Review: 'Lego Batman' is impossible not to enjoy
— -- Rated PG
Starring Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis
Four out of five stars
Introduced in 2014's "The Lego Movie," this version of Batman (again voiced by Will Arnett) is supercocky and self-absorbed and also lonely.
It's a flaw that will be exploited by the Joker (Zach Galifianakis), who, no matter how hard he tries, can't defeat the Dark Knight. Making matters worse, the Joker is crestfallen when Batman reveals the Joker's not his archenemy.
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Back in the Bat Cave, Alfred (Ralph Fiennes) can't help noticing that his boss, who's like a son to him, is lonely. But it's about to get worse. When Commissioner Gordon retires, his daughter, Barbara (Rosario Dawson), takes over but wants to rein in Batman, positioning him as a partner in fighting crime, not a lone vigilante. Batman doesn't like the idea but at the same time is blinded by Barbara's beauty.
Enter an orphan boy named Dick (Michael Cera). Batman, aka Bruce Wayne, unintentionally adopts Dick — something that could happen only in the silly, surreal Lego universe. Dick, of course, becomes Batman's sidekick, Robin.
"The Lego Batman Movie" is pure joy — gut-busting and delightful. It doesn't quite have the emotional impact of the "The Lego Movie," but there's no shortage of belly laughs and callbacks to every TV and film iteration of Batman.
Good for Warner Bros. to recognize that Arnett's brilliant voice performance in "The Lego Movie" was worthy of its own film, one that's impossible not to enjoy.
