Soo… I went and saw The Lego Batman Movie. And it was AWESOME! I had such a good time; I was laughing the whole way through, there were a couple of really heart-wrenching moments, and all in all, the whole thing was a treat. For those who have not seen it yet- stop reading and GO SEE IT! You need more to convince you? Fine… I will do a quick review before I jump into an analysis of what I thought was so interesting about this movie.
The Lego Batman Movie takes the concept behind The Lego Movie; that Legos are sentient and have lives of their own that reflect the lives of the characters upon which they are based, and adds BATMAN! And if that is still not enough to convince you to go see it, understand, the film does what the first one did so well; it tells a character driven story that appeals to both adults and children that allows time for both action and personal development. In a world of superhero movies that are dark, gritty, brooding, and more focused on pretentious philosophy than on character, The Lego Batman Movie got back to basics, focusing on the characters as people with real struggles that they have to grow to overcome. The emphasis on character does not detract from other aspects of the film, however. Visually, The Lego Batman Movie has some brilliant moments. The fight sequences in particular are a brilliant riot of color and movement. The soundtrack for the film is excellent, including great mix of original and popular songs. The story is a bit predictable, but the film uses that to its advantage; its own cliches are an opportunity for humor. And as funny as the film is, it doesn’t take the easy jokes; the humor never comes across as crude or stupid, which is often a hazard in children’s movies. The Lego Batman Movie strikes a perfect balance between humor and emotion, between action and character, between story and satire.
So again, if you haven’t seen The Lego Batman Movie, go see it. It is well worth the cost of admission; a great film for everyone!
Alright, now to a bit of analysis. The whole time I was watching the movie, I kept being reminded of another film from a year before. It seems weird every time I say this, but The Lego Batman Movie kept reminding me of Deadpool. The differences are obvious; Deadpool is an irreverent R rated satire that delights in pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable through use of graphic language, violence and sex. Lego Batman on the other hand is a PG romp through a literal world of toys that emphasizes the value of family and community. For all the apparent differences, however, I kept coming back and comparing the two in my head. And as I thought about it I came to the realization that Lego Batman is actually a cleverer version of Deadpool for families.
Deadpool made a splash in the superhero fan community with its pop culture references, its mocking of superhero stereotypes, and its self aware humor. It was a post modern homage to superhero films that deconstructs itself through its conformity and lack of conformity with the types and tropes of the superhero genre. This deconstruction is at its most obvious in the film’s use of violence and killing. Most superhero films try to maintain the upright character of the protagonist by placing a stricture against killing on him. This “one rule” of the “good” hero is undercut by the fact that superhero movies are driven by violence and action. The superhero is a success on the big screen because he is allowed to bypass societal restrictions on violence and solve problems using physical force, sometimes in a brutal manner. Deadpool takes this dichotomy of the superhero; the admiration of violence that is restricted by a moratorium on killing, and removes the false pretense of morality. Deadpool unashamedly kills the villains and thugs he encounters, rationalizing his actions by pointing out that if he left his enemies alive, they would come back and continue their wicked ways. And every audience members knows that Deadpool has a point. Superhero stories are littered with highly escapable prisons, corrupt organizations, and government bureaucracies that make a super-villain’s return inevitable. If one rationalizes the need for vigilante justice in the world, then it is not a large step to assert that that very need justifies the killing of the villain. Deadpool points out the hypocrisy of the superhero genre in maintaining the “one rule” against murder while simultaneously justifying the need to break the rules in order to achieve either safety or justice.
Even while Deapool undercut the tropes of the superhero genre, it also self consciously confirmed them. The film is full of references to what it means to be a “superhero.” From quips about the super-suit to Deadpool’s excitement at the “superhero” landing to running gags about the X-Men franchise, Deadpool never lets you forget that it is a superhero movie while simultaneously pointing out how it is different from “all those other superhero movies.” It is another superhero origin story in which the evil government agency gives the hero powers and then screws him over, complete with a super-villain who kidnaps the hero’s love interest, a blind mentor character, and fight scenes that somehow defy the laws of physics and gravity. Deadpool “works” because it is conscious of the tropes of the superhero genre and because it uses those tropes to irreverently mock the genre it is portraying.
