The Lego Batman Movie: Colorfully Complete

As someone who watches a lot of movies and has no plans of slowing down, it's getting easier and easier for me to see when a movie is doing something unoriginal that's been done before in a better movie. On the other hand, movies like The Lego Batman Movie don't come out every day. I'd be lying if I said it added to the mythos of Batman in any meaningful way, but its knowledge and exploration of the who exactly Batman is was so incredibly comprehensive, possibly and even probably more than anything else like it out there, not that many other movies out there can do what The Lego Batman Movie does. This movie is an equally hilarious and heartfelt love letter to Batman that shamelessly camps on endless references and callbacks in a way that feels incredibly rewarding.

I adore the self-awareness of The Lego Batman Movie. Not only is it unafraid to poke fun at some of the more inherently ridiculous aspects of Batman's history, but it also builds practically half of its non-stop jokes around this habit. It's a confident and confidently self-deprecating movie, and I appreciate its hysterically inglorious nature. Its animation likewise lacks any hint of self-seriousness, taking on a wildly creative, beautifully unpredictable, and borderline-irresponsible Picasso of different styles that is easily one of the bolder artistic decisions I've seen in an animated movie.

What's more, The Lego Batman Movie is also an unexpectedly sincere deconstruction of the character of Batman, more or less a surprisingly thoughtful critique of what he does, how he does it, how it affects those around him, and where he would be without the things and people that he needs to be Batman. Its story isn't perfect, and some of its emotional turnaround might be a bit quick, though that may be due to me not watching as many short and kid-oriented movies as I used to. Still, rarely has a movie ever felt so all-encompassing, so complete. To paint you a picture, nearly everyone close to Batman is frustrated by his selfishness and trying to force him to change for the better, or in the case of the Joker, up the stakes and turn his less-desirable habits against him if he won't change. It's a rudimentary and simplistic yet surprisingly effective exploration of Batman that kids will understand, but adults will appreciate.

The Lego Batman Movie is a triumph of creative vision, a fun and fearless reimagining of a familiar franchise. It's also a hilarious, largely well-paced, and surprisingly sentimental character study of the Caped Crusader, captured with a gloriously wonderful everything-and-the-kitchen-sink animation style. Long-time fans and newcomers to Batman alike will be pleased by a movie that touches on seemingly every corner of his legacy while also managing to be very much its own animal, somehow deconstructing and celebrating Batman simultaneously without ever seeming to be in conflict with itself.

It's probably no secret to you that superhero movies are too often where creativity goes to die. But between The Lego Batman Movie, The Dark Knight Trilogy, The Batman, and now The Penguin, DC has in the last two decades seemed more than willing to give creative freedom to skilled filmmakers wanting to take bold and unique swings at this particular franchise, and as long as this is the case, long may the Batsignal shine in the sky.

The Lego Batman Movie - 9/10

John 14:15-18