When The LEGO Movie came out in 2014, I loved it, and thought the 3D animation as well as the plot were both so incredibly clever. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, The LEGO Movie taught us that “everything is awesome! Everything is cool when you’re part of a team!” (Oh, no! Now I’m going to have that song stuck in my head for the rest of the day. Oh, well. So will you. Don’t even pretend that you’re not humming it. ” . . . when you’re living on a dream!”)
While the lead character in The LEGO Movie was Emmet Brickowoski, voiced by Chris Pratt, it was comedian Will Arnett’s Batman, who, in my opinion, stole the show. While so many of the characters were ultra-happy, Batman was dark, serious, and overly dramatic, but in a hysterical kind of way.
Arnett reprises his role as the brooding superhero Batman in The LEGO Batman Movie, directed by Chris McKay, who is listed as the voice of “Larry the Barista” in the credits of the first LEGO film. Set in Gotham City, Batman (A.K.A. Bruce Wayne) purposely chooses to “bask in sweet, sweet isolation,” afraid to risk loving anyone for fear of being abandoned like he was following the death of his parents. With his shredded abs, he shuns relationships, and lives a life of solitude with only his butler Alfred as his companion.
When Gotham City gets a new powerful yet pragmatic commissioner named Barbara Gordon, Batman’s superhero status is in question. She doesn’t want Batman to be the city’s savior, but instead wants Batman to work with her and the police department. Batman, uninterested in teamwork, rejects her idea, and tries to continue his vigilante ways.
When a googly-eyed orphan named Dick Grayson meets Bruce Wayne, he earnestly latches on, eager to finally have a family. He, of course, doesn’t realize that Bruce Wayne’s alter ego is part of the deal, and that his new “Padre” has some dark secrets. Dick becomes Batman’s sidekick, known as Robin, and teaches Batman about the power of teamwork.
In the meantime, the Joker, who professes to be Batman’s arch enemy, is once again wreaking havoc on Gotham City, desperately seeking Batman’s attention. The Joker wants Batman to admit that even though he hates the Joker, the Joker actually means something to him. He tells him, “You’ve run away from everyone else in your life, but you chase me.”
While I didn’t necessarily like The LEGO Batman Movie as much as I liked The LEGO Movie, I can’t say that I’m surprised because the Batman franchise isn’t among my favorites. That being said, I still found it entertaining, and found myself laughing on many occasions, especially at all of the jokes that were included just for the amusement of adults.
My husband Mike, my nine year old daughter Addie, and our thirteen year old family friend Jack attended the movie with me. Mike commented, “If you’ve seen all the other Batman movies and the TV show from the ’60s, you’ll get more of the jokes than someone who hasn’t. The movie also throws in many of the Batman villains from the well-known to the downright obscure. The movie is exactly what it should be; it’s fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously.”
Addie started giggling before there was even any action on the screen, and continued to do so throughout much of the movie. She said she’s sure other kids will laugh too! Jack shared, “It was a good movie, although it was kind of hard to take any emotional moment seriously because it was all made of LEGOs. Overall it was pretty funny, and had a good storyline.”
Batman learns that while loneliness has served him well all these years, perhaps it’s time to let others “make his world a little less dark.” After all, “Friends are the family you can choose.” (P.S. Be prepared for a new song to be stuck in your head!)
Movie times: click here
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure
Director: Chris McKay
Actors: Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson, Ralph Fiennes, Zach Galifianakis
Rating: PG for rude humor and some action
Running Time: 1 hour 44 minutes
