Welcome to DCember, the DC equivalent of MAYvel. Because everyone else is doing christmas marathons, so I thought I'd be that hipster edge lord that goes against the norm. And what's more edgy then DC's track record of quality movies? I regret nothing in that, but probably will at some point, depending on what happens first. Anyway, unlike MAYvel, not everything will be dedicated to DC. The main reason being because there are often end of year games that I try to rush reviews of, such as Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee which should be coming out within a week or two, but the large majority of content on this site is going to be dedicated to DC. Starting off with The Lego Batman Movie, a somewhat direct sequel to The Lego Movie, starting that movie's interpretation of Batman and trust me, this movie will love to remind you that you are watching a Batman movie.
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| Would have been nice if you learned your lesson last time and didn't make Australian's wait 2-3 months like you did The Lego Movie, but you didn't. If you don't like Pirates, stop giving them justifications for existance! |
You know how grim and serious a lot of the Batman material's been getting lately? This movie looks at all of those, from the comics post 1990, to the Nolan films, to even the DCEU, and blows a big raspberry at them. While this Batman has the characteristics of those interpretation, he also has one of the biggest egos I've ever seen in a film. What does this combination mean? You get a Batman that does some really crazy and silly things, all while treating it like it's the most serious thing in the world sometimes, including a Tuxedo Dress-up Party... no, I'm not kidding. Why this kind of Batman? Well let's look at the plot.
The Joker is causing chaos throughout Gotham, all in an attempt to make Batman realize the special connection that the two have. Only problem is that this Batman is afraid of being in a relationship of any kind again, to be in a family again... and if you know anything about Batman, or just look at the poster, or the released Lego sets for the movie, you can probably tell where this is going from a mile away. Once The Joker's first plan fails, he hatches a new plan that replaces Batman's A, B, C and D list Rogues gallery, along with the Rogues of other superheroes, swapping them out with villains like Sauron, Voldemort, The Wicked Witch of the West, British Robots that say "Exterminate", Agent Smith, something that totally isn't Godzilla, and more. As a result, Batman must overcome his fear of Snake Clowns... I mean being in a family, and team up with this movie's interpretations of Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon and Alfred, along with the rogues gallery, to stop The Joker and save Gotham. The big problem with this story is that it is extremely predictable to an older audience, at least in terms of structure. There's also a good chance that kids will find it repetitive too, as it appears in a lot of kids films. That being said though, what helps it stick the landing is the character interactions, which are the best part of the movie, and all feel in character for not only these versions of the DC characters, but the characters in general. From the stabs at previous films and shows, including Killer Croc getting to do something (unlike Suicide Squad), to Alfred's mockery of how moping Batman comes out all the time (including recreations of moments from previous Batman films and shows with two exceptions. The Bat nipples from Batman and Robin, and the Bat Dance from the Adam West Batman show). There's even a scene when the Bat Shark Repellent is used on a shark that "totally isn't Jaws". Ahh, gotta love copyright loopholes, don't you?
The rest of the characters follow Batman in the "exaggerated, yet very much in character". From Gordon's over reliance on the Bat Signal, Alfred's wise yet somewhat smart ass of a parent, even the Joker is a very fitting interpretation, even though it's a bit more mellowed out compared to some of his other incarnations, relying less on the "Isn't he crazy" personality many Jokers are known for. Is it one of the best Jokers I've seen? No, but it does work for the film and it's story. I couldn't see something like the DCAU's Joker working here, though I do wish there was a Zazz in here that got some spotlight, just to mock at how much the Joker in Suicide Squad was like Zazz. One problem I have with the presentation though is that it's a Batman movie first, Lego movie second, and save for some spesific moments, the creativity found in The Lego Movie is kind of lost here as it's really only in the world design. There isn't a lot of using the bricks to change one thing into another thing, and at times it feels more like a feature of the Bat Vehicles rather then Master Builder skills. It still looks beatiful though, and the animation still looks great, it's an excellent style that they've improved since the Lego Movie, combine that with a strong soundtrack, and the presentation is solid. Honestly the only faults I have with it are the predictable story structure and the heavier lean on being a Batman movie rather then a Lego movie. It's still a great movie though and certainly worth a watch. Next week's movie though... I know the correct order is to go Wonder Woman first, but it feels more apropriate to see the DCEU at one of it's worst, before looking at what many believe to be it's best. So next week, Justice League.
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