Mack Doebler, Online Editor
Batman and the Joker have always had an interesting relationship. There are several stories of Batman defeating Joker with silence, conversation and pure wit. When it seems like every Batman vs Joker story has been told, how does “The Lego Batman Movie” set itself apart? By being itself, it would seem.
Keeping with the faux stop-motion style of 2014’s “The Lego Movie,” this comedic romp around Gotham is ridiculously fun to watch. The conflict comes when the Joker decides he wants more from his relationship with Batman. He wants to be hated, he wants to be Batman’s worst nemesis, not just a nuisance. Batman, and the walls around his emotions, refuse to give Joker this satisfaction — so he hatches a master plot to destroy Gotham. With new friends and a newfound respect for himself, Batman must confront some of the worst bad guys of all time. It’s amazing.
From a visual perspective this movie looks phenomenal. Seeing a Lego world that looks as if it was designed to naturally work like the toys is fascinating. The animation looks like real Legos, the lighting is very cinematic and the dark Batman-esque aesthetic is never absent. With that being said, “The Lego Batman Movie” falls short visually exactly as you’d expect a Lego film to do so. In large sweeping shots above Gotham, the world outside of the city is pretty much barren. Fancy skies and lighting make it look nice, but it also looks very empty. This is understandable when all you have to work with are Legos and doesn’t do much to detract from the overall film, though.
The musical score is mostly unremarkable, it fits the bill. One of the best moments of the movie, however, is a musical number Batman delivers in the beginning. He sings about how cool he is as he’s defeating pretty much every villain in Batman history. It’s hilarious and the best joke in the movie is in this song, but I won’t spoil it. (It rhymes with axes)
If you couldn’t already tell, the writing in “The Lego Batman Movie” is clever and hilarious. Jokes about relationships, being edgy, inclusion, the fourth wall and several more topics are littered all over the place. The story is, far as I can tell, the most original Batman story in a very long time. There are no comics to define the story structure, no novels that foreshadow the events. It’s an original concept and this works well. The quiet brooding Batman we’ve always known is replaced with a bold and arrogant Batsy, though he does all this to disguise his sadness.
“The Lego Batman Movie” is serious where it needs to be but funny through and through, which really sells the movie. Good visuals are great but what Lego really excels at is clever humor. I mean, that not just with “The Lego Movie” or “The Lego Batman Movie,” but also with TV specials for Star Wars and Clutch Powers. It’s charming and relatable, not just for kids and not just for adults. In a way, the Lego movies encapsulate what is so great about the Lego toys.
“The Lego Batman Movie” is an exciting adventure through a world that has for so long only existed in plastic playsets. The charm is present throughout the whole movie, the story is original and refreshing for those tired of the same old Batman and the visuals are quirky but refined. Is this the best DC movie of recent years? Move aside “Batman vs Superman” and “Suicide Squad” because I sure as heck think so.
Senior Mack Doebler can be reached at doeblerma0930@daretolearn.org.
