I'm just gonna come right out.The Lego Movie · 2014 — Chapter 11 of 22 · 6'31" · B2
Emmet Addresses the MasterBuilders, Explained: tale of woe
Cloud Cuckooland runs on contradictions: "there are no rules," except for a long list of things you can't do. Then the MasterBuilders meet to hear that Lord Business will end the world, and the chosen hero they present, Emmet, opens by listing everything he isn't. "In fact, I'm not all that smart," he admits.
What happens
Unikitty welcomes the group to Cloud Cuckooland, a place with no rules, no government and no bedtimes — and a lot of things you may not do. Then the MasterBuilders gather, where Vitruvius warns that Lord Business plans to weaponize the Kragle. Asked to speak, Emmet opens with a list of his own shortcomings.
Listen for
as we know iton your owntale of woepush down
00:00 / 06:31Space play · ← → lines · R repeat
Now
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Phrase of the scene
tale of woe
a story full of suffering
麦塔比尔德要讲述自己丢掉身体、只剩一个头的经历，称它为 me tale of woe，一段苦难史。
He arrived late with a long tale of woe about traffic and flat tires.
Also in this scene
- as we know it
in the form we are used to
- on your own
alone, without help
- push down
to suppress a feeling and bury it
Everything marked in this scene
32 notes across 148 lines
How does anyone know what not to do?there are no rules.and no negativity of any kind.You just said the word "no" like a thousand times.Didn't Krypton blow up?to end the world as we know it.in the form we are used to
to end the world as we know it.You gotta write that down. I'm not gonna remember any of it.Go ahead, man. You got this.Wiping ye bum with a hook for a hand is really hard.The result was a massacre too terrible to speak of.a story full of suffering
And I'll tell you me tale of woe.at the foot of the Tower...only to find the Kragle was all the way up on the infinityeth floor...only to + infinitive: only to marks the letdown discovered after the effort.
only to find the Kragle was all the way up on the infinityeth floor...I barely made it out of that...liaison
I barely made it out of that...with this useless hunk of garbage ye see before ye.Rubbish!Or having ideas in general.In fact, I'm not all that smart."He is the least qualified person...No, there was about to be a "but."be about to: be about to pins the action to the moment just before it happens.
No, there was about to be a "but."alone, without help
You all be on your own!liaison
You all be on your own!A house divided against itself would be better...Well, you were right about him being a ding-dong.Well, at least it can't get any worse.Well, at least it can't get any worse.elision
Well, at least it can't get any worse.Emmet Addresses the MasterBuilders, explained
What's really going on
The joke of Cloud Cuckooland is that total freedom comes with its own tyranny of vibes: "there are no rules," followed by a rapid list of rules — no government, no bedtimes, no negativity of any kind. Then the film flips the tone. In the meeting, the rebels have only hope and a prophecy, and the supposed hero introduces himself by dismantling his own credentials: "I may not be a MasterBuilder... In fact, I'm not all that smart." His honesty is meant to be winning, but it deflates the room. Metal Beard answers with his "tale of woe," a survivor's warning, and walks out. The scene ends on rivalry and despair: "You all be on your own!"
Theme
IdentityEmmet introduces himself by listing everything he is not, and the room's faith in him collapses on the spot.
PowerThe meeting frames the conflict as Lord Business's plan to weaponize the Kragle and end the world.
Listen for
- made it out — liaison
- on your own — liaison
- at least — elision
I have no idea what's going on, or what this place is at all.A blunt admission of confusion, spoken on arrival: the hero has no grasp of the world he has landed in.
The result was a massacre too terrible to speak of.Metal Beard's warning about the last assault on Business's tower — a defeat so bad it can barely be described.
In fact, I'm not all that smart.Emmet's self-deprecating confession, offered as honesty but landing as the opposite of a rallying speech.
You all be on your own!A blunt exit line: whoever says it is done helping and leaves the others to fend for themselves.
Well, at least it can't get any worse.A dry, hopeful note after disaster — the kind of line that usually invites something worse.
Questions about this scene
Why does Unikitty say there are no rules while listing so many?
It is the joke of Cloud Cuckooland: total freedom is enforced by a cheerful pile of prohibitions. She bans negativity of any kind, which quietly rules out any real disagreement.
Why does Emmet list all his weaknesses in his speech?
He is trying to be honest, but the effect is to convince the MasterBuilders they have no leader. What he means as humility reads to them as proof the prophecy is broken.
What is Metal Beard's tale of woe about?
It is his account of the last attempt to storm Lord Business's tower, which ended in a massacre and cost him his body. He tells it to warn them that the mission is impossible.
What does on your own mean at the end?
It means the person is quitting and leaving everyone else to manage without him. The line turns the meeting from a plan into a breakup.
The Lego Movie · 22 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 12every man for himselfCuckoo Land Gets Raided
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
Watching · Chapter 11tale of woeEmmet Addresses the MasterBuilders
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 11 of 22 · about 37 min to go