Because Deadpool is so delightedly self-conscious, the film also is able to poke fun at the world in general. The entire film is packed with easter egg references to actors, films, comics, and books. These references serve as a wink and a nod to the audience; “see, we know you like these things, and the characters of this movie like these things too.” The audience is “in on the joke” because the audience knows what the character is referencing, even if the other characters do not. The audience then becomes a part of the performance, a participating witness to the action. By reaching directly to the audience through references and inside jokes, Deadpool draws the audience into the story or perhaps brings the story out of the movie to the audience.
The Lego Batman Movie does much the same thing. The film is chock full of references to “nerdy things” that the audience is assumed to know and understand. When the villains from the phantom zone attack, they appeal to a variety of nerd fandoms; from well known characters like the Wicked Witch of the West or Godzilla to the slightly more specified audiences who recognize Lord Voldemort or Sauron to the deep cut nerd villains like the Daleks of Dr. Who?. The film also is able to joke more broadly about “Harvard for Police,” Batman watching real world rom-coms, or “Maguffin Airlines” and the audience is able to recognize those jokes as funny because we are familiar with those things in the real world. Harvard is “the best school” so anyone who went to “Harvard for Police” must be a really good police person. The audience knows the films that Batman is watching, so they recognize the silly rom-com formula he is laughing at. A Maguffin is a mysterious item in a story that everyone is chasing, that serves only to motivate the plot, so when a plane is from “Maguffin Airlines” the audience knows that it is carrying an item (or items) that will be used to motivate the plot, but are actually mostly useless in the context of the story. Each of these references makes the audience think they are in on the joke, drawing the audience’s world closer to that being portrayed in the movie.
Another similarity between Lego Batman and Deadpool is the way in which the films self-consciously validate and question the tropes of the genre. While Deadpool does this with the superhero movie generally, Lego Batman does it with Batman movies. One way in which the film does this is through the “Bat-lists,” or lists of Batman related things and people. Early in the film, the Joker lists Batman villains, starting with the well-knowns like Penguin, Poison Ivy, and Two-Face, but descending into the minor, absurd, and unknown villains like Crazy Quilt, Eraser, Polka-Dot Man, Tarantula, King Tut, Orca, Killer Moth, Zodiac Master, Gentleman Ghost, Clock King, Calendar Man, Zebra Man, and Condiment King. All of these villains have fought the Dark Knight at some point, so all make a cameo appearance in the story. Similarly, when Robin first enters the Bat-Cave he geeks out over the large variety of “Bat things,” like the Bat-mobile, Bat-glider, Bat-steam engine train, Bat-kayak, etc. The film also references the previous film and television version of Batman with lego based versions of scenes or posters from each Batman film, and actual footage from the 60’s T.V. version of the character. All the references remind the audience that they are watching “A Batman movie,” drawing upon the audiences knowledge of and preconceptions about Batman to build this version of the character.
