Before you read on, I feel obligated to mention that I’ve only watched the other Batman films once or twice, whereas I’ve watched “The Lego Batman Movie” about 20 times. This means two things: 1) yes, this movie is just that good, and 2) I don’t know that much about the other Batman films, so don’t come at me because it will hurt my feelings.
That being said, “The Lego Batman Movie” is not only the best Lego movie, but also, the best Batman movie. The film captures the essence of the character, focusing on his immense trauma and how it ties in not only to his crime-fighting, but also his personal life as 100 percent not Bruce Wayne.
This movie was a refreshing take on a classic character. Through other films, his character progressively became darker and edgier, which is important. But it’s nice to see an adaptation that balances that with lightheartedness and doesn’t make it his sole trait.
I’ve never been able to truly feel sympathy for Batman, but this film put his vulnerabilities and relationship dynamics on full display. It explores the dynamic with the Joker in a way that hadn’t been seen before, and it was a really neat way of approaching villain and hero dynamics. They were able to portray a crucial element of Bruce Wayne as character, his loneliness and emptiness, all in a humanized fashion. This balance isn’t easy, but I think they did a great job.
It’s also necessary to mention that this movie works so well on its own because of the movies that came before. You wouldn’t expect it because this film seems like it wouldn’t take the character seriously, but the movie is actually a lot of fan service. This is a strong reason why this opinion isn’t necessarily unpopular. The movie was loved by just about everyone, long time Batman fans, critics, Lego fans, parents of Lego or Batman fans and so on. There are also countless references in the film that longtime fans of Batman can pick up on while balancing plenty of entertainment for viewers.
The movie also balances comedy and seriousness perfectly. At no point do I feel overwhelmed by jokes, nor do any jokes fail to land. In this respect, this film stands out miles above the other Batman films, which are not funny. This is not to say superhero films have to be funny, however, the seriousness that we often see in the other superhero films, for me personally, can feel tiresome and overdone.
This film is sort of like “Deadpool,” but rated PG. You may be thinking, “who would want that?” and that’s a fair response. I would urge you to then consider the film “The Cat and the Hat” from 2003, which is also rated PG but has questionable jokes for a children’s movie. My point is, “The Lego Batman Movie” is the perfect family movie as it’s actually funny and enjoyable for the adults and shares some characteristics with the “Deadpool” movies such as the meta-style commentary and poking fun at their respective franchises and universes.
I also think after so many portrayals of Batman as this stone-cold character, who doesn’t ever open up or admit the layers beneath his actions, it’s cool to see him do just that in a film for kids. Without getting too deep into explanation, hopefully we can all agree that it’s better for kids to idolize a character that’s still cool while also showing growth and expression. In subtle ways, this film pushes the idea that one should look deeper into your own and others’ motives as we see with Batman learning that him pushing people away wasn’t to protect them but rather to protect himself.
It isn’t just a good Batman movie. It is well done overall. The plot works really well, and we care about the characters introduced and their development. Everything that happens in the story makes sense, and none of it feels out of place. They truly made this film with a very solid understanding of each character and their motives and outlooks on life and themselves, which makes all the difference.
One of my favorite aspects of the film is that it has high levels of detail in every aspect. There is thought put into everything, including the background visuals and sounds. There are numerous background jokes and references that I didn’t pick up on during my first watch. It shows the immense amount of time and energy everyone working on the film put into it to make it so great. This is a huge reason as to why I’ve watched this film so many times, as each time I discover something I hadn’t noticed previously, which makes it even more fun.
“The Lego Batman Movie” is a refreshing adaptation of a Batman we haven’t seen. I have yet to meet someone who has seen this movie and has not loved it. If you’re a Lego fan, a Batman fan or an enjoyer of good movies, I highly recommend this film. If you go into this film without the expectation that it’ll be “The Dark Knight” (Why would you? It’s a Lego movie.), you’ll love it. It’s faithful to all the previous Batman projects and wacky and fun, so what’s not to love?