Smart insights, hilarious jokes give animated comedy 'Lego Batman Movie' a Bat-rocket boost
The creators of "The Lego Batman Movie" could never have anticipated that their manic, animated kids' toy comedy would become the most prescient, overtly political movie of the 21st century so far.
The expected conflict between the Caped Crusader and his arch-nemesis the Joker takes a far back seat to the internal battle raging within the Dark Knight himself, presented as a decisive, take-charge superhero with a supersized ego used to getting his way and expecting to be constantly overpraised for everything he does.
Batman's duality as millionaire Bruce Wayne and a vigilante crime-fighter sets the stage for a choice that he must make: to remain a hard-bitten conservative superhero? Or liberalize up a little?
Independent, self-sufficient conservative superheroes go it alone. They don't need or want help from government institutions or social organizations that they distrust and view with great skepticism.
More liberal superheroes think of themselves as essential cogs in a bigger wheel of life. They take support where they can and believe it takes a village to properly raise a child - or an adopted son.
In "The Lego Batman Movie," the Dark Knight's identity crisis roils beneath a cinematic tsunami of dizzying sight gags, staccato verbal jokes, clever pop culture references and spectacular action set pieces coming at us at the speed of The Flash on an amphetamine overdose.
This sequel continues Will Arnett's gravelly vocal performance as Batman after the Caped Crusader's memorable supporting part in 2014's brilliantly executed "The Lego Movie," directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.
New director Chris McKay, who grew up in Libertyville, delivers a breathless comic experience (credited to five writers) in which animated blocky Lego construction bricks magically burble with personalities, moving across the screen exactly as you might imagine Lego bricks would, if they could.
"The Lego Batman Movie" explodes with surprises, especially the revelation that Batman doesn't party with hot models after a hard day of fighting villainy.
He watches teary relationship movies ("Jerry Maguire" again?) in the isolated, cavernous Bat Cave below Wayne Manor on Wayne Island, accompanied only by his computer companion (voiced by Siri herself) and his paternal butler, Alfred (erstwhile Voldemort Ralph Fiennes).
Batman's life takes a twist when he attends Commissioner Gordon's (Hector Elizondo) retirement dinner.
He spots daughter Barbara Gordon (Rosario Dawson), the new cop commissioner. She enraptures him so much, he doesn't realize he's agreed to adopt an orphan named Dick Grayson (Michael Cera), who's overjoyed that he seems to now have two dads.
Barbara isn't so taken with Bruce's alter-ego.
"You can't be a hero if you only care about yourself!" Barbara says of the Dark Knight.
An emo Joker (Zach Galifianakis), despondent that Batman has been seeing other villains, rigs a climactic blowout battle sequence involving the universe's greatest villains (including Zod, Jaws, Gremlins and the Wicked Witch) now freed from Superman's infamous Phantom Zone.
Bruce/Batman continues to be torn between going it alone or being part of something bigger than himself.
So what's Batman's greatest fear? Snakes? Clowns? Nope.
"It's being part of a family again," Alfred informs him.
He's referring to the family of humankind, represented by the citizens of Gotham City, who, at the end, must literally support each other to save their community.
This movie had us at "Lego."
“The Lego Batman Movie”
½
Starring: Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Zach Galifianakis, Ralph Fiennes, Rosario Dawson, Mariah Carey
Directed by: Chris McKay
Other: A Warner Bros. release. Rated PG. 90 minutes.