The Lego Batman Movie

Surprisingly there are still quite a number of people that have the notion that these Lego films are immature cash-grabs, only existing to peddle the Lego brand. 

For starters: as if Legos need to be peddled. They're the single greatest toy ever made. 

Secondly: the above statement still amazes me because what we're seeing here is the potential emergence of a new Pixar, or at least Pixar-esque quality of animated film making. 

That may be a bit of a hot take seeing as how Pixar is so revered, but nonetheless, if Lego Batman proves anything, it's that The Lego Movie wasn't a fluke. 

Seeing as how Will Arnett's moody, egotistical Batman was one of the best and funniest characters of the original film, it makes complete sense that he's not only the one to get his first spinoff, but was also the character that Lego wants to test the waters with. 

Color me shocked that their next movie is a Ninjago one (a brand that Lego solely owns as it's their own creation) mainly because Lego has the rights to so many different avenues. The trailer is still hilarious so I'm sure it'll be a great movie, but when your capabilities of "ownership" range from DC to Marvel to Star Wars to Lord of the Rings and even the Matrix...hell, even The Big Bang Theory is a right that Lego has now -- I'm surprised they just don't hop right into one of those. I read somewhere the other day that people wanted a Lego Mad Max film too. I can very confidently say that's a movie I would watch the hell out of. 

Since when has the Joker
had green eyebrows?!?

I digress though -- too impressed with all the properties that Lego has at their disposal. The Lego Batman Movie returns us to Arnett's Batman living in Gotham and fighting crime. We quickly observe that he's lonely when he's not fighting crime and what's worse is that he's in denial over it. The Joker wants Batman to admit that they have a sort of relationship but Batman refuses to acknowledge it, causing the Joker to go on a quest to become Batman's "main" enemy -- instead of just a "side" enemy. It's interesting that the Batman film that perhaps digs deepest into the psyche of Bruce Wayne is one where the characters walk around on studded bricks, but after how surprisingly deep The Lego Movie got, it shouldn't really be a surprise. Batman pokes and prods at all the previous films, sometimes in a not so obvious way, but explains how there's a constant theme that Batman is his own worst enemy because he doesn't let anyone get close to him. He has no friends or family. It's a surprising call out from a film like this but it's certainly not wrong and it makes for a worthwhile, if not slightly generic tale of allowing friends to help you out. 

The writing for The Lego Batman Movie is truly where it shines. Much like the original, it's surprisingly witty and packs in a lot of inside jokes for adults but also fans of the Batman films. There's general silliness in there for kids, but I dare say that this one will make adults laugh harder than their young ones. In the first 10 minutes alone the one-liners fly a mile a minute and I'm sure I didn't catch all of them. For the last 30 minutes, as the film is tying on it's climax/resolution, I felt as if the humor, specifically the quick quips, dropped pretty drastically but overall the film is still a riot. Arnett's Batman is continuously funny, even when he gets a bit annoying, and many of the side characters are treasures as well. Michael Cera's Robin is the single best character addition to this new Lego lineup and well...I'll just let you see for yourself. He's a treat. There's even a lot of humor that stems from all the rights Lego has (as discussed above) and if you thought this was "just" a Batman movie, you're in for quite a surprise.

Michael Cera as Robin = perfect casting

Dedication to detail is part of what makes
these Lego movies shine

Much like its predecessor too, the animation is absolutely stunning. I'm always catching myself blown-away while watching a "Lego" film because of the creativity that it demands. The real Lego sets in life are built up from tens or hundreds or thousands of pieces. Some of them are artistic masterpieces. While we may not see piece-by-piece in the movies, there's still a dedication to the toy and tool that is astonishing. Buildings in backgrounds have recognizable pieces that make up their architecture, handheld items are still in their cute Lego forms, and there's even sometimes when you can see the words "Lego" written on the studs. The point of all this is that the animation from these Lego films requires that extra bit of inspiration and creativity to not only create an animated film but to remain loyal and have fun with the tool/toy that inspired it in the first place. Circling back to the original topic is that once all of these bricks are in motion, the film is gorgeous to look at. Unlike the dark, gray, and black Batman films of old, The Lego Batman is colorful, vivid, and full of life. During very intense action the film does become a bit hard to follow because of the Lego pieces, but that's a rare occasion and more often than not you'll be struck by how impressive it is that these plastic toys have undoubtedly been brought to life. There's even a substantial amount of physical humor to be had given the toys' limitations and it all compounds to a wonderful, hilarious, and beautiful film to witness -- especially for Lego fanatics such as myself. 

The Lego Batman Movie is further proof that these Lego films are not quick cash grabs and it's refreshing to see that Warner Brothers and the studios behind them aren't treating them like that. In fact, they're using them far more creatively than most could have imagined and certainly not letting these licenses go to waste. As long as they can continue to be this witty, fun, and pretty while also being insightful, I say they make a film about anything they damn well please. 

Meanwhile I'll just sit here amazed by the fact that the Lego DC Universe has their s**t together way more than the current live-action DC Universe. What a time to be alive. 

CONS

• Arnett's Batman gets annoying every once in a while
• Hard to track what's going on at times when the action is very heavy and there are a lot of things in motion
• Plot is a tad cliche about finding friends and letting them help you
• Jokes drop off for a portion near the end

PROS

• A smart and worthwhile next step for these Lego animated films. It was logical and risk-adverse but resulted in a smart, fun, and endearing Dark Knight film
• Great cast of characters. Arnett is once more wonderful as Batman and many of the newcomers are strong additions. Michael Cera's Robin is a hoot
• Hilarious. The jokes may taper off here and there but when Lego Batman is funny, it's laugh out loud. The first 10 minutes in particular throw so many one liners your way that you wonder if you'll be able to breath at any point during the film
• Smart use of the property AND a few other properties. This is a strength Lego has that no one else does and they don't intend to skip out on using it
• Breathtaking animation, especially for fans of Legos. The use of bricks is incredible and there's an attention to detail here, unique to this kind of film, that's really commendable. In action, everything is awesome (see what I did there?) and the "Lego" aspect lends itself to some great physical comedy too
• A very colorful, fun-to-look-at film
• Now 2 for 2, could this be the rise of a new animation studio's greatness? I think so

Rath's Review Score | 9/10