Movie Review: "The Lego Batman Movie"

- by Steve Garcia, 12 February 2017

"The Lego Movie" shocked and awed audiences worldwide with its self-deprecating humor and charm. Of course it was inevitable that Will Arnett’s standout role as the Dark Knight was going to get its own spinoff. But how did it stack up against its predecessor? Did it build an exciting new atmosphere for a character that’s almost been done to death? Should you Lego of any low expectations and and succumb to this madness that is "The Lego Batman Movie"?
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The story centers around what may have been the best on screen interpretation of Batman and the Joker’s relationship since The Dark Knight. In a twisted sort of romance, all the Joker wants is for Batman to admit that deep down inside, their utter hatred for one another is what fuels the passion in Batman’s life. But as a shock to no one, Batman’s arrogance and lone wolf attitude will simply not allow him to do so, forcing Joker to take desperate measures to win his place as Batman’s greatest enemy. Along the way, the action was surprisingly breathtaking and the cinematography was downright sensational… And yes, I’m still talking about a movie featuring Lego minifigures. The first ten minutes rivaled even the best live action superhero fight scenes, and the whole film’s color pallet served as a fulfilling platter for the eyes to feast on.
 
The jokes were this movie’s bread and butter. Lovers of self-referential humor, sarcasm, and endless pop culture references will not be disappointed. The constant jabs at past Batman features weren’t too shabby either. The only problem was that the endless barrage of jokes were a cause of exhaustion, and once you drift off into that exhaustion, the realization of the sharp turns the film makes pacing-wise begins to set in. There were scenes, particularly in the middle, when the film dragged, but the issue was ultimately forgivable because they serviced the story moving forward. And with that said, when the only true faux pas was that “it was too funny to the point of exhaustion,” it’s safe to say that the positives far outweigh the negatives in this case.
 
In an inescapable comparison, it certainly wasn’t as creative as The Lego Movie. It didn’t really have the same emotional depth, either. But it was fun, exciting, and a spectacular spoof of a pop culture icon we all know and love, and it achieved that goal by understanding and respecting more than 75 years’ worth of source material-- something that a few of the more recent WB superhero films have struggled to do thus far. The Lego Batman Movie was a celebration of all things Batman: his coolest gadgets, rock hard abs, and his adorable pantsless sidekick included. 

8.5/10

That's high praise! Did you see the Lego Batman movie yet? Do you want more Lego spin-offs or is that quite enough for now? Let us know in the comments!

Tagged: movies & TV, Reviews.

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