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Post by The Curmudgeon on Feb 14, 2017 17:13:53 GMT 2
As previously mentioned, the Lego games do big business in the Curmudgeon's household, so the Lego Batman movie was an instant must-see for both of us. And to be honest, I expected a few laughs, a few annoyingly catchy songs and some sight gags and jokes aimed at the older viewer.
Honestly? It's easily one of the funniest, like a breathtaking volume of gags, films I've seen in years, and it's THE most complete picture of Batman that's ever been seen on screen. After the movie Mrs C commented that "you laughed all the way through that", and I totally did. And it's not just slapstick kiddie stuff either, it's really clever as well. The first thirty seconds show an airplane from "McGuffin Airlines", that's a fucking Hitchcock reference in the first minute. It's like Robot Chicken for kids, but with 100 more jokes. It references EVERY Batman, from Batman vs Superman to the Clooney Batman to the 60's Batman right up to the 40's cinema serial. It's got EVERY villain in Batman's rogues gallery. When Zerba Man gets a look in, you know you're in deep.
The voice cast are as inspired as the script (Zack Galifianakis, Jermaine Clement, Jonah Hill, Seth Green.. you want a super confident handsome douchebag Superman? Is there anyone other than Channing Tatum for that role?)
On Rotten Tomato's it's already the second highest rated Batman movie ever (behind Dark Knight, of course), and it absolutely deserves it. This is no mere kiddie movie and no mere toy cash-in. THIS is fucking Batman.
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Post by trashcanman on Feb 15, 2017 1:07:37 GMT 2
Really? Huh. I'd read things along those lines from websites, but they are all full of bullshit so I was passing on this. The trailer just looked corny and kiddie as hell. But I will add this to my queue for when the DVD comes out. As long as the dramatic turning point isn't Batman finding out that he and Superman's moms have the same first name, I'll have sat through worse.
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Post by trashcanman on Jun 22, 2017 20:43:33 GMT 2
 Saw Get Out yesterday, and today it was this one. I don't know, man, I feel like if the movie wasn't made out of Legos, people would tear it apart (ironic kind-of pun not intended). Yeah, the gags and references came hard and fast, but a lot of them were redundant. How many references to Batman's abs? How many references to 60s Batman? Multiple "come at me" memes? "Pew pew pew"? "YAY!" You get one each. No points for doing different versions of the same few gags over and over for two hours. And dear god, there is amusingly self-referential, and then there's obnoxiously self-referential. This was the latter. I mean, come on, looking at the camera and telling us to Google the menagerie of obscure villains you just threw out for no real reason? Throwing in Dr. Who's "British robots" after naming Sauron, Voldemort, King Kong (who is NOT a fucking villain) and telling us to ask our nerd friends? It feels like they used internet listicles to research this fucking movie and want pats on the back for knowing things that are common knowledge to comic book fans. Yes, motherfucker, I know who Condiment King is. He's been in like five TV shows, and has long been the staple DC joke villain. You won't catch Rocket Raccoon in the next Guardians movie name-checking Squirrel Girl while winking at the camera and assuring the audience that's a real thing. At least, I hope not. But yeah, I got the distinct feeling that the writers haven't even seen most of the movies they referenced aside from Harry Potter and Batman 1966. The shark (presumably from Jaws) is bearing down on Babs and she aims and fires WITHOUT saying "smile, you son of a...."? How does that ever happen in a film whose entire premise is referencing pop culture? They must have just googled a list of most famous cinema villains. And seriously, all of Batman's villains team up to save the city for what, now? Would any audience put up with something that contrived and nonsensical from a legit film? It was a good time, but calling it the best or definitive Batman movie is just all sorts of no. It was a fun little kiddie romp, but even as far as those go, it's no The Incredibles. |
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Post by The Curmudgeon on Jun 23, 2017 14:31:23 GMT 2
 Aw man, you didn't like it? I thought it was great. And in fairness, the "pew pew pew" bit is a callback to the original Lego Movie (isn't it the same human table the world is set out on? That's what I took from it anyway). Yeah, King Kong being a villain has never been the case, and I read somewhere that even though they could use the visual, they weren't legally cleared to say the word "Dalek." Not sure how true that is. Ah well, can't win 'em all. We'll have to see differently on this one Trash. |
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Post by trashcanman on Jun 23, 2017 21:09:01 GMT 2
No, no I did enjoy it. It's a legitimately funny comedy. More so than most films that propose to be anymore, actually. But after all of the hype and people talking like it's some cinematic masterpiece of art and entertainment and the definitive Batman experience I was just expecting something more substantial and innovative than an hour and a half of clumsy romantic allegory between Joker and Batman in yet another cartoon about the value of friendship. And if you take out all of the references to pop culture, there isn't even a film here. A great movie can contain any number of references to other works, but it shouldn't be built entirely out of them. If somebody wanted to reference Lego Batman twenty years down the line, could they? What would they even reference? "You complete me"? "Come at me, Gotham"? "Pew pew pew?" "Bat Shark Repellent"? Everything memorable about it was stolen from someplace else. It doesn't even have an "Everything is Awesome" (although that opening song was pretty kickass) to call its own.
It's like when adults say Toy Story 3 is their favorite movie of all time. It's not like I hate Toy Story 3 or don't think it's a quality kiddie flick or worth watching, but even most quality kiddie flicks are mediocre in the creative scheme of things and function through repetition of cliches, which just isn't as impressive or satisfying to me. The Washington Post review said “The Lego Batman Movie looks and feels like it could only have been put together by a roomful of mad geniuses, moving in a ballet of well-choreographed creativity: It’s simultaneously epic and humble." I mean, whaaaat? It looks like a movie made of Legos, the vaunted creativity was limited entirely to referencing other works, and what is humble about a film that is so impressed with its own references that it invites the audience to google them or ask their friends because they are so sure nobody else has heard of Catman or Dr. Who? And if they didn't think the audience would get the reference, why even make it at all? I guess I'm not genius enough to comprehend that delicate ballet. Anyways, fun movie, but it just didn't do for me what it seems to have done for everybody else.
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