Piece by Piece

Call it rags-to-riches, an underdog saga, or a hero’s journey. The life story of Pharrell Williams is in many ways familiar, but Piece by Piece definitely is not.

This documentary about the famed pop-music artist and producer is constructed entirely with Lego animation, basically because Williams decided it should be that way. His eclectic tastes have always been the root of his artistic success, so why not?

The innovative visual approach lends a playfulness to the film by documentarian Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom), even if it also seems a transparent attempt to disguise the hagiographic tendencies of this exercise in style over substance.

The stylishly animated Williams narrates his own story, from his humble beginnings in coastal Virginia, when he partnered with classmate Chad Hugo to form a band, then was discovered by famed producer Teddy Riley at a talent show.

From there, they gained notoriety for their innovative beats as the Neptunes and the genre hybrid collective N.E.R.D., rising to prominence with a series of hits in the early 2000s.

During the pinnacle of his career, Williams was a conduit for hip-hop stars to collaborate and cross over into mainstream pop, from Snoop Dogg to Busta Rhymes to Jay-Z. “He was the brother we all wanted to protect because we knew he could open up doors for all of us,” Jay-Z explains.

Among his other collaborators voicing their own characters in the film are Gwen Stefani, Justin Timberlake, and Kendrick Lamar.

Later, the film touches on Williams’ involvement with brands and solo ventures that strained his personal and professional relationships and prompted a career slump, followed by a rebound with his ubiquitous 2014 smash, “Happy.”

There are plenty of visual highlights along the way, such as an amusing re-creation of the beach video for the 1993 club hit “Rump Shaker,” one of his earliest hits, and the incorporation of his fashions and accessories throughout the film.

As a portrait of Williams’ life and career, it prefers relentless positivity and largely glosses over any controversies or missteps. That helps to maintain a certain vibe at the expense of depth or insight.

He’s certainly not the first artist to let ego obstruct authenticity in telling a guarded version of their story. So it’s best to enjoy Piece by Piece on those terms, less as a comprehensive biopic and more as an exercise in self-expression.

Rated PG, 93 minutes.