You knew this was coming. If you know me at ALL, you knew there was no way I was going to stay away from this one. Batman returns to the big screen, along with his entire supporting cast and more villains than you can shake a sharp stick at, except this time...they're all made entirely out of Lego parts.
So....
The last time Batman was on the big screen, barring cameos, he was an angry, lost man engaged in a grim battle royale with Superman. The time before that, he was a broken, embittered man who'd lost his way.
Now? He's a loopy egomaniac obsessed with his abs and Lobster Thermidor. He may not be the hero we deserve, but he sure is the one we need right now.
I'm not even going to dissemble, and pretend to any kind of critical superiority. I absolutely loved this movie. From start to finish - and beyond, actually, as the jokes start before the opening logos, this is an uptempo, energetic, and utterly goofy film, very much in the vein of its predecessor, The Lego Movie, but perhaps even sillier. While in many ways it acts as a roast of the Dark Knight, it is also a love letter to the Caped Crusader...there are countless nods and references to all eras of Batman; everything from Batman v Superman to the 1940's film serials are referenced, and everything in between. There's no small amount of nods to my beloved '60s series, either.
Let's be clear: this is a comedy. It's certainly kid-friendly, and is geared towards the younger crowd in terms of approach and humor, but there is a lot for the adults to appreciate, especially if they're at all familiar with Batman (and let's face it, who isn't?) There are shout-outs to every live action incarnation of Batman, not to mention previous animation projects, eras of the comic, etc. While there is a plot to the film, it's a pretty elastic one, and the film takes itself about as seriously as you'd expect...which is to say, not very. The humor's fairly PG; bathroom humor is largely avoided, and it's completely safe for young kids...in fact, this movie will hopefully start a new legion of Batfans on their way.
The cast is large, but it's dominated by only a handful of characters. Will Arnett returns to his role as Batman, with his completely ridiculous yet sincere take on the Dark Knight, gravel-voiced and brooding, and has become in my head the default voice of silly Batman. Seriously - I want him to go back and overdub every one of Christian Bale's lines, just for the hell of it. Zach Galifinakis is a surprisingly effective Joker, Rosario Dawson plays a much less girl-next-door version of Batgirl, and Ralph Fiennes is droll as the unflappable Alfred. Michael Cera is surprisingly not annoying as Robin, and Jenny Slate and Hector Elizondo provide fair, if not particularly remarkable, takes on Harley Quinn and Commissioner Gordon, respectively. There are some interesting vocal cameos and supporting roles: Mariah Carey, Conan O'Brien, Ellie Kemper, Eddie Izzard, Riki Lindhome, Kate Micucci, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, and more, though my favorite might be Billy Dee Williams, returning to Gotham to play Two-Face (finally!).
The animation is gorgeous - it has that semi-stop-motion effect that the Lego Movie used for the construction/destruction of Lego creations, but is also fluid and sharp. The color palette in the movie is incredible, and there are some shots of Gotham that frankly would do any film or video game proud. Though built entirely out of Legos, the set looks exactly as Gotham should, complete with red skies, towering skyscrapers, and weird statues. Many of the characters are given new designs for the film, and others take their cues from various incarnations of the characters over the years. Batman wears his Keaton-esque movie costume, while Bane is clearly meant to invoke Tom Hardy's portrayal, and Batgirl comes straight out of the most recent comics in her Burnside uniform. It's a bit of a mish-mash, stylistically, but it works, since it makes for such a fun, vibrant spectacle.
There's an incredible soundtrack - there are a few new songs (yes, Batman sings - and beatboxes), with a none-too-subtle debt to Michael Jackson along the way. There's an attempt to create a new type of "Everything is Awesome" song over the closing credits, which is satisfactory if not quite as memorable, though those credits, which are a callback to A Chorus Line, are alone worth the price of admission. The score evokes Danny Elfman - and of course, Neal Hefti, more directly - while peppering in lots of pop standards, though surprisingly, the all-too-apt "We Built This City" which features in the trailer does not appear in the film.
The movie has a cast of thousands, and while many of them are simply civilian extras, the movie is absolutely overflowing with characters. Just about every major Batman villain is featured in at least a cameo (though I don't think the Mad Hatter, Ra's al Ghul, or Hush appeared, yet all three figured in the video games), and the supporting villain roster is impressive.
Characters from all eras of Batman's history appear - live action, animation and comics, and no one is too obscure...
The plot, such as it is, revolves around a supremely self-satisfied Batman defending his emotional self-reliance, rebuffing attempts by newly- (and accidentally-) adopted Dick Grayson, as well as Alfred, Barbara, and even the Joker, to make any kind of emotional connection. Of course, over the course of the movie, Batman must learn to connect (literally) to his fellow Gothamites, and, if it's not too fine of a point, establish that "everything is cool when you're part of a team". It's trite, and it's certainly been a theme in other takes on Batman before, but it's perfectly serviceable. One small gripe is that the movie does dip into the 'shipping of Batman/Batgirl, which I wish would just stop already, but the film doesn't fulfill it, to my relief.
For me, as a comics fan, a movie fan, and above all as a Batman fan, this movie was exceptional. There was so much to take in; I've no doubt that, upon the release of the Blu-Ray, I will be pausing quite a few of the frames to see if I can spot all of the nods...the hall of Batmobiles, the trophy room in the Batcave, the villain crowd scenes, et cetera. It was just a light movie that proved that there's room for more than just existential angst in Gotham, and that showed a welcome sign of lightening up. Personally, it's wonderful to see DC embracing some of its sillier aspects again, in a way that says "Yes, we know it's silly, but we love it anyway." It's heartening to see people receptive to the humor again. The idea of Batman as a deadpan egomaniacal goofball surrounded by largely incompetent villains is not new, but it is a strain of Batman near and dear to my heart, and one with which I have more than a passing familiarity.
Is it high art? No. But I don't care...for what it is - joyful, celebratory, self-deprecating, and utterly unashamed of a complete adoration of all things Batman - not to mention funny - it's wonderful. These days, I find the need for laughter - honest, pure, and not mean-spirited - is more prevalent than ever. In a way, it's comforting to be able to turn to Batman for that.
And to know that there will always be a home for Shark-Repellent Bat-Spray.
FINAL RATING: 9 PAWS (OUT OF 10)
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