Director: Chris McKay
Distributor: Warner Home Video
Duration: 104 minutes
The LEGO Batman Movie (Blu-ray) – Movie Review
With the popularity of The LEGO Movie, we were quite sure it would not be the last LEGO movie we’d see hitting the theatres. However, we did not expect it to become a LEGO movie revolving around the Dark Knight, who is not often set up to feature in a comical setting. Of course, there have been LEGO movies about the Justice League already, but all of these were directly released on DVD, rather than featured in cinemas around the globe. That being said, we did not know what to expect of this movie, but we were very pleasantly surprised.
Batman (Will Arnett), is loved by the entire city, as he is always there when evil tries their best to destroy Gotham City. This time, the city is in danger once again by the Joker (Zach Galifianakis), who has joined forces with all of Batman’s enemies, in order to either take over the city, if the mayor surrenders it, or otherwise blow it up completely. While the Joker clearly wishes to succeed in his evil plot, he has ulterior motives, namely hearing Batman say that he can’t live without chasing the Joker, as he thinks he’s Batman’s worst enemy. Batman doesn’t give him the time of day, especially when the Joker comes out and reveals to him that he pretty much wants Batman to admit they have something ‘special’ going on between them, and thus the villain leaves heartbroken, thinking on how he can make Batman admit they can’t exist without one another.
In the meantime, Batman, a.k.a. Bruce Wayne clearly enjoys his hero status, but he is also a very lonely figure, with only Alfred (Ralph Fiennes), his butler and remaining father figure by his side. Alfred tries to make Batman admit that he is afraid of only one thing, and that is being part of a family again. The Dark Knight shrugs it off, and decides to occupy himself further with his vigilante life. Sadly, things aren’t looking good for the world’s greatest detective, as the new commissioner, Barbara Gordon (Rosario Dawson), wishes to rely less on Batman, and finally capture all the villains, instead of just defeating them, and letting them escape every single time. Batman isn’t pleased with this, but when all of a sudden all of the city’s villains arrive to turn themselves in, Batman simply knows the Joker is up to something.
Even though the movie spans a bit longer than an hour and forty minutes, which is lengthy for a movie such as this, you’ll never find a boring moment. The movie is fairly chaotic, in a good way, and makes sure there is enough action and humor for you to watch it with a smile from start to finish. For many this will be the first time they will see Batman in a comical setting, in such a long feature film, and the creators of this movie did such a good job shedding a different light on the masked vigilante.
Even though many Batman animated movies tend to have the same cast members filling in the roles of certain characters, the creators decided to diverge from the typical cast, perhaps because they are used to more serious roles, or simply because it was a totally different production time working on the title, but nonetheless this team certainly did a good job. Will Arnett has a great voice for a Batman character, even for more serious purposes. The only character that feels a bit out of place is the Joker, who is still portrayed by a decent actor, the voice just doesn’t feel like it’s a proper ‘Joker’.
There’s a reasonable amount of extra content to explore on the Blu-ray edition of The LEGO Batman Movie, ranging from short but funny animated clips about Batman and Ninjago, to more informative, but still funny featurettes that revolve around how the movie is made, how the voice acting is done, a sneak peek inside the LEGO Wayne manor, winners of the LEGO Batman stop-motion shorts and of course things like deleted scenes, promo material and commentaries. You’ll surely find some content that will make you laugh and show you how this movie came to fruition.
Conclusion
The LEGO Batman Movie is just one of those movies you can watch to unwind after a stressful day and laugh until your tummy starts to hurt. You’ll be treated to a fun storyline suitable for young and old, with a humor level that will also please both age groups, all while being treated to a very authentic LEGO experience, that is very reminiscent of the games in terms of style and quality. If you’re a fan of the Dark Knight, and you want to finally see him in a comical setting, this is your chance. A great concept, that is equally as great in its execution.
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