Who is the definitive onscreen Batman?It’s a question that can get even the calmest of Bat-fans riled up. In some ways, the answer depends on which one you grew up with. For older fans, it’s betweenAdam Westfrom thecampy 1960’sBatmanseries, andMichael Keaton, he of theTim Burton-ledBatman(1989) andBatman Returns(1992). For others, it’s the Batman of theDark Knight Trilogy,Christian Bale, or the Snyderverse’sBen Affleck. The newest generation are more likely to make their stand forThe Batman’sRobert Pattinson.But, if we were to base the definitive Batman on their Rotten Tomatoes ranking, that Batman hasn’t even been mentioned yet:Will Arnett’s comically dour Batman fromThe Lego Batman Movie.
‘The Lego Batman Movie’ Is Legitimately Funny
Only 2008’sThe Dark KnighttopsThe Lego Batman Movieaccording to Rotten Tomatoes, 94% versus 89%, but, technically, the average of the Dark Knight Trilogy as a whole places Bale’s Batman just below Batnett by the slimmest of margins. But what does the crazy world of the Brick Bat have over its cinematic Batman kin? For starters,The Lego Batman Moviedoes what it intends to do, and it does it very, very well. The film has no ambition to bring a gritty realism to the hero. Not that you’d expect a Lego movie to do that anyway. What would that even look like? Ponder. No,the lauded animated filmexists as both a spoof and as an homage to Batman’s long, storied past in almost every medium.
Arnett nails that balance perfectly. His Batman cracks a quip a minute at points in the film, but doesn’t devolve into camp, while the more poignant parts of the film, rare they may be, are given a degree of gravitas without dragging the film down. Then there’s the voice, that dour, self-serious rasp that has, at this point, become the stereotypical Batman delivery, which in itself is both homage and parody.The Lego Batman Movieis also legitimately funny from start to end,bordering on the edge of films likeAirplane!andBlazing Saddlesin its skewering of the DC/Batman mythos. Rapid fire jokes take aim atSuicide Squad(“What am I gonna do? Get a bunch of criminals together to fight the criminals? That’s a stupid idea."), the never-thought-about-it-til-now spotlight on the general hazards of the Batmobile (in response to Robin’s (Michael Cera) query about seatbelts, Batman replies, “The first lesson is… LIFE DOESN’T GIVE YOU SEATBELTS."), andmy personal favorite, the password to enter the Batcave being, “Iron Man sucks!”
‘The Lego Batman Movie’ Digs Deep Into DC’s Past and Into Batman Himself
The film’s Easter eggs dig deep, like Christmas for eagle-eyed DC fans. The 1966Batmanis referenced with the infamous Bat-Shark Repellent, and the phrase, “Atomic batteries to power, turbines to speed,” every time they enter the Batmobile. Batsuits from the past (and some made-up) are on display. The doorbell to the Fortress of Solitude playsJohn Williams' iconic theme fromSuperman. Obscure villains like Egghead, the Calculator, and Condiment King show up, as do obscure heroes like Apache Chief, El Dorado and the Wonder Twins (and Gleek) from the Saturday morningSuper Friendscartoon.The Lego Batman Moviealso handles the integration of Warner Bros. IP far better thanSpace Jam: A New Legacydid, making Sauron, the gremlins fromGremlins(in a very clever homage to the famed"Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” episode ofThe Twilight Zone), and Voldemort, voiced byEddie Izzard(and notRalph Fiennes, who is in the cast, but as Alfred).
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Val Kilmer, Jim Carrey, and Tommy Lee Jones starred in Joel Schumacher’s swing at the iconic DC Comics property in 1995.
But humor and Easter eggs alone can’t make a movie excellent — Heaven knows there are enough films that have failed based on those elements by themselves — so why doesThe Lego Batman Movieget so much love?The film does something that no other Batman film has done in the past: explains why Batman works alone. It doesn’t delve deep into the well-worn origin story, which has been done to death (and already perfectly), but rather into the impact the event has had on his life. Why he keeps others away. Why he prefers to work alone. This Batman can’t, or more truthfully won’t, let anyone in for fear of losing them, or causing them harm. Bruce Wayne is so deeply scarred emotionally that he feels more comfortable as Batman, refusing to take off the cowl for any reason. He can’t even commit to a monogamous antagonistic relationship with his arch-nemesis, the Joker (Zach Galifianakis), telling his iconic foe that he prefers to “fight around.“And when he does open up in the end to accept that he can’t do it all alone, and that he needs, and has, a family to support him, it feels earned. Of course, that openness is best exemplified in the spirit of the film by the words he imparts to the Joker at the end of the film: “I hate you forever.” Oddly, the most touching moment in the Batman franchise as a whole.
The Lego Batman Movie
