Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Movie Review: "The LEGO Batman Movie" (2017)

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Director: Chris McKay
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hour, 44 minutes

Batman (Will Arnett) faces off against the villains of Gotham City and beyond, all while learning the importance of family and teamwork. 


"The LEGO Batman Movie" is directed by Chris McKay, who is best known for directing episodes of television shows like "Robot Chicken." It is produced by Warner Animation Group, who is known for making "Storks," and of course, "The LEGO Movie." This film is a spin-off of "The LEGO Movie" and is a self-aware parody of every Batman film ever made. It stars Will Arnett as the voice of Batman/Bruce Wayne, Michael Cera as Robin/Dick Grayson, Rosario Dawson as Barbra Gordon, Ralph Fiennes as Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred, and Zach Galifianakis as The Joker. In this movie, Batman faces off against every villain of Gotham imaginable, from well-known ones like The Riddler to more obscure ones like Condiment Man (yes, a real Batman villain). All of this goes on while the Joker tries to convince Batman that he is, and has always been, his greatest nemesis. Meanwhile, Batman must also learn the importance of family and teamwork, something he hasn't had to do in a long, long time.

We loved "The LEGO Movie" when it came out, which was surprising to us because we feared the worst based on the goofy trailers. This time around, we were excited to see that sort of fun the LEGO treatment could hold for The Dark Knight. What a fantastic spoof bolstered by great voice-over work and beautiful, vibrant animation! This movie is loaded with tons of pop culture references and makes allusions towards every incarnation of Batman, whether it be Nolan's versions, Burton's versions, the 1960's campy television show with Adam West, or the 1940's serial. It pokes fun at the idea of "Batman v. Superman" and the "Suicide Squad." It is very self-aware, which we absolutely love. All of Batman's shortcomings are on full display, as is his super cocky nature and his penchant for solitude. Will Arnett does a fantastic job voicing the caped crusader. He has that kind of deeper, gruff voice and the perfect balance or arrogance, wit, and likability, just like the character he has played since the early 2000's, Gob Bluth from "Arrested Development." Zach Galifianakis also does a great version of Joker as he fights very hard to get Batman to admit he hates him. Rosario Dawson as Barbara Gordon is the new voice of reason in Gotham, insisting that the police force team up with Batman in order to stop crime. Michael Cera is stunning riotous as Dick Grayson and provides a great counterbalance to Batman's stoicism.  The rest of the cast is great as well, including but not limited to voice spots from Doug Benson, Ellie Kemper, Jason Mantzoukas, Jenny Slate, Conan O'Brien, Kate Micucci, and more.

"The LEGO Batman Movie" is a complete and total blast, and we smiled most of the way through the film. It is utterly hilarious and has humor for both adults and kids alike. There is some major silliness, as well as a bit of wordplay that may fly over the heads of much the younger kids. It honestly won't matter because they will be enamored by all the LEGO jokes and their changing, smiling faces, costumes, and cameos. This film also earns a bonus point from us for dropping a reference to the little known 1985 cult classic "Gymkata." Despite a little bit of a lull in the middle of the movie, if you loved "The LEGO Movie," there's no doubt you will love, or at the very least like, this fun, heartfelt, hilarious spin-off.

My Rating: 8/10
BigJ's Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB's Rating: ~7.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: ~91%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

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