The Lego Batman Movie

(Warning: contains spoilers about The Lego Batman Movie)

When a film has a break out star, a cry almost always goes up that they should have their own film/television programme/breakfast cereal.  This is risky because too much of a good thing can quickly become tiring.  In recent years, breakout stars have included Captain Jack Sparrow (the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise) and the Minions (the Despicable Me franchise).  Arguably, we are already seeing diminishing returns for both (to the extent that an audible groan could almost be heard when Johnny Depp announced his intention to star in the 5th Pirates film).

The Lego Movie came out 3 years ago (Really?  3 years already?) to near-unanimous critical and box-office acclaim, and Batman became one of the stand-out characters.  And, as the opening paragraph would suggest, now here we are with the spin off: The Lego Batman Movie.  

Coming your way to a cinema near you

The plot is fairly simple.  Commissioner Gordon is retiring and his daughter (Barbara) is taking over his role.  Rightly pointing out that despite his vigilantism, Gotham City remains the city with the highest levels of crime ever.  She suggests that the police stop working with Batman, and that the police should try the new tactics of being "accountable and extra legal".  Batman is displeased and strops off to be by himself in his BatCave eating microwaved lobster thermidore, playing electric guitar and watching Jerry Maguire.  And accidentally adopting a child, because he wasn't paying attention.  After hurting the Joker's feelings by suggesting that he isn't his number one nemesis (a kind of love/hate bromance where Batman refuses to commit), the Joker releases everyone from the Phantom Zone (a kind of Guantanamo Bay for villains including Voldemort, King Kong, Sauron, Agent Smith and the Wicked Witch of the West.  And British robots.  Which aren't Daleks.)  Chaos ensues.

Notably, there are no references to The Lego Movie.  If anything, this is a sequel to the Batman films, and arguably should stand in its canon.  Certainly, it is an antidote to the noir Batman movies of Christopher Nolan and Zach Snyder.  Maybe audiences have tired of brooding superheroes with their increasingly dark plotlines for now - the crowd pleasers seem to be the more irreverent and meta Avengers (and their component individual character movies) and Deadpool.  Or (and I'm just throwing this out there), maybe audiences are just responding positively to scripts and characters that aren't dreadful (*awkward cough* Suicide Squad, Batman Vs Superman *awkward cough*).

There are themes worth exploring - Batman/Bruce Wayne fears intimacy after the death of his parents and lacks purpose when his job (and with it, his identity) is taken from him.  His relationship with Alfred. ("I've seen you in this mood before in 2016, 2012, 2008, 2005, 1997, 1995, 1992, 1989 and that weird time in 1966").  The importance of family.  Loneliness.  And those themes are explored well, without hanging heavily. 

It's worth seeing this film at the cinema, and being slightly overwhelmed by the colour and noise of it all.  Films like this benefit from a big screen, and from multiple viewings.  Lego is a cross-generational toy, and it makes sense that the film should be a cross-generational movie.  So while the kids in the screening I saw laughed at Dick Grayson ripping off his pants ("RRRIIIIIPPP"), the reference to the films at Gotham Multiplex (Two Shades of Grey) might have passed them by.  And...it makes Bane better.

He was born in the darkness.  Apparently. 

It lacks a little bit of something (perhaps the innocence of The Lego Movie), but it is a heavy dollop of Batman and makes up for a lot of Batman Vs Superman.  A little less Everything is Awesome, but Everything is Cool if You're Part of a Team.  Pow!  Bang!

Additional thoughts, comments and questions:

• Excellent voice casting, particularly from Will Arnett as a gravel-voiced, Bale-type Batman.  Ralph Fiennes also excellent casting as Alfred, though an odd decision given that Lord Voldemort is also in this film (voiced by Eddie Izzard).  Maybe a licensing issue?
• Nice line from Barbara Gordon "you could be Batgirl!" "Please!  I would be Batwoman."
• Best (and surprisingly moving) use of One is the Loneliest Number since Magnolia.
• Do all animated films now start with a film short?
• This made me laugh: