The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)

[Ezen Baklattan]

A lot of really solid jokes in here (As a statistics major, I loved the bit about "STATISTICS AND COMPASSION!"), and it's just as visually stunning as the first film, but as a whole, it doesn't quite reach greatness. The characters never feel as profound and genuinely lovable as they should be (The LEGO Movie set a lofty bar, but even then this film strugges), while a lot of the emotional aspects feel forced and undercooked. (You could tell five people wrote this) Also, the idea for the finale could have been interesting, but it's implemented in a stale, most possibly boring manner. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it. The jokes, humor, and several great character moments really shine, but as a whole, it feels like there's a truly great movie in here that never got to see the day of light.

 

B/B-

[RandomCat]

I enjoyed the movie. It was fun. I am seeing a few people in reviews missing that this is supposed to be still a kid playing with his Legos. They just don't make it obvious like TLM.

[Ezen Baklattan]

I can see that, especially with the brief glimpse of Emmett falling into the abyss at the beginning. Even without the reveal, it's kind of lacking something.

[RandomCat]

A review I saw spoke to the characters having similar voices, and while could be poor writing, it could also meant to be because it is a kid voice for all the characters. 

 

I guess I enjoyed the relationship issues of Batman a lot, even to understand that Joker is important to him, even if not in a traditional way. 

[Mulder]

8/10. Weak on the story but it's enjoyable and fun.

[AniNate]

I enjoyed this, but I won't argue with any of the criticisms others are making. It lays on both the frenetic gags and the sugary sentimentality really hard and you need to be ready to buy into both to be entertained.

[75Live]

On 2/12/2017 at 0:57 PM, filmlover said:

Another great gag: at the beginning when The Joker was hijacking the plane and said that his plans never fail, to which pilot asked "what about the time with the two boats?"

 

I loved right after that when he said, "how about the parade with the Prince music playing"  

 

I give this a B+.  I loved all the inside jokes and gags and the story was enough to keep it interesting as well.  I had a lot of fun with the movie  

[Hatebox]

Like the first movie it's too frenetic for its own good, but for a Batman fan like me it's hard not to have a big grin on your face the entire time.

[Kalderic]

Eh... I was let down. It's beautiful to look at, but it was just lacking something... still not sure what. I barely laughed and actually got bored at times. Maybe I'm just getting old and cranky.

C

[Plain Old Tele]

It was fun. I enjoyed the absurdity.

 

I think I might like it a bit more than LEGO MOVIE, but perhaps I've had to sit through that one a few too many times. 

[xanamanax]

It was good but I still left somewhat disappointed. There were lots of laughs but I just didn't care for the story at all. Way too much about Batman and Joker's feelings for me. It produced some good gags but I wanted a more purely action film instead of all the mumbo jumbo about Batman needing people. One plot point to quibble about is Joker going to the Phantom Zone to bring back all these super villains and General Zod, arguably the most powerful, is nowhere to be found or even mentioned even after we see Superman putting him there in the beginning.

 

B-

Edited February 24, 2017 by xanamanax

[somebody85]

Big letdown. Loved the opening scene and how it captured Batmans world....until Batman showed up. This interpretation of Batman works way better as a side character then the main character and I feel like the best scenes of this movie could have been part of the inevitable The Lego Movie 2....and then they could have dumped the rest.

I had the most fun when it was poking fun at the actual Batman movies. I didn't care about Robin (or Batmans relationship to him), I didn't care about Barbara and I didn't care about Alfred. I was honestly annoyed with Batman himself about 20 minutes into it. I was also annoyed with how they just threw all his main villains aside.
 

I get that ultimately this film is for kids and the message that you need family, friends and shouldn't do everything alone is good...but it was handled in the most generic way and the first movie was so much better. I guess I just expected too much after the glowing reviews.

The best parts reminded me of a motion simulator ride and the worst parts reminded me of a random Adult Swim cartoon. Honestly, it felt like the writers wanted to go a lot further then they could and had the material to do it but had to neuter it for a family audience. I saw those clever hints every once in awhile but the rest was like one running "I'm Batman and I'm awesome" joke for 100+ minutes.

 

C

Edited February 25, 2017 by somebody85

[Impact]

Saw this yesterday-it was loads of fun. The callbacks to the original TV show were great, really enjoyed the villain part also. So many great comical scenes in the film.

