The Lego Batman Movie

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SPOILER-FREE REVIEW

     The Lego Batman Movie is the hotly anticipated follow-up to 2014’s beloved The Lego Movie. I’m not sure exactly what genius is in charge of Lego’s film department, but the folks there are doing something truly special—and quite possibly outstripping the competition at Disney/Pixar. With Lego-style humor and the full roster of the DC universe, The Lego Batman Movie is chock-full of Gotham City-centric fun.

     When The Lego Batman Movie begins, Batman has it all. He’s an accomplished superhero with everything he wants at his fingertips—including an awesome array of gadgets. The only thing he doesn’t have is a family to call his own. As changes at Gotham City Police Department threaten to undermine the superhero status quo, Batman embarks on a journey to learn the value and vulnerability of togetherness—and defeat the bad guys.

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     Like The Lego Movie before it, The Lego Batman Movie’s main strength is that it’s just an unapologetic good time, packing hilarious, self-referential humor into a warm-hearted story. There’s plenty of silly ridiculousness for kids to enjoy, but adults will appreciate the wealth of in-jokes targeted at them. I think I probably laughed more than most kids in the theater, honestly.

     Against all odds (looking at you, Emoji movie), the Lego films have managed to justify their own existence by providing a unique comedy outlet. The jokes in this film wouldn’t work in any other iteration—there’s a Lego niche. When everyone’s a Lego, it’s easy to laugh at everything and take nothing too seriously. Perhaps most impressively, the movie seems to channel exactly the kind of insane creative energy that kids demonstrate at play-time. The whole thing feels like a journey to a world run by kids.

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     That’s probably why Batman is a near-perfect subject. In the world of self-serious superheroes (especially on the DC side of things) everything is dark. It’s as if the filmmakers are afraid of becoming the next Joel Schumacher if they let in a little levity. The Lego formula solves that problem. Audiences are given a story that takes a genuine look at Batman—and the host of serious themes that come with him—but does so through a carefree, childish lens.  

     Other pros include lots of fun appearances by DC universe characters (as well as some from other Warner Brothers properties), plenty of references to Batman lore, and a strong moral message that parents and kids alike can learn something from. What’s there not to like?

photo courtesy of moviepilot.com

     Well, to answer my own question, if the movie has any fault, it’s that it’s not The Lego Movie, which was truly a breath of fresh air. And although The Lego Batman Movie is a lot of fun in its own right, the excitement isn’t quite as fresh as it was three years ago. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with the movie, per say, it’s just that in the movie business, things are rarely as awesome the second time around. The creatives behind the franchise will want to ensure that they keep mixing up the formula to make things interesting as they go forward. With The Lego Ninjago Movie and The Lego Movie 2 slated for the near future (and, undoubtedly, a Lego Batman sequel as well), there’s good reason to believe they’ll do just that. 

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