Why The Lego Batman Movie is Great

And how it's more accurate to the comics than most Batman movies

[Reposted Entry from February 2022]

Ever since Batman's lego debut in the 2014 "Lego Movie", noone expected it's character to grow and develop to more than a parody of past Batmans from more dark and gritty movies, like Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy and Batman v Superman : Dawn of Justice. I personally really like Christopher Nolan's take on batman. It felt fresh and exciting. However, I can admit that it seemed to result in a certain trend within blockbusters. Namely, an attempt to capture that same darkness, often times falsely equating it to realism and therefore respectability. This need to grit up our heroes even permeated to Superman in 2013’s “Man of Steel”.

I assume this is what the inspiration behind the lego batman character is to the creators, because they decided to make their Batman an exaggerated version of the dark anti-hero, veering to the point of an emo-egomaniac. He’s not just a joke about Batman, he’s a joke about what Batman had come to represent within pop culture.

The last time i watched The Lego Batman was around 2 years ago where i had a serious "DC phase". Every Batman movie before this has been very disappointing to me because it strays away from the comic Batman. Whether it was the writing, the tone, or Batman as a character, it has been as if the creators didn't even take a second to open a Batman comic and understand his personality, his drive or reason he is a vigilante in the first place.

Batman's personality is driven by Bruce Wayne's inherent humanity; that "Batman, for all its benefits and for all of the time Bruce Wayne devotes to it, is ultimately a tool for Bruce Wayne's efforts to make the world better". Bruce Wayne's principles include the desire to prevent future harm and a vow not to kill.

The lego batman movie is a surprisingly thoughtful exploration of how Bruce Wayne/Batman has shut himself off from developing emotional connections with others in the wake of his parent’s demise. It just includes the right amount of comedy, a delightful embracing of the titular figure’s dense mythos, a compelling character arc, and even an example for why Robin is an essential Batman figure

All in all, i don't think this movie is better than any other batman movie out there. But i do know that it is a great portrayal of Batman and shouldn't be underestimated just because it's target audience are children

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