The LEGO Batman Movie (2017), PG, ★★★1/2

The Justice League is formed...LEGO style.

"Everything is awesome. Everything is cool when you're part of a team." Well, that's the song that introduced to the LEGO world that is positive and upbeat entertainment that sets the tone for that previous movie with its humor and its story. Now, the movie, thanks to its critical, commercial and financially successful acclaim, has started a trend of LEGO-inspired movies and the first movie to do that: Batman. Batman was a funny supporting character in the first LEGO movie that many people were clamoring for more of the character in its world. And, now, it has been made, it does not reach the peaks of the LEGO movie because of its fresh concept, but it is a whole lot of irreverent fun full of humor and heart.

Batman (Will Arnett) is fighting his arch-rival, the Joker (Zach Galifianakis), because Joker is trying to destroy to Gotham City. However, he hurts Joker's feelings as he thinks that the Joker is not as important in his life as Superman. Later, he attends as his alter-ego, Bruce Wayne, as Commissioner Jim Gordon (Hector Elizondo) is retiring and his daughter, Barbara (Rosario Dawson) is appointed as the commissioner. She wants to restructure the whole Gotham Police Department as she wants them to operate without the Batman. Batman is angry about that revelation. Joker and the rest of the Gotham City villains threaten the city, allowing everybody to surrender to the Batman, since he is no longer relevant.

Batman wants to banish Joker to the Phantom Zone, a prison dimension. Before he takes the mission, Alfred (Ralph Fiennes) insists on taking Dick Grayson (Michael Cera), an adopted boy that Batman takes under his wing as his sidekick, Robin. After Barbara puts Batman and Robin in prison, Harley Quinn (Jenny Slate) steals the Phantom Zone Projector to free Joker along with numerous villains from the Phantom Zone, causing havoc for the city.

Yay!

I am going to bring up a question: Why is that the LEGO world is much more creative and much more focused, from a narrative angle, on its character than the DC movies? Yes, it is somewhat based on the comics but it has fun with the material entertaining both children and adults alike. The movie is a whole lot of fun bringing back references from the movies to the 1940s Batman that it engages generations of moviegoers and the writers are smart because they would push that meta-humor onto not solely one specific group of audience members but many more. Also, the animation is beautifully shot and composed with such visual splendor that you cannot question the filmmakers as to in addition to the narrative, but also how they put in such beautiful animation.

Will Arnett once again voices Batman with such humorous gravitas that there is a vulnerability to his self-centered behavior and once it goes deep into his soul as to why he acts like an egotistical human being, you understand. Where has Michael Cera been? He voices Robin like an innocent childlike person that can ask autographs forever. He is so comical here. Zach Galifianakis brings another layer of humor onto the villain in addition to a bit of menace. Dawson does a good job with Barbara/Batgirl but Ralph Fiennes gives the best and subdued voiceover as he has to condone Bruce's behavior but at the same time, he is also a father figure to him since his parents passed away. He's up there with Michael Caine's Alfred from Nolan's Batman trilogy.

Even though Phil Lord and Christopher Miller did not direct this movie, they only produced the movie, director Chris McKay takes over the reign to create a colorful palette of funny and nuanced characters in somewhat of a passable storyline. It does lack towards the end as the action and routine evil deed takes over as Batman and his allies try to put down the villains. To be specific, the movie was not as fresh. All in all, it is a wonderful movie with optical refinement in its animation and unabashedly funny humor that it would be a nice double feature with The LEGO Movie. DC and Warner Bros. have to work together and get their act together to create at least one very good comic book movie. Fingers crossed on Wonder Woman!

***1/2