(Don’t mind me. Just setting the mood.)
WRITER’S NOTE: This year, my WYSK (What You Should Know) series is getting an overhaul. As part of this upgrade, two movies I missed out on (Sing and The LEGO Batman Movie) will be the first installments of what will now be called ‘WYSK Discussion’ articles.
To learn more about the changes to the WYSK formula, click here. To see the discussion article for Sing, click here.
Wow, the 2017 year in animation sure did get started off on the right foot, didn’t it?
The LEGO Batman Movie, the third film from Warner Animation Group and the second film in the LEGO Cinematic Universe (or LCU, for short), is something of a triumph. Not only does it manage to be the rare spinoff that builds upon the mythology of its universe (therefore swiftly justifying the existence of a shared cinematic world) but it also succeeds (for me) as the ultimate love letter to Batman and indeed DC Comics as a whole.
I feel that this is going to be a really fun discussion thread because there is just so much to unpack from its brisk 104 minutes. From the myriad of references (everything from comics, film, TV, and even references from stuff outside of DC superheroes) to its use of deep-cut mythology from the comics to the colorful hyper-speed humor that is now a defining characteristic of LCU films, The LEGO Batman Movie paves an exciting path forward for future installments forward, as well as just being a damn good movie!
Now, I hand it over to our readers. What were your thoughts on The LEGO Batman Movie? What did you think of the ‘time jump’ between LEGO Movie 1 and LEGO Batman, as revealed in the beginning? What do you think of the fact that Batgirl and Catwoman had their ethnicities changed to reflect those of their respective actresses (Rosario Dawson is a biracial actress of Puerto Rican/Cuban descent, while Zoe Kravitz is Black/Jewish). What do you make of the film’s surprising use of Superman mythology? Finally, what do you think of the film’s central theme (Batman’s acceptance of what makes him a hero and embracing a makeshift family)?
Sound off below, and remember that this is a SPOILER discussion thread. If you’ve seen the movie, don’t hold back!
