Movie Review: Lego Batman

This week I’ll be reviewing Warner Bros’ follow-up to 2014’s hugely successful Lego Movie: the Lego Batman Movie. Set in the same universe made entirely of plastic bricks, the film follows its titular character, originally introduced in the first movie, as he embarks on an emotionally fulfilling journey of his own. Much like its predecessor the Lego Batman Movie is a whip-smart parody, brimming with tongue-in-cheek references to pop culture, clever fourth wall breaks, and a simple but emotionally resonant message that viewers of all ages will find satisfying.

Plus lobster thermidor. So much lobster thermidor.

The film opens in true comic book fashion, with our hero’s internal monologue setting the scene. Lego Gotham is under attack from the Joker, who has gathered a who’s-who of Batman villains - both familiar and impressively obscure - to bomb the city. The Caped Crusader appears on the scene and manages to single-handedly defeat every bad guy and briefly capture the Joker, only to realize that he still has to diffuse the bomb that would destroy the city. Joker mocks him for having no one to help him save the city, but Batman stubbornly asserts that he doesn’t need anybody, releasing Joker and stopping the bomb on his own.

Joker took it well.

After receiving the city’s thanks and flying home, however, it’s clear that the Joker had a point. Aside from Alfred, Batman lives alone in his hilltop mansion, microwaving lobster thermidor and watching sappy romantic comedies in his massive home theater. Alfred himself has noticed this and encourages his master to let someone into his life for a change, but his pleas fall on deaf pointy bat-ears. The Caped Crusader’s life is turned upside down nonetheless when he attends Commissioner Gordon’s retirement party as Bruce Wayne. He unknowingly adopts orphan Dick Grayson, distracted by the arrival of Gordon’s replacement - his daughter Barbara. To complicate matters further, Barbara introduces an initiative encouraging Batman to work with the police, and Joker shows up to...surrender, helpfully delivering all the city’s other villains as well. Suddenly, Batman has a young charge, no support from the people of Gotham, and no crime to fight.

Certain that his not-archenemy is up to something, the Dark Knight springs into action, ignoring Barbara’s requests to work together and dragging along his adopted son in a harebrained scheme to banish Joker to another dimension of criminals. I won’t spoil the plan here, but suffice to say it involves a trip to Superman’s Fortress of Solitude and a hilariously depressing cameo by the Justice League. When his strategy backfires, Batman finds himself in such pinch that even he will need a little help getting out of it. Clocking in at just over 100 minutes, the film never drags or feels boring. Much like its predecessor, there’s no shortage of silly jokes and product placement, but thanks to a heartfelt message of dealing with loss and opening up to other people, it never comes off as a cynical cash grab. If all movies based on popular children’s toy properties were this fun, I’d never leave the theater again.