Monday Movie Mania - The Lego Batman Movie

"Everything is awesome!"

Yep, even that little earworm makes an appearance in The Lego Batman Movie albeit in the background.

This movie taps into the family theme a little deeper than it's predecessor, The Lego Movie, did, all within the realm of the Batman mythos. On the surface though, this movie is a fangirl's dream with all the nods to seventy+ years of Batman history. And it's funny as hell.


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SPOILERS


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PROS
1) Ironically, this movie digs deeper into Batman/Bruce Wayne's psyche than most other stories I've read or watched. Sure, his parents' murders are the inciting factor to Bruce's vigilantism. But this movie takes it a step further by showing him so paranoid about ANY human connection he denies Joker's claim that he is Batman's greatest foe. Which of course, sets off the Joker's greatest scheme EVER!

2) The cameos are too fucking numerous to mention. In fact, I think I missed some in the kinetic energy of the film. But a special nod goes to Billy Dee Williams who played DA Harvey Dent in Batman (1989). I'd hoped to see him play Two-Face in a Michael Keaton sequel, but it was not to be.

3) Special mention goes to Doug Benson who voiced Bane. I sat through the credits because I would have sworn Bane was portrayed by his The Dark Knight Rises actor, Tom Hardy.


CONS
1) I know this sounds weird, but this flick was way more enjoyable than the live-action DC superhero movies, and it upsets me. As I'm writing this review, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is playing on the TV. (I'm taking advantage of an HBO free weekend.) There's no humor to relieve the unrelenting dreariness and despair of Man of Steel and BvS. Suicide Squad was a bit better, but the humor had to be inserted during retakes.

This is a time in history were heroic stories are important. We the People need something positive in our lives, someone to look up to even if he/she is a figment of our imagination. Both Batman and Superman were created during the Depression for a reason. When I say "positive", I don't mean the constant visual and dialogue jokes of The Lego Batman Movie, but Goddess damn it, we need something positive. Uplifting. And it's sad that a toy-inspired animated movie delivers what the live-action movies can't.

In the end, I can honestly tell other parents to take their kids to see this movie. It's the same clean fun of its predecessor. Overall, I give The Lego Batman Movie 9.5 out of 10 stars.