Movie review: 'LEGO Batman' has some laughs, but lacks depth
It's not easy being Batman. Sure, you might be swimming in money and own your own island like Bruce Wayne. But what do you come home to when the crime fighting is through: A cold lobster thermidor and an aged butler in Alfred (Ralph Fiennes) who's long retired to his bed? Such is the lonely life of an orphaned vigilante, albeit one with a healthy ego who'd love someone to willingly lend an ear while indulging in his endless braggadocio. Can he, like Jerry Maguire, find someone to complete him? And, if so, who? Those are the probing questions posited in "The LEGO Batman Movie," as it hilariously deconstructs the Caped Crusader brick by interlocking brick. It's a role Will Arnett has a lot of fun with in fleshing out the scowl behind the cowl in reprising his scene-stealing part from 2014's "The LEGO Movie." But the question I have is: Do we really want Gotham's maven of Goth to mellow into a family man? Wasn't it his lack of self-awareness what gave LEGO Batman its "Pow!"? Perhaps that's why "The LEGO Batman Movie" is at its best in the beginning, when we catch up with the man in black as he vanquishes the Joker (voice of Zach Galifianakis) and a menagerie of his corrupt cohorts. But before being deposited into lock-up, the Joker triggers an existential crisis in Batman's batty brain when the clown-faced felon demands his adversary declare his undying hate for him. But Batman can't form the words because he's convinced himself that he needs no one, not even a formidable adversary. Or, does he? When we follow him home to the cavernous Bat Cave and up the elevator to the equally hollow Wayne Manor, it's clear a superhero's life ain't all that it's cracked up to be. How can he truly enjoy mocking "Jerry Maguire" in his screening room if there's no one else there to share in the fun? But the fact that he is so farcically alone is what makes Arnett's take on him so funny. But, as is the case with most Hollywood movies, even LEGO Batmen need to learn the hard way that solitude has no place in the film world. So, let's find him some friends.
Al Alexander More Content Now
Feb 10, 2017 1:01 AM