As reviews continue to roll in for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the Rotten Tomatoes average continues to plummet. When we published our review roundup on Wednesday, the score was sitting at 41%. Hours later, the Tomatometer is registering at 32%, with over 100 negative reviews of the 149 counted. That’s depressing, but thankfully for fans of the character, Dawn of Justice isn’t the only Batman movie that Warner Bros. has been working on. DON’T MISS: New on Netflix: Every movie and TV show being added in April On Thursday, Warner Bros. Pictures shared a 2-minute teaser trailer for The LEGO Batman Movie, featuring the same Batman that appeared in 2014’s The Lego Movie. Unlike the trailers for Dawn of Justice, this trailer is funny, bright and gives Batman the opportunity to show off his beatboxing skills: I understand that these two movies are targeting very different audiences, but the reason that Marvel has become such a powerhouse in the movie industry is that it knows how to appeal to a wide range of moviegoers.
The dark film universe that DC is building isn’t going to attract everyone, but Will Arnett rapping as a LEGO minifig very well might. Unfortunately, it’s going to be a while before you can see it on the big screen. The LEGO Batman Movie isn’t scheduled to release until 2017.A Batman movie void of fanboy gripes is the rarest of unicorns, but “The Lego Batman Movie” manages to pull it off. Michael Keaton was too short. Val Kilmer was too blonde. George Clooney clearly didn’t read the script before signing. Christian Bale may be a part of the greatest Batman movie trilogy ever, but his Batman voice was too froggy. Ben Affleck was Ben Affleck (although Batfleck was a pleasant surprise in the gloomy “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”). “The Lego Batman Movie” is 1 ½ hours of forgetting all the drama that comes with not only trying to put a Batman movie together but trying to build the DC universe on film in general. There’s lots of fun and tons of laughs — many times at the expense of the entire Batman movie universe as a whole.
The Joker (Zach Galifianakis) is reminded of that time when he tried to take over Gotham while blasting Prince music. Bane’s (Doug Benson) voice is a spoof of Tom Hardy’s unintentionally funny characterization from “The Dark Knight Rises.” And then there’s Batman himself. Will Arnett uses his always-on Batman voice (it doesn’t change when he’s Bruce Wayne outside the mask) to remind us that it’s okay for Batman to be funny sometimes. Although the funniest thing about Batman in Lego form is that he takes himself way too seriously. He’s not trying to be funny, but he is, at times ridiculously so. Batman eats lobster without removing the shell. He freestyles and beatboxes over his own mix-tapes while fighting crime with an assist from his trusty “puter,” voiced by Siri, of all people. After he’s done saving the day, he’ll stop by an orphanage and blast Batman memorabilia out of a cannon to Gotham City’s neediest children. He still considers Superman one of his biggest adversaries, perhaps still holding on to some bad vibes after “Batman v Superman.”
But all of this covers up the loneliness of being the Dark Knight. Trusty butler Alfred (Ralph Fiennes) wants Batman to accept that he’s afraid of starting a new family after losing his parents as a child. This opens the door for Batgirl/Barbara Gordon (Rosario Dawson) and the silliest ever take on Robin the Boy Wonder (Michael Cera) — who rips off his pants frequently to perfect that classic Burt Ward look — to try to show Batman the error of his solo ways. [The new ‘Lego Ninjago Movie’ trailer reveals one fantastic plastic family feud] Practically the entire Batman universe is on display in this movie, as is DC’s Justice League. If Batman’s scene-stealing role in “The Lego Movie” led to him getting the solo Lego treatment, “The Lego Batman Movie” could be the gateway to Warner Bros and DC Entertainment finally having what has eluded them since they began trying to put their vast library of superheroes on the big screen: a moneymaking franchise that also gets mainstream critical acclaim.
2017 is perhaps WB/DC’s most important year ever. “Wonder Woman” and “Justice League” are on the way, with no guarantees that the critical drubbing that has dogged DC’s live-action movie efforts so far will go away. And beyond this year, Affleck at first agreed to be the director of his upcoming solo Batman film, but he has removed that title from his utility belt, creating some uncertainty about its future. “The Lego Batman Movie” is a much-needed positive start to 2017, and offers WB/DC an almost fail-proof, kid-friendly way of giving the Lego treatment to their other heroes. That’s good news for WB/DC, which should now focus on making sure the live-action movies live up to the hype so the companies don’t lose the kids they’ll gain as fans. But the biggest winner of all may be retailers. This movie is going to help sell lots of toys. “The Lego Batman Movie” is an enjoyable reprieve from the live-action Bat-movie drama that is waiting for us in the future.
How one man went from the CIA to writing Batman’s adventures How one Batman writer conquered the concern: ‘What if everybody hates it?’LEGO Batman 3 Beyond Gotham – Celebrities Trailer (2014) LEGO Batman 3 trailer shows new celebs in the game such as Conan O Brian and film director Kevin Smith. In stores November 14, 2014.Poor Joker, he’s going to be making this face in most of The LEGO Batman Movie, if these trailers are any indication. But it’s OK if the pilot doesn’t think he’s all that scary! Because it’s not just the Joker terrorizing Gotham, it’s the entire rogues gallery: Riddler, Catwoman, Penguin, Calendar Man, Gentleman Ghost, and of course we can’t forget Condiment King… Yep, the folks behind LEGO Batman have pulled from both Batman ’66 and Batman: The Animated Series for their villains. Even more reason we can’t wait for February 10 to roll around. Here’s the official synopsis from Warner Bros: In the irreverent spirit of fun that made The LEGO® Movie a worldwide phenomenon, the self-described leading man of that ensemble—LEGO Batman—stars in his own big-screen adventure.