Just like Deadpool is a superhero movie that undercuts and deconstructs what it means to be a superhero, The Lego Batman Movie undercuts and deconstructs what is means to be Batman. Those who claim that this is one of the best Batman movies ever fail to recognize that this character is not actually Batman. This is Lego Batman, a character loosely based on the writer's and audience’s interpretation and preconceptions about the character. This character is a grandstanding egotist who fights crime because he wants attention, not because he wants to better the city. His complete lack of empathy for the people around him causes him to be needlessly cruel to those closest to him, and he is so obsessed with himself that he thoughtlessly puts Gotham city in danger because he cannot accept the help from others. Each of these characteristics is evident in comic versions of Batman but Lego Batman amplifies them to such an extreme it undercuts who the hero actually is. Batman is the world’s greatest detective, an incredible fighter and tactician; the man with no powers who has beat Superman every time the two have fought. Of course there is a bit of an ego there, a reluctance to trust the inferior thought processes and tactics of others. But this ego has always been subject to Batman’s practical side; he is not a grandstanding showboat, he is a legend that criminals and citizens whisper about in the quiet of the night, never entirely sure if he is real or not. It kills the myth of “the bat-man” to see him publicly celebrating his victories on the shoulders of Gotham city citizens and shamelessly hawking “bat-merch” to orphans. Similarly, while Batman has a tendency to be cold in his relationships with those around him, that chill hides a deep affection and care for his friends/family that is central to the character. He would not be heedlessly cruel to those he cares about; in particular the harsh words that passed between Lego Batman and Alfred seemed very out of character for the man who deeply loves and respects the faithful servant who has become a surrogate father to him. And while Batman is considered by many to be a “loner,” who handles things by himself because he doesn’t trust anyone else, this interpretation of the character is shallow and misguided at best. Batman is a team player; from the various Robins and Batgirls, to his work with the Justice League, the Dark Knight does not shrink away from working with others. By taking aspects of the character that people recognize and amplyfying those aspects to the absurd, the Lego Batman undercuts the heart of the character; instead of a man who serves the people of Gotham, he serves himself, instead of a valuable team player who understands the gifts and capabilities of others, he is a loner who alienates the people closest to him, instead of a brilliant tactician who beats every opponent he faces through sheer will and strategy, he is a shallow, easily manipulated idiot who ends up placing the city he is supposed to protect in even greater danger because of his thoughtlessness. Just like Deadpool uses the stereotypes of the genre to create an antihero who defies those conventions, The Lego Batman Movie uses the stereotypes about Batman to create a character who is at once instantly recognizable as “Batman” but who is also the opposite of what makes Batman…well…Batman. That tension, between what we recognize as Batman, and what fundamentally makes the character provides a source of humor for the film, just as it does in Deadpool. When Lego Batman claims to be the world’s greatest detective, we laugh because we have seen how his arrogance and his lack of trust in others makes the claim untrue. Yet somehow he is able to make his way through situations because “he’s Batman.”
This dichotomy between what we know of Batman, what we assume of Batman, and Batman’s position as a fictional character is heightened by the Lego aspect of Lego Batman. The original Lego Movie’s major plot twist was that the story that the characters had been living was (at least partially) in the imagination of a boy playing with the Lego characters. While we do not have the same glimpse of reality in The Lego Batman Movie, we are given hints that lead us to believe that there is a child playing with these toys. Real world films play in certain background scenes, and there is a reference to an unseen “boss” of the phantom zone. The story of The Lego Batman Movie is fictional even within the contexts of its own reality; it is the imaginings of a child playing with Legos. So of course Batman wins because “he’s Batman;” the good guys always win in the child’s game. This also, however, serves as a reminder that, universally Batman wins because “he’s Batman;" because he is a fictional character in a comic book, because he exists as an entertaining story designed to demonstrate the triumph of good over evil. Batman wins because he has to, because that is his purpose for existing. So Lego Batman, despite all the ways in which he is inferior to the original (his lack of forethought, his ego, his disrespect for others) is able to win his battles because he is still a version of the heroic character.
Ultimately, the similarities between Deadpool and The Lego Batman Movie result from the fact that they are both post-modern parody works that deconstruct their subjects through use of humor, and by breaking or confirming the stereotypes of their genres. Lego Batman, however, is exceptional in the clever way it is able to parody its subject without deteriorating into bawdy or grotesque humor. While Deadpool uses violence, sexuality, and language as the major tools to question the superhero genre, The Lego Batman Movie is able to perform essentially the same function, while remaining family friendly. The film is able to be unbelievably funny, introspective, and relevant, while also maintaining a wholesome center; transcending the gap between children’s movie and adult movie by appealing to what is funny for for everyone. It is at once self deprecating and self aggrandizing, and the tension between the two makes for a delightfully clever, layered humor that appeals across the spectrum.
I could go on, however, I think I have already run a bit long on the subject. It was nice to be able to start the 2017 movie lineup with a bang, and I am eagerly awaiting the new shows, films, and stories that will make this year AWESOME!
Well, back to reality.
