Everything is Batman in this boisterously entertaining cousin of the awesome The LEGO Movie. Channeling D.C. Comics, Christopher Nolan, and campy Sixties television, The LEGO Batman Movie elevates Emmet Brickowski’s sidekick in the original film to leading masked man in this fun-for-all follow-up that deconstructs the action hero’s brooding vigilante persona, brick-by-brick. It’s as if the Dark Knight somehow mated with the Caped Crusader, spawning a gravel-voiced bro-child (Arnett, brilliantly channeling Christian Bale) with relationship issues of every kind. (To quote the Man in Black, “Batman doesn’t do ’ships.”) The movie also serves as an origin story introducing youthful ward Dick Grayson and spunky police commissioner Barbara Gordon (aka Robin and Batgirl, respectively) to flesh out the cadre of Gotham City crime fighters our loner hero eventually learns to rely upon in the name of teamwork. The future sure looks bright for the LEGO movie franchise.
Opened 02/10/17