After the delightful surprise of The Lego Movie back in 2014 it was only a matter of time (and the matter of collecting a whole lot of rights to specific characters and movies) before Lego Batman made his return.  It is a fun movie overall, especially when it spoofs or recalls with affection previous Batman incarnations and traditions.  Any Batman fan needs to see this and should definitely appreciate not only its nostalgia but its take on Batman’s lonely persona.

Chris McKay’s film flashes past at the speed of sound, so viewers are bound to miss jokes, in-jokes, references and perhaps even important plot development.  On the other hand, it drives home Batman’s lonely life again and again and again.  Teamwork is the name of the game as Batman must learn how to accept help from new police commissioner Barbara Gordon, a young ward he has inadvertently acquired named Dick Grayson, and, of course, Alfred the Butler.  Only then can he truly contribute to the society he has vowed to protect.

See how many references you can spot to Warner Bros. products, characters, movies and so on; it’s product placement gone wildly berserk, and it’s very funny.  I howled at certain moments which were spot-on hilarious, but the film is so fast-paced that it doesn’t provide proper pauses to enjoy the laughs.  Even so, I love the creativity involved and the level of detail brought to bear.  It’s not every day that one sees the Bat Space Shuttle or the Bat Kayak in the Batcave, for instance.  Great stuff.

Granted, there is a lot of silliness to this movie, but it beats the heck out of all the raunch surrounding us these days.  This is clever, mostly innocent fun, and it is most welcome.  Kudos to the Lego people for expanding their vision to include these most famous and popular superheroes, and kudos to Warner Bros. and the superhero people for allowing, and perhaps even encouraging, the association; it’s a great combination.  ☆ ☆ ☆.  23 March 2017.