The LEGO Batman Movie

The LEGO Batman Movie

Released: February 2017

Starring: Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson, Ralph Fiennes, Zach Galifianakis

Director: Chris McKay

The post-Nolan Batman move that we all deserved.

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When I first heard about The LEGO Batman Movie being made, two thoughts came to my mind. Firstly, what does this say about Warner Bros opinion of their Caped Crusader? Does it mean his stock is at an all-time high, and he is currently immune to even the most unrelenting of public roasts (which surely this would be)? Or, has his value completely crashed following the shambles that was Batman vs Superman (2016), and they simply couldn’t give a guff if their Dark Knight is torn to shreds? Secondly, I don’t care what the reasons are, I simply must see this!

And I was not disappointed. The LEGO Batman Movie is a triumph. It has retained all of the quirk and charm that were integral to 2014’s LEGO Movie, perfectly expanding LEGO’s unique take on Batman. From start to finish the film is an unrelenting stream of jokes, and is unashamed in it’s fun poking at Batman’s previous adventures, from the classic Adam West of the 60’s, to Cristian Bale’s nigh on sacrosanct Dark Knight Trilogy.

The film opens in probably the most rewarding way any Batman film can, with a showdown between Bats (Arnett), The Joker (Galifianakis), and a menagerie of other villains. As you’d expect they’re trying to destroy Gotham City, only to be thwarted single handedly by Batman, armed only with his trusty gadgets and some powerful one liners: “I don’t do ships… relationships”. Naturally, all the villains escape as Batman chooses to save Gotham over capturing its bad guys, before our prowling protagonist walks into the applauding hands of the freshly saved city and then returning to brood in his Batcave- alone. A fairly standard, Batman-y day.

However, our status-quo is shattered when The Joker, tired of Batman, convinces all of Gotham’s bad guys to surrender to the newly appointed Police Commissioner, Barbara Gordon (Dawson). This sees all of our favourite ne’r-do-wellers incarcerated into Arkham Asylum, leaving Batman to dwell on a quiet life in Gotham.

Abandoning the Caped Crusader to a life without crime truly is The Joker’s greatest attack against his old foe, and introduces us to a whole new antagonist: Batman’s utter inability to form meaningful relationships away from the foes he disdains. Alfred (Fiennes), taking on the role of surrogate parent, in a way you really only can when you’re 4cm tall and sculpted from Danish plastic can, is keen to remind him of, and usher him away from a life alone.

Wallowing in solitude, Batman inadvertently ends up teaming up with Robin (Cera), presenting him with his long-required chance to form a familial bond. But his need to beat The Joker and understand “what he is up to” leads to Batman using The Boy Wonder as a foil, rather than a friend, in his attempts to capture The Clown Prince, resulting in them both being locked in Arkham Asylum themselves.

Naturally, The Joker does have a trick or two up his sleeve, which sees the need for Batman and Robin to be freed to save the day.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Batman film without a final showdown, and it wouldn’t be a LEGO film if the traditional rules about it weren’t at least bent [or smashed like your favourite LEGO house by your angry little sister]. You can probably guess how this pans out (Batman toils on his own, learns the value of friendship, before overcoming his foes), but this doesn’t detract from a thoroughly entertaining and largely satisfying climax.

The LEGO Batman Movie is a joy. No, it won’t win many awards. Yes, it essentially tells a tried and tested Batman story. But it tells the story in a way that no-one else could, and no-one else has ever tried to. It is a quirky and irreverent Batman film, and a pleasant change of pace from the dark and gritty adventures of recent years. The laughs are plentiful, as are the pop culture references and LEGO quirks that you would expect from such an adventure.

The laughs and adventure aside, it successfully addresses Batman’s complicated relationship with relationships in a way that only The Dark Knight Rises has ever really touched on before. Yet instead of feeling overly-glitzy, it feels genuine (how many of us have had arguments with their parents over the parental lock on their Bat/com-puter?) and it is accessible to the younger audiences which this film will draw.

Ultimately, this isn’t quite the phenomenon of The LEGO Movie, but it is a thousand times better than the debacle that was Batman v Superman (yes, a thousand times zero is still zero, I know), and it is well worth a watch.

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🌟🌟🌟🌟 4 Stars

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I loved

The no-holds-barred assault on Batman movies, old and new is delightful, and the throwback to Alfred in the 60’s style Bat-Suit (a personal favourite moment of mine) filled me with glee.

Finding a film with as many thrills and spills as well as a deeper underlying message is a highly pleasant change.

Every cliché is used and every cliché is nailed.

Pet Peeve

Ralph Fiennes voices Alfred and only Alfred.