[Movie Review] The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)

Posted on February 10, 2017 by thegrandshuckett in Movie Reviews // 0 Comments

Plot Summary: Bruce Wayne must not only deal with the criminals of Gotham City, but also the responsibility of raising a boy he adopted.

Director: Chris McKay

Writers: Seth Grahame-Smith, Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Jared Stern, John Whittington

Runtime: 1h 44min

Main Cast:

Will Arnett as Batman/Bruce Wayne (voice)
Michael Cera as Robin/Dick Grayson (voice)
Rosario Dawson as Batgirl/Barbara Gordon (voice)
Ralph Fiennes as Alfred Pennyworth (voice)
Zach Galifianakis as Joker (voice)

Review: by Leanne

After Anthony and I saw The LEGO Movie and loved it, the decision to see The LEGO Batman Movie was a no-brainer. One of our favorite parts of The LEGO Movie was Will Arnett's portrayal of Batman, and we were certain he would not let us down when he reprised the role.

The LEGO Batman Movie follows LEGO Batman (Will Arnett) as he struggles with his inability to form meaningful relationships with the people in his life. His refusal to commit to the Joker (Zach Galifianakis) as his arch nemesis leads the Joker to go to great lengths to prove just how much Batman needs him. Throw in Batman’s newly adopted son, Dick Grayson (Michael Cera), unappreciated surrogate father/butler, Alfred Pennyworth (Ralph Fiennes), and the new police commissioner, Barbara Gordon (Rosario Dawson), and the adventure reaches new heights of hilarity.

What I Liked:

The movie was extremely funny. There’s no other way to put it. The LEGO Movie set the bar pretty high, in my opinion, but The LEGO Batman did not disappoint in the least. There was enough slap-stick comedy and silliness to entertain the kids while taking jabs at earlier Batman movies for the adults.

The jokes that poked fun at Batman were extremely satisfying. They covered everything from the Shark repellant from the Adam West days to Tom Hardy’s performance as Bane during Christian Bale’s tenure.

The cast was amazing. It was definitely an all-star affair, with such talent as Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Zach Galifianakis, Ralph Fiennes, Conan O’Brien, Doug Benson, and several others. One of my favorite things about the movie was the surprise presence of Voldemort. Yes, the Harry Potter villain, Voldemort. What was funny was that the original actor who portrayed him, Ralph Fiennes, was in the movie but voiced another character, Alfred Pennyworth. Eddie Izzard voiced the evil wizard instead.

Speaking of Voldemort, he was a prime example of another thing I appreciated about the movie. It was kept appropriate for children. Even in Harry Potter, Voldemort’s go-to attack was Avada Kedavra, the killing curse; however, in The LEGO Batman movie, he only used silly spells, while still wreaking havoc.

Unsurprisingly, the graphics were wonderful, and the use of LEGOs was just as creative as in The LEGO Movie. The soundtrack was also fun and exciting.

What I Didn’t Like:

I honestly cannot think of anything I did not like. It was a fantastic children’s movie. It may have been a bit corny, but what children’s movie isn’t?