The LEGO Batman Movie - movie review
The LEGO Batman Movie
Plot: Bruce Wayne must not only deal with the criminals of Gotham City, but also the responsibility of raising a boy he adopted.
Cast: Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson
Director: Chris McKay
Certificate: U (mild comic violence, rude humour, very mild bad language)
Runtime: 1hr 44 mins
Release Date: Friday 10th February 2017
It's not exactly a good sign when the animated comedic take on a character, ridiculing everyone and thing in its path, is a better crafted film than the serious and franchise-making real-life portrayal. The LEGO Movie was an absolute astonishment when it landed in 2014 providing the heartiest of laughs and surprising us with true emotion. However, the standout character in that film was Will Arnett as Batman so it didn't come as much of a surprise when a standalone movie of his was announced. Allow me to say with absolute certainty, The LEGO Batman Movie is the funniest animated film I've seen in a while and possibly, the best Batman film since The Dark Knight.
Never have we been treated to such a hilarious interpretation of the Caped Crusader since George Clooney wore Bat nipples in Batman & Robin. Come to think of it, that film was more painful than hilarious. Will Arnett has really dedicated himself to this role and it pays off tremendously. First and foremost, his love for the character is evident but he's able to pay his respects and parody the infamous vigilante in the same swift motion. He spoofs the well known and often impersonated growly voice for every line he has in the film, even as Bruce Wayne. I can only presume he has some serious throat lozenges whilst in the recording studio. Through his gruff voice, Batman still feels like Batman. It sounds silly to say but in some of the lesser known animated DC films, they miss what Batman is all about, case and point in The Killing Joke when he has sex with Batgirl. Be assured, that never happens in this. Team America gave us puppet sex so I really don't need to see LEGO intercourse. The funniest part of Batman in this film is his boasting and self-absorbed personality with his answer to any challenge or question being "BECAUSE I'M BATMAN!!" The unexpected shock is the film's skill to delve inside the character of Batman and provide some quite heartfelt moments regarding his desire for a family. It wasn't as moving as The LEGO Movie's message was but it still felt well earned and had the desired effect. Another great bit of casting was Michael Cera as Robin. Other than wearing the tight underpants and being a sidekick to Batman, this film has switched up the character of Robin to suit the hilarity. Robin is a wide-eyed child who adores Batman almost as much as Batman adores himself but possesses the cute endearing quality that Cera's voice is perfect for. Batman has a lot of the big laughs but Robin gets many of the quick and snappy one-liners that kids will be quoting and remembering for years to come.
Rosario Dawson also proves that there is such thing as being able to star in Marvel and DC by voicing Barbara Gordon who comic fans will know, later becomes Batgirl. Her addition to any film is always welcome with open arms and she's no exception in this. She's funny, cool and will likely fuel many little girls that watch this with the desire to dress as her come Halloween. Perhaps the most genius bit of casting is Ralph Fiennes as Alfred, Batman's butler. Fiennes is just fantastic as this voice and suits the well-mannered fatherly figure to Batman, brilliantly. It's also hilarious to see how the writers have utilised strong British humour for his character which seriously tickled my funny bone especially when you have him praising the Queen whilst firing missiles out of the back of the Batjet. But of course, with any mainstream Batman edition, the Clown Prince Of Crime pops his blocky head to wreak havoc. The Joker is wonderfully voiced by Zach Galifianakis who brings a side to the Joker we've never seen before and the relationship he has between himself and Batman is very unique but an issue and very grey area that has had fans chomping at the bit to understand. At face value, their back and forth is highly comedic and had me laughing constantly but the more you think about it, the film expertly details both characters' state of mind during their rivalry. Joker isn't the only villain to make an appearance though as LEGO Batman miraculously has the entirety of Batman's Rogues Gallery on show, albeit in small roles, but sensationally satisfying nonetheless. You should also possess a keen eye when watching this film because as well as small, fairly unknown villains who would never gain a live action appearance in a month of Sundays, characters appear that you would never have thought Batman would face up against. Enjoy those surprises.
FACT: In early casting, Guillermo del Toro & Steve Buscemi were the frontrunners for voicing Bane and The Joker, respectively.
Easily the biggest praise I can give The LEGO Batman Movie is that I never stopped laughing. The film starts with a black screen but a certain narration over the top immediately had me bellowing with laughter. The jokes are unrelenting and have about a ninety percent hit rate so by the twenty minute mark, my stomach was actually hurting with how much of the comedy worked. The only issue that I could think of about the humour in this film is that it's quite exhausting. I left the film knackered with how much my lungs had been working overtime. I genuinely had to use my inhaler at one point because I was doubled over in a fair amount of discomfort but not wanting the comedy to stop because it was pitch perfect. Obviously the big set pieces and simple jokes fulfilled the intention to make the audience laugh but what hit me the hardest were the small inclusions that we wouldn't ever see in Batman film. Never would I have thought I'd see Batman, in his dressing gown, heating up a lobster in a microwave and then struggling to find the right input for his home cinema. It's the absolutely mental and wild humour that made the first LEGO Movie brilliant and that skill has thankfully been passed on. I'd go so far to say that the humour in this film borders on Deadpool level. Not in the crass way of course but the self aware nature of it all and ability to, in a roundabout manner, break the fourth wall mentioning current social events and referencing other films, is immediately hysterical. Just hearing Batman saying that another superhero sucks had me laughing so much that I was almost in tears. LEGO Batman also is a great Batman film as well. At its core, it's definitely taking the piss out of a lot of aspects about Batman's history both within the comics and noting his actual films but the story within has great foundations to make an extremely solid Batman movie about Joker taking over Gotham and accepting he cannot save everyone on his own. It discusses themes such as bravery, family and acceptance but never executed in a forced or heavy-handed manner. My only issue is regarding the pacing during the second act. The laughs are constant, that's for sure, but the overall movement of the story and flow feels very stagnated.
This might seem like a clichéd thing to say but the animation is wholly unique. These two LEGO movies have to be some of the most complex and fascinating ways to animate, second to Laika and Aardman. Everything you see, and I do mean everything, is made of LEGO. The detail gone into the look of the Gotham landscape and the accuracy of many of the large sets (Wayne Manor, Batcave) are phenomenally impressive. I saw the film in 3D, something which I don't often do, but I wouldn't slam the film for this conversion being pointless as I would with many other post converted 3D films. When objects are exploding or LEGO fireballs are heading towards the screen, the LEGO bricks do have the sensation of flying right at you. There's even great music displayed in the film with a total highlight being a Heavy Metal rap, performed by Batman while defeating the majority of his enemies, about how awesome he is. I dare anyone who doesn't even consider that idea to have an ounce of comedic potential to track me down and say it directly to my face and even if they did, I'd slap them for lying. What I didn't expect from this film was the exciting and fun action. It's creative, hilarious but unexpectedly thrilling. The Batmobile and Batjet sequences are all terrifically directed and animated. I'd be as bold to say that it outdoes some of the action films released in the past few years.
Exciting as it is funny. Heartfelt as it is hysterical. The LEGO Batman Movie is the definition of fan service with a seemingly endless mountain of comic book Easter Eggs but I have no problem seeing it multiple times to catch them all. From literal start to finish, I did not stop laughing. It perfectly spoofs Batman and the comic book genre in general but makes a great film in the process. With two unimaginably amazing films under its belt, LEGO cinematic adaptations show no sign of slowing or declining in quality.
My Verdict: 9/10
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