Legos Continue Toying with Success

Still+from+The+Lego+Batman+Movie

Still from The Lego Batman Movie

What does Bruce Wayne do in his free time when he’s not defending the streets of Gotham from dastardly villains? He eats microwaved lobster thermidor and watches “Jerry Maguire,” of course. The beloved comic superhero and plastic construction toys are back with a new installment for the impressive franchise’s second film, “The Lego Batman Movie.”

Batman (Will Arnett) can’t seem to find much purpose in his life when there’s no crime to combat. Lonely and inflated by his luscious abs and narcissistic ego, Batman finds himself out of a job when The Joker (Zach Galifianakis) plans a scheme to be voluntarily incarcerated in the Phantom Zone (a DC prison dimension) so he can gain access and release all the prisoners inside to wreak havoc on Gotham.

These prisoners are no ordinary villains, they’re a motley crew of scoundrels spanning many movie universes: Sauron (“The Lord of the Rings”), Wicked Witch of the East (“The Wizard of Oz”), King Kong, Dracula, Medusa and many more including all the favorite DC villains. Batman has to snap into action to save Gotham once again, but not without learning some valuable life lessons along the way.

Lego Batman is a pure joy from start to finish with exceptionally funny writing that’s fun for all ages. The franchise is not immune from cliche family movie plot constructions, but that’s easily overlooked by the unadulterated fun, mesmerizing animation and clever wit that creates a fruitful movie experience. The success of the new Lego franchise reinforces what we already know: You’re never too old to have fun with Legos.