The film begins with Batman narrating the opening logos of the film, claiming that he is the one who mad DC great. This was only the beginning of the pokes that were made throughout the film. Other jabs were made at the Adam West era of Batman, the Tim Burton era, the Christopher Nolan trilogy, Suicide Squad, as well as Batman V Superman. Furthermore, it mocked Marvel, seeing as the password to the Batcave is that "Iron Man sucks", a testament that is true in regards to the third solo film. There is even jabs at Green Lantern, whose emails from Superman are often delayed for years.
However beneath all of these jokes lies a very deep emotional idea: loneliness. Batman begins the film as a lone wolf who claims he can do everything himself. However, the film shows that this ego is actually a defense mechanism stemming back to the loss of his parents. Because of that traumatic event, Batman refuses to get close to anybody, for fear that he will lose them too. This distance is especially clear when he claims that Alfred, commonly seen as the father figure for Batman, has no idea about having a surrogate son. This is after adopting Richard Greyson, soon-to-be Robin, while at a Gala. There is more to the emotional growth of Batman, which I will explore after discussing the main story.
All the classic villains in the Batman universe are working together at the beginning of the film. After Batman defeats all but the Joker, Joker claims that Batman and he are in an enemy relationship. Batman responds saying he doesn't need anybody else, which actually makes the Joker, known for his iconic smile, frown. From here, Joker seeks to prove to Batman how much they need each other. At this point, he sees Superman banish Zod to what is known as the "Phantom Zone" where only the worst of the worst go.
Joker then hatches a plan to get himself into the Phantom Zone, using Batman's own ego against him. Once in this new world, Joker forms himself a new army to take over Gotham, thus proving that he is the ultimate villain. This team of villains is loaded with iconic villains from all over, such as Godzilla, King Kong, Lord Voldemort, The Wicked Witch of the West, Sauron, the T-rex and Raptors from Jurassic Park, Gremlins, Jaws, and Daleks (AKA "evil British robots. Ask your nerd friends"). This team is released upon the world, and raise havoc, including turning Wayne Manor into the Joker's theme park.
In the process of banishing the Joker, Batman and Robin were locked away in Arkham Asylum, but are let out on the condition that they work with Barbara Gordon and Alfred to bring these villains to justice. Naturally, this teamwork only lasts until Robin refers to the team as a family. Batman then sends them to the city limits and goes to face Joker alone. In the moment, this seems truly selfish and reckless, but soon we find out why he did it. Naturally, one person cannot defeat all these villains, and Batman finds himself banished to the Phantom Zone. Here, he discovers that he isn't a villain, but his selfish actions don't make him a hero either. He explains that he abandoned the group to try to save them, as he is truly afraid to lose those closest to him. It is here that he sees the cost of how he treated them, instead of telling them how he felt.
Robin runs off and becomes Nightwing, and acts just as reckless and selfish as he had seen Batman to be, and Barbara and Alfred try to fight, but become surrounded by Daleks and King Kong. Batman begs permission to go back and save his friends, promising to return all the bad guys to the Phantom Zone. He is granted this request, and returns, apologizes for his behavior, and recognizes the need for a team, creating a Robin, Batgirl, and Bat-Alfred signal, as well as calling all the iconic Batman villains that Joker spurned to his aid. The result is an all-out brawl that sees everybody work as a team to defeat and banish all of Joker's new henchmen.
However, a bomb goes off, splitting the base plate of the Lego world, opening a crevice that leads to the void from The Lego Movie. Our heroes join heads, literally, and try to span the gap, but they can't reach. It is here that Batman reveals the true necessity of the Joker, in order to get the help to save Gotham from total destruction. And thus, the day is saved.
But the story didn't end there...
The remainder of this blog contains spoilers for the ending of The Lego Batman Movie. Those who don't wish to know the ending please skip the next two paragraphs.
Batman had promised to return all the bad guys to the Phantom Zone, and, based on his previous actions prior to going to the Phantom Zone, he was classified as a "bad guy". And thus, he must return to the Phantom Zone. He reveals his true identity to Robin, and calls him son. He says his goodbyes and sends himself.
However, by forming his team and learning the necessity of having people close to you, Batman had atoned for his faults, and thus is allowed to remain in Gotham with his friends and family, where they fight crime as a team, happy to have each other.
Similar to how The Lego Movie was about the necessity of creativity and ingenuity, The Lego Batman Movie tells of the importance of having people around you who care about you, and the importance of respecting other people's feelings.
Once again, Lego has created an incredibly fun ride that also has an important life lesson to teach our children. Whether you have followed the Batman's history on the big and small screens or not, there is something to enjoy. This film has defeated sequel syndrome, in my opinion, and is a fantastic film to watch as a group, especially with those closest to you.
Let me know what you think of The Lego Batman Movie in the comments below.
Click here to order the movie.
Let me know what you think of The Lego Batman Movie in the comments below.
Click here to order the movie.
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