The Lego Batman Movie Review

The Lego Batman Movie Review

In the 78 year history of Batman, it seems like there is a repeating pattern with all the Batman movies. First, there was the film adaptation of the light and campy 60’s TV show, then we got the dark and gothic Tim Burton films, then the franchise was ruined by the flashy and homoerotic Joel Schumacher films, and then it was revived by the dark and grounded Christopher Nolan films. 

Now we have ‘The Lego Batman Movie’ which has a very light and silly tone like many of the films before it. But what's great about this film is that is self-aware of the previous incarnations of Batman while also being a great Batman film. 

The film focuses on our favorite caped crusader always saving the day but while also being alone. Even though this is affecting him he is too stubborn to admit this as he does not want to be seen as soft. However as the Joker is trying to destroy Gotham and as Robin is forced into his life, it seems Batman much learn to work with others. 

Like I said before, what I like the most about this film is that it is very self-aware of itself. One thing the film is self-aware off is the characteristic flaw of the Batman character. To the public, Batman comes across as cool and edgy as he can take care of any situation by himself and rapping about how awesome he is. 

But behind the scenes, Batman is sad because he is alone and fights crime to get acknowledgment from others. This is best shown as he watches Romanic Comedies like Jerry Maguire in his spare time because he desires a relationship. I think what makes this a great Batman film is the arch of Batman learning to work with others.

The film is also aware of the weird relationship between Batman and Joker as they need to fight each other. Throughout the film, Joker is trying to make Batman acknowledge that he is his greatest villain after Batman refuses to acknowledge that. While their relationship is not as complex as the Batman/ Joker conflict in ‘The Dark Knight’, it is still hilarious to watch. 

The animation is unsurprisingly amazing. Like ‘The Lego Movie’, it is very detailed and the lego characters and lego pieces move like it was made in stop motion. When Batman is flying in his Bat-plane, the flames move like actual flames except made out of lego. 

The voice acting is also really good. Will Arnett returns to play Batman after playing him in ‘The Lego Movie’ and he does a great job playing Batman as someone trying too hard to be cool. Michael Cera is pretty funny as Robin, playing someone who is dorky and naive. Zach Galifianakis is surprisingly unrecognizable as the Joker.

There are also a lot of joke about previous incarnations of Batman, especially the 60’s TV show. There is a joke about shark repellent from the Adam West TV show. In one scene, the Joker says that Superman is not a villain which is a reference to when Batman saw Superman as a villain in ‘Batman vs. Superman’. There is even a jab at ‘Suicide Squad’ when Batman says it is stupid to make villains fight other villains. 

The movie does have some flaws. There are times when jokes are thrown at the audience at a rapid pace and most of the jokes are not subtle either. At one moment, there would be a joke about how Batman has many suits and in a second there is a joke about how Robin is barely wearing pants. This is really distracting as it makes it really hard for us to focus on the main plot with a ton of joke being thrown at us. If some of the jokes were a little more subtle then I think the jokes would be less distracting.

I think ‘The Lego Batman Movie’ is a ton of fun. It is a must-see for families and Batman fans alike as it is fun and has a love for the source material. I had a blast and I think everyone will to. 

Grade: A-