Director: Chris McKay
Cast:Â Will Arnett (voice), Ralph Fiennes (voice), Rosario Dawson (voice), Zach Galifianakis (voice), Michael Cera (voice), Jenny Slate (voice)
Running Time: 104 Minutes
Rating: U
Release Date: 10/02/17
When THE LEGO MOVIEÂ burst onto our screens in 2014, turning the wave of pessimism aimed its way into a massive box office success, it seemed that any and all sequels spun off it couldn’t possibly touch on that film’s brand of zany smarts. However, it’s clear with THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIEÂ that they’ve got a winning formula as this is a sure-fire hit.
Batman was one of the breakout stars of The Lego Movie, his gravelly voiced spoofing of the dourness of Batman universe proving a huge hit with audiences. It makes sense that he’s the one to get awarded his own spin-off, particularly when his bat catalogue (ha) is full to the brim with joke possibilities. Well, Lego Batman goes at it with veracity and then some.
Like The Lego Movie, the jokes are thick and fast, practically leaving you breathless with guffaws, giggles and gut-busting gags. It’s not just the written jokes but the visual gags, the call backs, even the way the actors voice their parts. There’s so much going on it’s almost impossible to catch everything the first time, particularly if you’re still laughing at something five jokes back.
The script is sharp, if sometimes a bit too on the nose with its kid-friendly messages and the direction is assured, punchy and engaging. However, it’s the performances that sell everything. Will Arnett is like a superhero Bojack Horseman, his deep tones and one-liners turning even the jokeless lines into something smirk worthy.
The rest of the voice cast, Zach Galifianakis as The Joker, Ralph Fiennes as Alfred, Rosario Dawson as Barbara Gordon and Michael Cera are all spot on casting wise. Cera in particular, is one of the best bits of casting since Eddie Murphy in Shrek. His endearing nativity is a delight in every second he’s on screen.
Elsewhere the great and the good of Hollywood fill out the many, many small roles in the Batman bat catalogue (sorry) and the music blends winning hits like Wham with heavy rock.
Overall, what could’ve been a letdown spin-off is sure to be one of the biggest films of the year. Hooray for Lego.
Verdict
