On the surface, it’s hard to find a more cravenly opportunistic project than “The LEGO Batman Movie.” After all, it’s not just a sequel to a wildly successful animated film that itself was based on a toy. It’s also a spin-off for perhaps the biggest superhero in pop culture. Money may be at the initial root of this movie’s existence, but “The LEGO Batman Movie” winds up being an absolute delight. The competition may be light, but this is one of the year’s best so far.Though not quite as ingenious as “The LEGO Movie,” this animated flick is a ton of fun and gets Batman right. There are callbacks to every incarnation of the character, always with a wink and tongue planted firmly in cheek. This works as a spin-off of that first one, a new Batman adventure, and a satire of the character, all at the same time. Children will delight in it all, while adults will be just as entertained. It marks a quality first salvo in the 2017 Best Animated Feature race.“The LEGO Batman Movie” begins with Batman (Will Arnett) commenting wittily on the opening credits.
Then, we jump right in to his latest mission, saving Gotham City from a rogue’s gallery of villains, led by Joker (Zach Galifianakis). This part has a fantastic gag involving some second-tier bad guys, and it’s a standout part of the film. Batman saves the day, breaking Joker’s heart in the process by saying he’s not his greatest foe. Then, it’s home to the Bat Cave and Wayne Manor, where Alfred (Ralph Fiennes) has left a lobster dinner for him to microwave. While watching “Jerry Maguire” in his screening room, we start to understand that Bruce Wayne/Batman isn’t quite living the dream. From there, things become a little less exceptional. Having accidentally adopted orphan Dick Grayson (Michael Cera), Bruce Wayne is at a loss for what to do. Batman then opts to utilize him as Robin in an attempt to get rid of Joker once and for all. This puts him into conflict with the new Police Commissioner Barbara Gordon (Rosario Dawson), who wants Batman to be a team player. It all descends into chaos eventually.
Fun chaos, but chaos nonetheless. The first act is perfect, and that helps create immediate goodwill.The voice cast are all having a blast here, and it really does show. Arnett first stole the show in “The LEGO Movie” with Batman as a supporting character, so there was a chance this could get stale over the course of a whole film. Luckily, Arnett finds some different beats to play, keeping it fresh. It’s not on the level of his “BoJack Horseman” voice work, but it’s not far off. Cera is fine, as is Dawson, while Galifianakis never quite finds the right level to play his villain at. If there’s a scene stealer, it’s Fiennes, who is deadpan perfection.The cast is littered with cameo voice performances. They include, but are not limited to, A-listers like Mariah Carey, Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. There’s also Doug Benson, Jermaine Clement, Adam Devine, Hector Elizondo, Seth Green and Ellie Kemper. On top of that, Eddie Izzard, Zoë Kravitz, Jason Mantzoukas, Kate Micucci, Conan O’Brien and Jenny Slate all pop up.
Billy Dee Williams even finally gets to play Two-Face. None of them set the house on fire, but none are distracting either. For the most part, they just fit, and that’s what counts.Director Chris McKay does bring a lot of what made “The LEGO Movie” work over to “The LEGO Batman Movie,” namely the need for teamwork and the joy that others can bring. McKay gets a little too caught up in the action during the third act, but is able to reel it in when necessary. Visually, the lack of a live-action component makes the look of a child playing with toys a little less clever, but it still works. There’s a slight spark missing, which probably is what Phil Lord and Christopher Miller brought to the last one. Their presence would have been an added bonus. They’re missed, but the film isn’t hurt by their decision to move onward and upward.The script, credited to the group of Seth Grahame-Smith, Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Jared Stern and John Whittington, is at its best deconstructing Batman.
A brilliant moment has Alfred mentioning all the previous versions of the character, bringing a meta aspect to it all. Whenever it’s getting absurd and not worrying about crime fighting, the screenplay is on very firm ground.Though not the near masterpiece that “The LEGO Movie” was, “The LEGO Batman Movie” is a strong bit of animation. It will undoubtedly please not just fans of the franchise, but also those who love the Caped Crusader as well. It’s the first real pleasant surprise of 2017. 22 new from $12.75 A Team Fun Pack Smash your way through the LEGO multiverse with the classic action hero, B.A. Baracus. Add the A-Team's Mohawk-sporting mechanical genius to the mash-up adventure of your favorite characters! Build and place him on the LEGO Toy Pad to send him into the game with his Super Strength and Fix-It abilities, or activate his special A-Team Master Build and Laser Redirect skills for those harder-to-solve puzzles. Unlock the Adventure World and Battle Arena and use B.A.'s Van to quickly get him where he's needed most, then rebuild it into the Fool Smasher and, if B.A. can overcome his fear of flying, rebuild the vehicle again into The Pain Plane for upgraded powers in the game!
Add more to your gaming experience with a new minifigure and a rebuildable 3-in-1 vehicle or gadget. Jump into an all-new Adventure World for a deep dive into your favorite locations, and challenge your family and friends in the 4-player Battle Arena! #1,070 in Video Games > Accessories 8 x 6.8 x 7.4 inches; 5 star79%4 star15%3 star6%See all verified purchase reviewsTop Customer ReviewsI pity the fool who doesn't adore this pack|I pity the fool that doesn't buy this.|I pity the fool|Required character for 100% completion and many build areas within zones in the SHARD area of Vorton|Mr T doesn't add much to your arsenal|Everything you could want from a Lego Mr. T.| Portal 2 Level Pack - LEGO Dimensions Scooby Doo Team Pack - LEGO Dimensions LEGO Batman Movie Story Pack - LEGO Dimensions - Not Machine Specific Simpsons Level Pack - LEGO Dimensions Video Games > Accessories See and discover other items: classic video gamesLarry Mantle tackles a busy week at the cinemas with KPCC film critics Charles Solomon, Tim Cogshell and Amy Nicholson.