Lego Batman is a new animated film based on both Batman and the Lego character world in which this version of the popular comic book character exists. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a Lego Batman version, the character appeared in the recent Lego Movie (read our review) and was quite popular. In this film, Batman is challenged as he must deal with the criminals who plague Gotham city and also the responsibilities of his personal life which may be more difficult than facing even the Joker.
I was quite excited to see this film. Being both a Batman fan and an admirer of The Lego Movie, I was interested to see what they could come up with for this one. I have to say that the makers of the film certainly delivered. The film is packed with a lot of jokes and a story that actually has some meaning and purpose. While I do still prefer The Lego Movie over this Lego Batman film, this one is certainly up there.
For Batman fans, the film is packed with quite a few Batman jokes. If you’ve seen many of the earlier films or the TV show, there’s a lot in there for a fan to pick up on and laugh at. There’s also a lot of jokes towards DC and its other characters such as Superman which are always a bit of fun for comic book aficionados to hear mentioned.
The filmmakers do quite well with the Batman character, who is developed as the film progresses. Early on in the film we are introduced to a Batman with a massive ego which continues to grow larger and larger as a result of his fame in Gotham city as Gotham’s superhero. But in contrast, when Batman takes a break and goes home, his life is really very lonely and there’s really not many people around for poor Bruce Wayne (Batman) to chat to, other than Alfred. The film deals with these two concepts and we watch the Batman character struggle with both fame, loneliness and also his personality. It’s all very interesting.
The voice acting is quite good in this film. We get voices from actors such as Will Arnett (Batman), Michael Cera (Robin), Rosario Dawson (Batgirl), Ralph Fiennes (Alfred) and Zach Galifianakis (The Joker). Everyone does quite well and their voice ranges are all great. All the jokes are well delivered and there isn’t anyone that I feel felt out of place.
Director Chris McKay did well with this film. There’s a challenge with this in that there’s a certain pressure to deliver a Batman film that will please fans. In my view, this film met my expectations. It’s very fast paced though and is packed with so many characters at times, that you could become a bit lost. Towards the end there is quite a lot of characters and a lot of chaos, it could be difficult for people to keep track of, especially young kids who might get lost in all that. That would be my only criticism, everything else is great though.
Overall The Lego Batman Movie is a great time at the cinema. Both kids and also adults should have a great time with this film and even more so if you’re a Batman fan or a Lego fan. The animations are good, jokes are well delivered and the story has enough depth and meaning for the experience to be valuable. I’m happy to recommend this film as something to see this weekend.
