suggestion or hypothetical
Everything marked in this scene
23 notes across 82 lines
You are the worst leader I've ever seen. To the Batmobile!Dang it.each person looks out only for themselves
- Dang it! - Every man for himself.liaison
- Dang it! - Every man for himself.I super hate you.help me get him out of here.to support someone when they need it
Hey, you gotta be there for me.elision
Hey, you gotta be there for me.- I need you to have a better attitude. - I have a great...We've got him cornered.relative adverb where: The second where narrows the place down by what happens there.
Where can we go where we can't be found?Maybe we could go underwater?introducing a suggestion or hypothetical
What if we went underwater?Great idea, babe!a patent has been filed and is awaiting approval
- We could build a submarine. - A Bat-Submarine, patent pending.And dream catchers, in case we take a nap.And dream catchers, in case we take a nap.But you can't build all of them at once.zero conditional: Present tense in both halves marks a general rule.
If anybody has black parts, I need them, okay?wh- word plus infinitive: The wh- word plus base verb replaces a full embedded clause.
You guys, hey, just tell me exactly what to do. And how to do it.flap
You guys, hey, just tell me exactly what to do. And how to do it.Emmet, get in here!Cuckoo Land Gets Raided, explained
What's really going on
Cloud Cuckoo Land turns out to be exactly as fragile as it looks. The rebels have a prophecy and a piece of resistance, but no plan: the moment real danger arrives, the group's instinct is to scatter. Someone shouts "every man for himself," and an alliance that is supposed to save the world behaves like any panicking crowd. What saves them is not heroism but improvisation—building a submarine out of whatever is on hand, with Batman slapping a patent on it and Unikitty insisting on rainbows. The one idea the film cares about keeps returning: "You must embrace what is special about you." The scene is funny because the heroes are childish, and serious because it shows that their strength is making something together rather than following a plan.
Theme
FriendshipThe group nearly dissolves into every-man-for-himself panic, then rebuilds itself by making a submarine together.
IdentityEmmet is told to embrace what is special about him while he keeps trying to copy everyone else.
Listen for
- Every man for himself — liaison
- gotta be there for me — elision
- what to do — flap
You must embrace what is special about you!The film's central advice, aimed at the hero who thinks he has nothing to offer. It tells him not to imitate the others but to build from what only he is.
Where can we go where we can't be found?A practical question that drives the escape. It reframes the scene from a fight into a search for a hiding place.
Oh, he led them right to us.The group's realization that the enemy followed their new member straight to the hideout, laying the blame for the raid at his feet.
Maybe we could go underwater?A throwaway suggestion that becomes the plan: go where the enemy's air power cannot follow and build a vessel for it.
Questions about this scene
How did the bad guys find the MasterBuilders' hideout?
A tracking device was attached to Emmet's ankle. That is why someone points it out on camera, and why the group realizes their newest member led the enemy straight to them.
What does "every man for himself" mean here?
It means everyone should save themselves and stop counting on the group. It is shouted as the alliance breaks apart, and then repeated later to justify refusing to help.
Who actually comes up with the submarine idea?
It surfaces as a casual suggestion from one of the heroes, and Batman immediately puts his name on it as a Bat-Submarine. The gag is that the best idea is treated as his.
Why does the submarine matter to the story?
It shows the heroes can still create together when they stop competing. Building from a pile of odd parts, with everyone adding something, is the opposite of the earlier panic.
The Lego Movie · 22 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 13after allBusiness Mocks the Double-Decker Couch
Chapter 1put to sleepEmmet Follows the Instructions
Chapter 2between the linesEmmet's Morning Routine in Bricksburg
Chapter 3I hate to tell you thisEmmet Touches the Piece of Resistance
Chapter 4a blank slateBad Cop Interrogates Emmet
Chapter 5drop the actWyldstyle Rescues Emmet
Chapter 6no time to loseVitruvius Explains the Universe
Chapter 7No more Mr. Nice GuyPresident Business Reveals the Kragle
Chapter 8blend inEmmet Fails the MasterBuilder Test
Chapter 9in the first placeEmmet Invents the Double-Decker Couch
Chapter 10Trust your instinctsEmmet Learns to Trust His Instincts
Chapter 11tale of woeEmmet Addresses the MasterBuilders
Watching · Chapter 12every man for himselfCuckoo Land Gets Raided
Chapter 13after allBusiness Mocks the Double-Decker Couch
Chapter 14the last thing someone expectsEmmet Pitches His Master Plan
Chapter 15out of the blueEmmet Plans the Tower Heist
Chapter 16put on a tough actLucy Reveals Her Real Name
Chapter 17made it upVitruvius Reveals the Prophecy Is Fake
Chapter 18special little snowflakeLord Business Releases the Kragle
Chapter 19sounds like a cat posterGhost Vitruvius Reveals the Truth
Chapter 20a face in the crowdWyldstyle Rallies the Universe
Chapter 21Fire in the holeDad Finds His Lego Collection Wrecked
Chapter 22back from the deadLord Business Offers His HandChapter 12 of 22 · about 33 min to go