Movie Review: The Lego Batman Movie

Last Friday I went to watch The Lego Batman Movie. As a fan of Batman, Legos, and the original Lego movie, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie.

As with a number of previous Batman stories, one of the themes of The Lego Batman Movie is Bruce Wayne's struggle to cope with the long-ago loss of his parents. In this particular movie, he's even more out-of-touch with his emotions than in most, to the point of denying any exist. Overcoming this is a central element of the overall story.

Batman's nemesis in the film is the Joker, supported by every Batman villain I can ever recall and more besides, from the 1960's television series through the movies of more recent years. Riddler, Catwoman, the Penguin, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Mister Freeze, and King Tut were among those I recognized. I'm not even sure all of those who appeared were actually in previous Batman works, or if some were added just to be even more over the top. Later in the film, even more villains make their appearance, from beyond the world of DC Comics. I will not offer details to avoid spoilers, but will mention that fans of science fiction and horror should recognize most of them, and they're a scary lot.

I saw the film in traditional format, not in 3D.  I thought it worked quite well in that format. Lego-ized versions of scenes from earlier Batman movies, and an actual clip from the Batman TV series, are part of the movie, and various bits of music and costumes from decades of Batman works make their appearance.  It lacks the infectious "Everything is Awesome" song of the original Lego movie, but is a fun-filled romp nonetheless.

If you like Batman or enjoyed the original Lego movie, you will probably enjoy this movie.  If you like Batman and enjoy the original Lego movie, you should definitely check it out.  I enjoyed the heck out of it. It was a decent way to spend 1:45 minutes on a cold winter day.