Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.
In 2014, Warner Bros. surprised both audiences and critics with “The Lego Movie”. Its witty humor, and charming characters solidified it as one of the most memorable animated films of all time. Now 3 years later, Warner Bros. has made another Lego film with a character who has already been established in popular culture. Batman.
In a world where superhero films seem to be coming out of the woodwork, it’s good to see a film like “The Lego Batman Movie” come out. It doesn’t take itself way too seriously, and knows exactly what it wants to be. The movie expertly pokes fun at not only Batman’s lore, but also at DC Comics’ lore as a whole. As a hardcore DC Comics fan, I can say it does the characters more justice than some previous attempts made in the last few years. That being said, you don’t have to be a hardcore DC Comics fan to enjoy this film. It has a little something for everyone, kids and adults alike.
Batman himself is handled perfectly. You can tell that the writers (mostly) understand his character, as his one liners tend to be a highlight throughout the film. Will Arnett put his all in his performance and it really stands out. He did a really great job. Michael Cera also did an amazing job being the voice of Batman’s young ward, Robin. Seeing his light-hearted nature clash with Batman’s dark and brooding persona was another incredibly well written addition to the film. The animation style was also a treat for the eye. Everything looked so fantastic.
The movie heavily focuses on Batman trying to accept people in his life, and that is where I thought the main problems loomed. The film would jump from an incredibly funny scene to a heartfelt or emotional scene out of nowhere. One minute you would be laughing from a hilarious joke, and literally five seconds later the tone of the film would drastically change. Some of the greatest animated films are able to balance this act of tonal shift, but this film just can’t seem to be able to do it correctly.
Structuring seemed to be another problem the film had as well. There is a moment in which The Joker is transported to a certain location, and every scene after that moment felt either rushed or extremely out of place. I think if the time was taken to fully delve into The Joker’s overall plan, it could have benefited the film.
Overall, “The Lego Batman Movie” is a well made follow up to “The Lego Movie”, and should be able to stand out as it’s own thing. Sure some story elements might be questionable, and it might have certain pacing issues, but that should not stop the overall enjoyment of the film. It is hilarious from the first second, all the way to the end credits. It may not be better than “The Lego Movie”, but it is sure worth the price of admission.
7.5/10