A-

Best film of 2017! (Wait it's the only 2017 film I've seen...)

[RobinHood26]

B (84)

[aabattery]

I watched it !!!!

 

It was fine. I laughed quite a lot but jesus they just kept throwing them at you. The Jerry Maguire bits got me and my friend good. The Iron Man sucks bit made me mad because Iron Man is the best.

 

But overall it did kind of feel like something was missing I guess? The pace was so relentless that it kind of just kept going and going and going and going without really giving you a break. Still, I had a good time.

 

b/b-.

 

 

[nick64]

My review of The LEGO Batman Movie:

https://grabyourseat.wordpress.com/2017/06/03/the-lego-batman-movie-film-review/

 

The LEGO Movie shocked everyone in 2014 by turning out to be one of the best movies of the year. It was not only hilarious, but heartfelt and inspiring, and wound up as one of the year’s biggest hits. Three years later, we return to the LEGO world, but not in the form of a sequel. The LEGO Batman Movie takes Batman, who was a supporting character in the original, and puts him front and center. And quite frankly, it’s the best DC movie in five years.

 

The LEGO Batman Movie follows Batman (Will Arnett) as he deals with a life crisis. He is loved and adored by the people of Gotham City, but he goes home every night and sits alone, missing the family that was taken from him. But everything he knows will change when he accidentally adopts a teenage orphan (Michael Cera), and the new police commissioner (Rosario Dawson) decides that Gotham is no place for vigilantes. When the Joker (Zach Galifianakis) develops a plan to prove that he is the greatest villain ever, Batman must learn to work with those around him to stop him.

 

The original LEGO Movie was directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, known for the Jump Street series, and showcased their trademark humor by sending up the clichés of modern blockbusters. Taking over the reigns from Lord and Miller, LEGO Batman director Chris McKay applies the same humor in the form of a send up to superhero movies and the huge amount of Batman lore. Every Batman movie and show is referenced, going all the way back to the 1940s, and a massive array of villains appear, ranging from The Riddler and Catwoman to The Eraser and Condiment Man. Fans of the hero are sure to appreciate all the ways McKay finds to poke fun at his very diverse and expansive history.

 

Another great aspect of the original film that LEGO Batman successfully replicates is its stellar casting. Will Arnett was also the voice of Batman in the original, so his portrayal is familiar, but he manages to add to it. In The LEGO Movie, Batman was mostly just a joke with a funny voice, but here, Arnett is able to add some pain to the deep voice that makes you feel for the character. It’s great voice work. Rosario Dawson and Ralph Fiennes (as Alfred) are also great, and there are some wonderful surprise cameos, but Michael Cera and Zach Galifianakis absolutely steal the show. Cera’s Robin is so lovably optimistic that nearly everything he says will bring a smile to your face, and Galifianakis manages to turn the Joker into a truly human character with a portrayal that is both funny and strangely heartfelt.

 

In fact, most of the movie is pretty heartfelt. Again like the original LEGO Movie, LEGO Batman has some good messages. Batman is lonely and struggles to move past the death of his family. This causes him to distance himself from everyone that cares about him, and these relationships get to be explored. But somehow, in a movie that gives Batman a surrogate father, an adopted son, and a potential love interest, the relationship between Batman and the Joker is the best part of the movie. Batman refuses to recognize the Joker as his greatest enemy, and this little subplot manages to lead to not only some hilarious sequences, but a few deep moments between the two that really drive the plot along. The sentimentality can get a little sugary at times, but it's mostly done really well.

 

Even more than it is a heartfelt movie, The LEGO Batman Movie is a very funny movie, but possibly to a fault. A large proportion of the jokes in the movie land, but there are just so many of them, often a handful every minute. It never lets up for 100 minutes, which can get a little exhausting. But if being too funny is the biggest flaw in your movie, you did a good job. The LEGO Batman Movie manages to take everything that made The LEGO Movie great, combine it with everything that’s loved about the Batman property, and turn it into a movie that is clever, funny, heartfelt, beautifully animated, and enjoyable for pretty much anyone. Job well done.

 

Grade: 9/10

Edited June 3, 2017 by nick64