In 2014, The Lego Movie pleasantly surprised audiences with its heartwarming message and funny script, and now, just three years later, we get The Lego Batman Movie. Directed by Chris McKay, it’s a spin-off of the first film and brings back Will Arnett as the one and only Batman. The Lego Movie was sentimental and hilarious, but does its follow-up hold up? The short answer is yes.
Free of the first movie’s plot, The Lego Batman Movie finds Batman trying to face his greatest fear while stopping his self-appointed arch-nemesis, The Joker (Zach Galifianakis). Along for the ride are his adopted son Dick Grayson/Robin (Michael Cera), his faithful butler Alfred (Ralph Fiennes), and new colleague Barbara Gordon/Batgirl (Rosario Dawson).
Spin-offs starring a secondary character who’s fun in small doses are often a disaster, but luckily, that’s not the case here. Will Arnett easily carries the film, bringing far more depth to Batman than the first movie let him show. Batman’s biggest fear is having a family after losing his first one, and the movie makes that clear in small, funny ways. Watching him microwave a lobster dinner and eat it alone in his enormous mansion is both hilarious and a little heartbreaking. Arnett nails a guy in total denial about being lonely, with plenty of warmth along the way.
Michael Cera is a welcome addition as Robin, who fans of the Adam West TV show will remember as a bit of a pushover. Cera’s awkward, overeager voice leans right into that meek streak, and his excitement over finally having a dad is what gives Batman’s fear something to push against. Rosario Dawson’s Barbara Gordon works because she’s simply better at the job than everyone around her, and the movie never treats that as a big deal, which is how it should be.
Galifianakis’ Joker is quite different from other versions of the character. Since the target audience is younger, he’s far less sinister. Instead, he’s stuck in an emotionally neglectful relationship with Batman, desperately wanting to be called his greatest enemy and getting brushed off every time. The scene where Batman tells him he doesn’t currently have a bad guy and that he likes to fight around is played for laughs, but it also gives a surprisingly nuanced look into an emotionally closed-off character, and it’s just one example of how the movie hides real feelings inside its jokes.
Just like the first film, there are plenty of Easter eggs and fun characters to spot, only this time they’re almost all DC-centered, apart from a few minor villains near the end. Those villains are Easter eggs all on their own, and include Voldemort, King Kong, and the Daleks. The movie is packed with geek culture that I enjoyed immensely, though the final act gets so crowded that some of the gags fly by before you can enjoy them.
Like its predecessor, there’s plenty here for adults to like, from the callbacks to previous media to the sweet premise underneath it all. Many kids will love it simply because it’s bright and loud, but in time, they’ll come to appreciate it for even more. It’s also easily the funniest Batman movie, and one that sticks up for the Batman who’s allowed to be a little ridiculous.
