Review of The Lego Batman Movie (2017) by Jeff B — 21 Jun 2018

Building off of the block-busting success of the The LEGO Movie, a fun-tastic merging of snark and family friendly that was everything a flick about a plaything should be, this Dark Knight rises to even greater heights thanks to its innate ability to satisfy both kids and the kids in all of us. In this PG-rated animated piece of pop-art, a cooler-than-ever Bruce Wayne (Will Arnett) must deal with the usual suspects as they plan to rule Gotham City, while discovering that he has accidentally adopted a teenage orphan (Michael Vera) who wishes to become his sidekick.

With The LEGO Batman Movie, WB and DC Comics zero in on a more cohesive, entertaining, and character-driven flick than the best parts of the Caped Crusader's most recent appearance, Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, which was also funny but for entirely wrong reasons. In winning fashion, LEGO Batman goes so far as to even tease audiences with a riffy retelling of the Dark Knight's long strange trip through pop culture history. Of course, the funhouse tone and LEGO Batman's hilariously self-absorbed 'voice' have slowly been developed in both video game form and in The LEGO Movie before being built upon here, but this standalone truly kicks this version of the character up a quantum notch. This brings up another impressive point: This iteration is based on a toy and video game--two nearly impossible thresholds to pass when it comes to adaptations. What's more amazing is that there are five writers listed for this adaptation (Seth Grahame-Smith, of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter non-fame, gets story credit), which is usually a bad sign that too many cooks are spoiling the broth. Instead, it would appear that each screenwriter used their specific gifts to work on developing and strengthening the many individual characters in this soup. Indeed, the multitude of LEGO figurines pulled from the Zeitgeist could've very easily made for an overwhelming candy-colored experience, but this is never allowed to happen to any blockhead big or small. Hell, even the walk-ons don't get the short-shrift. Supporting players and cameos abound in this, a gleeful extension of the DC Universe in which Harry Potter and Doctor Who get to play (everybody from Superman and Alfred the Butler to Voldemort and Daleks take part in the monkey business). Somehow, all of the pieces fit together wonderfully, especially the story, voices, and - most importantly - the sumptuous animation. Sure, the obligatory message that accompanies an All Audiences feature (in this case--the importance of friendship) gets laid on thick but the movie's snarky zippy delivery keeps the tongues of all involved planted firmly in cheek. What they've given us is a riff on a specific piece of pop culture that further riffs on pop culture in general. The only possible deficit is that some of the jokes may not age well, but most of the brands included have already stood the test of time.

With franchise fatigue setting in for audiences in regards to some series, moviegoers are right to be wary when it comes to broadening The LEGO Movie into offshoots. If Batman is any indication, however, LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Marvel would be welcome additions on the block if they approach their brand with the same well-rounded level of art, appreciation, and zaniness.

To Sum It All Up: Super, Friends.