Batman is an established force – the LEGO movie franchise is still growing, but at a very promising rate. Not that there’s anything wrong with that – plus, that’s a smart move for the franchise. I’ll keep things spoiler free, but the film is definitely more LEGO, less Batman. But for those hoping to cleanse their palette after BvS with just a straight up good Batman film, you may have to keep waiting. Writer Seth Grahame-Smith is clearly a Batman fan – the film is riddled with Easter egg references fans can pick up on, probably even after multiple watches. In what will probably be a staple to the LEGO movie franchise, the film includes many other characters and plot points from other franchises. It’s hard to appreciate this film as a straight up Batman film, because it isn’t. It’s a unique visual and emotional treat. Its unique style is close to a fusion between Disney’s bubbly CGI and Studio Laika’s eye-popping stop motion. The film’s humor is unique and its animation has been streamlined, helping it stand out from standard animated fare. There’s something about Arnett’s animation voiceovers that allows him to infuse adult emotion with cartoon characters – if you need further proof than this movie, BoJack Horseman is waiting for you on Netflix. Maybe it’s because I’m 7 years old, but I emoted with Arnett’s Batman much more than Ben Affleck’s – more than most characters in most movies, actually. After accidentally adopting an orphan (voiced by Arnett’s Arrested Development co-star Michael Cera), Batman wonders if maybe it is time to start a family. After Barbara Gordon (Rosario Dawson) becomes the new chief of police, LEGOtham outgrows its need for Batman, and even the Justice League doesn’t have the time of day for him (Channing Tatum reprises his hilarious role of Superman). Alfred (voiced by Ralph Fiennes) encourages Wayne to start his own family, but Batman fears intimacy with even his own archrival Joker (Zach Galifianakis), refusing to admit they are mortal enemies. In the theater I was in, way more adults laughed than children.Īrnett’s Batman is a celebrated vigilante, but has a lonely home life as Bruce Wayne as he’s still haunted by the death of his parents. The animation style and tone appeal to the younger crowd still playing with LEGOs, but the film’s numerous references and overall humor seem to be catered more toward the older audience. It takes numerous jabs at the character’s history, gleefully breaking the fourth wall any time the opportunity arose (I guess the fourth wall must have been made out of LEGOs. Taking cues from 2014’s original The LEGO Movie, the film’s animation is zippy and hectic, packing every pixel on the screen with hidden gags and pop culture references. That’s more than last year’s messy mash-up could do. Will Arnett’s voice acting infuses the character with uncharacteristic spontaneity, yet he’s still able to impart the audience with a clear lesson and character arc. The LEGO Batman Movie is, obviously, not a self-serious take on the character. It’s so dang weird that an actual Batman movie could be so thoroughly outclassed by a child’s toy parody of the character, but hey, it’s 2017, and here we all are. I felt more or less the same way upon my second watch. When I had first seen it in theaters during its opening weekend in 2016, I didn’t understand most things about it, such as why Jesse Eisenberg was straining so much to make his voice high pitched for his very weird portrayal of Lex Luthor, why none of the characters’ motivations or actions made any sense, or what the plot was. Review: The LEGO Batman Movie: I decided to torture myself a bit this weekend and sit through Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.
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