Theres something about Piece by Piece that is a bit off.

Its not the fact that the new movie on the life and career of megaproducer Pharrell Williams is done entirely in Lego animation (thats actually an intriguing concept in theory) or that Lego Pharrell often goes on lengthy, Deepak Chopra-esque tangents.

Its that Piece by Piece feels disingenuous and at risk of reigniting a decade-old backlash against Williams calling himself New Black and saying he doesnt blame other races for our issues during a 2014 Oprah Winfrey interview has an air of exceptionalism and performativity. With confounding direction from the usually terrific Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom, Wont You Be My Neighbor?), the film goes out of its way to portray Williams as above human.

In some sense, Piece by Piece fails in a way recent celebrity documentaries have. It presents a hagiographical portrait of a largely beloved figure and doesnt question any of it, letting the subject run with his own story to the films detriment regardless of how much of it is actually true.

While Piece by Piece has been marketed as an animated biopic that defies genre and format, it has much clearer documentary elements. The film features interviews with Williams parents, wife Helen Lasichanh, collaborators and friends, including Missy Elliott, Gwen Stefani, Chad Hugo, Pusha T and Snoop Dogg, who all enlighten the audience with anecdotes about, essentially, Williams talent and greatness.

Thats appealing enough for audiences interested in learning more about his music inspirations, as well as his ascent from a humble Virginia childhood all the way to the Billboard charts. The film peppers that timeline with numerous needle drops from the hitmakers discography, including No Doubts Hella Good, Britney Spears Im a Slave 4 U and Snoops Drop It Like Its Hot, that will likely have fans bopping their heads.

Those moments in a movie about a musician typically support what is supposed to already be an interesting story about, in part, where genius meets humanity. In Piece by Piece, which Williams co-produced, they carry the story but feel frivolous, particularly with the otherwise effective Lego animation.

Now, why is this a Lego-animated movie in the first place? In it, Williams doesnt really explain the choice when Neville surprisingly informs him that the film could be done in whatever way that hed like. Its surprising considering the filmmaker should be guiding that decision, but Piece by Piece is basically that way because Williams could do that.

However, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter , Williams said it was because he more or less wanted to remove his image from the film so he could objectively appreciate himself in it.