The Lego Batman Movie

---

Family Night at the Movie | By Christopher Hill –

Being a fan of Batman is an exhausting journey. After 1997’s campy version of Batman and Robin almost killed the franchise, Warner Brothers dedicated the brand to the perpetuation of a darker, angrier and ultimately brooding superhero genre – a place where humor is kept at a minimum and laughter is resigned to painted clowns only. Every musical note promotes apprehension and foreboding, all to encapsulate the dread of the crime-ravaged Gotham City. Batman is the dark knight, and while the recent films have sometimes been masterful creations, they have always been opaque tales with few rays of light.

With the entire pendulum set squarely at somber, the franchise was due for something refreshing and light. The success of Batman’s 2014 appearance in the 3D, animated blockbuster comedy The Lego Movie easily green-lit a new take on the franchise. Unlike that film where Batman played a supporting role, in The Lego Batman Movie, there is only one star.

Saving the day is what Batman (voiced by Will Arnett) is all about. His entire life revolves around stopping crime and being congratulated for his efforts. However, that devotion is all that he has. The orphan who grew up without a family is reticent to start his own. Instead of finding the joys of fatherhood and providing someone else the life he was refused, Batman remains a hero fighting to fill an insatiable void.

Thank goodness for The Lego Batman Movie. From the moment the movie begins, you know you are in for a different take on DC Comics’ bat-based guardian. With decades of comics, over 10 solo Batman films and countless animated adaptations, there is an endless supply of material to mine.

The screenplay pans for gold from every alliteration and unearths jokes for every variation of the character. Want comic book references? Easy, tons. Want 60’s television show references? Yep. There is something for every Batman fan. They touched on so many angles of the characters and storylines that there is no question that consecutive viewings will provide new Easter eggs to examine.

What is perhaps most interesting is that there is an actual emotional journey going on. These blocks of plastic are more than just comedic cannon fodder. The film touches on loss and acceptance with surprising agility. With such a known Bruce Wayne/Batman backstory, they do not need to provide much exposition. Instead, they use that time to establish the depth of his loneliness. A simple scene of Batman heating up lobster thermidor describes that emptiness without dialogue, and it does so better than nearly all Batman films have so far.

The Lego Movie relied on the entire Lego universe to pull its humor from. The Lego Batman Movie uses mostly Batman characters but samples other DC characters, as well as features cameo roles for a group of bad guys from an eclectic list of franchises. The parade of Batman villains mostly focuses, naturally, on his greatest scoundrel, the Joker (voiced by Zach Galifianakis). However, Batman believes he is in between villains at the moment. Instead of a typically contrived bad-guy motivation of world domination, this Joker’s elaborate plot is designed to get Batman to admit that the Joker is, in fact, his greatest enemy. Much like the rest of the film, it is a refreshing take on the mythology.

The Lego Batman Movie is fun. Sure, the kids will have a blast with the visual material, but much like in The Lego Movie, there is a lot for adults as well. In fact, some of the older references will only be fully appreciated by mature viewers in the audience. Even if you are not an avid fan of the caped crusader, there is an enjoyable and surprisingly emotional story behind the cascading bricks. Don’t worry, you won’t need a Kleenex, but you will walk out with a smile.

After years of dark melancholy on the big screen, we finally have the hero we deserve, as well as the one we need right now.