WARNER BROS. PICTURES VIA AP Batman is voiced by Will Arnett in ‘The LEGO Batman Movie.’ Four stars out of five.There’s no doubt about it, and “The LEGO Batman Movie” will never let you forget that. He has nine-pack abs, an army of super-cool rides, a tricked-out batcave and a signal Gotham City uses to summon him to duty. But the Caped Crusader is a loner; he works alone and lives alone except with his trusted butler Alfred. But this take on the classic comic book hero shakes off the darkness brick by brick with a bit of everything of those young and old. The animated action-comedy starts off with a lot of the shtick that made 2014’s “The LEGO Movie” so successful – with Batman (voiced by Will Arnett) matter-of-factly saving Gotham from doom as the Joker (Zach Galifianakis) and his merry band of villains. But that’s where it changes – Batman admits that the Joker is not his biggest enemy. In fact, Batman has absolutely no one to hate or love. This comes as Police Commissioner Jim Gordon (Hector Elizondo) retires and his daughter Barbara (Rosario Dawson) steps in.
A recent graduate of Harvard for Police, Barbara wants Gotham City police to work together with Batman to get rid of crime. The Joker, heartbroken over Batman’s indifference over him, hatches a plan that will unleash the baddest of the baddies onto the city. Batman’s alter ego Bruce Wayne has his own problems. He accidentally adopted local orphan Dick Grayson (Michael Cera), a curious child that Alfred reminds Bruce that he had. Dick is not the brightest kid, as he stumbles into the Batcave and asks, “Wait, does Batman live in Bruce Wayne’s basement?” He eventually latches on as the sidekick Robin. “The LEGO Batman Movie” is the right mix of all the universes the Caped Crusader occupies, from the live-action films (including the Adam West-starring 1966 one), the animated series, the LEGO video games and the comic books. The movie is meta on exponential levels that at times one can forget what they are watching. When Batman is in a dangerous situation, the Joker has to bring everyone with him.
From Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy to Clayface and even a Billy Dee Williams-voiced Two-Face (thanks for the nod to Williams’ Harvey Dent turn in the 1988 and 1992 movies), this movie is nothing short on characters. The Joker’s ultra crew of baddies includes King Kong, the Gremlins and the evil robots from “Doctor Who.” One thing that the movie doesn’t have is a scene of Bruce’s parents being killed. Instead, Bruce, wearing the Batman mask and a robe, stares at a photo of him with them the night of their deaths with Alfred reminding him of how he continues to dwell on the loss. Longtime cinematic Batfans may be relieved with that. However, one missing element that was a nice in the previous LEGO movie is the human interaction. Some of the sound effects, like the firing of ray guns and bombs, are done by voices, but the sense of play is not there. It’s a minor exclusion of an otherwise fun flick. Well, it’s not as bad as Harley Quinn’s (Jenny Slate) lack of a Brooklyn accent.
Tamara Dunn is a T-shirt-wearing cinephile. Her favorite films are “Traffic” and “The Battle of Algiers.” 3.5 out of 5 stars Holy LEGO bricks, Batman! “The LEGO Batman Movie” constructs a fun follow-up to 2014’s breakout hit, “The LEGO Movie.” It’s awesome, but not quite as awesome as the original. However, the animated film makes a surprisingly good Batman movie, delving deep behind the cowl of one of the most popular superheroes of all time. “The LEGO Batman Movie” is built around the original’s standout character, LEGO Batman, the vigilante voiced to gravelly perfection by Will Arnett. When Batman once again saves Gotham City from its many villains, the Joker (Zach Galifianakis) pushes the Caped Crusader to admit that the Clown Prince is his biggest nemesis. But Batman refuses to acknowledge this, proclaiming he doesn’t care about anyone. He prefers to work alone, even refusing to team up with Gotham City’s tough new police commissioner, the strong-willed Barbara Gordon (Rosario Dawson).
Still mourning the death of his parents, Batman/Bruce Wayne has shut out everyone, including his accidentally adopted son, Dick Grayson/Robin (Michael Cera), and tries the patience of his devoted butler, Alfred (Ralph Fiennes). But when the Joker concocts a devious plan to show Batman that the two do need each other, the fate of Gotham City is caught in the crosshairs. “The LEGO Batman Movie” channels the rapid-fire jokes and frenetic action of its predecessor, starting out at a break-neck pace. The first five minutes are a brilliant mix of comedy and action. It’s a mile-a-minute ride through the vibrant colors of the LEGO landscape. The dazzling computer-generated imagery invokes the look of stop-motion animation. The film is action-packed without being violent, taking into consideration its young audience. The movie simultaneously spoofs and celebrates its namesake hero. It’s clever and self-aware, with references to the previous live-action Batman movies and TV show going back to the 1960s.
Longtime fans will recognize those familiar caption bubbles. “The LEGO Batman Movie” shines a light on the Dark Knight’s inner turmoil. The film probes Batman’s psyche more than any other. The articulate Arnett portrays Batman as hardened yet vulnerable, exposing his loneliness and grief over the death of his parents. The movie explores the themes of family and teamwork, which provide great lessons for kids. The caper also presents the best examination of the relationship between Batman and the Joker of all the feature films. Galifianakis puts Jared Leto to shame as the Joker, creating an itineration who captures the Joker’s maniacal nature while also being sympathetic. As good as “The LEGO Batman Movie” is, it’s a few blocks short of reaching the heights of its predecessor. The jokes don’t land as consistently here. Though it has emotional moments, it lacks the gut punch that “The LEGO Movie” delivered in its final act. The film loses steam in the second half as it becomes overstuffed with characters.