The Lego Batman Movie is a spinoff of The Lego Movie and it does anything but disappoint. Bringing the same brains, charm, humor, and heart as that film did, this is a franchise that knows what it’s doing.
Will Arnett returns as the voice of Batman/Bruce Wayne who comes off as an arrogant, egotistical loner who soaks up all the glory for his antics and insists on having no friends save for his trusty butler, Alfred (Ralph Fiennes).
Gotham City has just elected a new commissioner, Gordon’s daughter, Barbara (Rosario Dawson) who wants to have a city that doesn’t need Batman. This doesn’t sit well with the Caped Crusader and to make matters worse, he inadvertently adopts an orphan named Dick Grayson (Michael Cera). Maybe if he sticks around with Batman long enough and learns the tricks of the trade, someday he might become Robin.
The rest of the movie features the who’s who of Batman villains including the Joker (Zach Galifianakis) who desperately wants Batman to have a need for him in his life. Others include Catwoman, The Penguin, Two-Face, The Riddler, and Mr. Freeze. Plus, Bane makes an appearance providing a parody of Tom Hardy’s performance in The Dark Knight Rises.
The Lego Batman Movie loves to spoof and satirize anything and everything it can and it does so with natural style and ease. The opening credits are hilarious with Arnett poking fun at how black titles make a movie serious. It’s pretty funny stuff that is reminiscent of a kid-friendly version of the opening credits of Deadpool. Plus, like The Lego Movie, this combines different characters from different franchises. This may be the only movie where Voldemort and Sauron share the screen and it’s remarkably funny.
For all its humor and satire, it also provides a great message about the importance of teamwork and friendship that appeals to both kids and adults without becoming too cheesy or preachy.
Arnett may be one of the best and by far the funniest incarnations of Batman on screen. I would love to see a sequel just to see what he’s capable of cooking up next. Note to the Justice League movie: This is a Batman movie that gets it right.
Grade: A-
(Rated PG for rude humor and some action.)
