★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Robot Chicken fame) takes the directing seat and immediately shines a spotlight on the rubber nipples, pointing out the ridiculousness of trying to take a grown man and his cosplay obsession seriously. Back in the early noughties, Warner Bros. took a mighty risk on an up-and-coming director, Christopher Nolan, gifting him the reins of their most lucrative property. Three films – bringing with them a decade of financial and critical success – defined a comic book legend for a whole new generation: tormented, elemental, and believable. Now another Chris (McKay, he offame) takes the directing seat and immediately shines a spotlight on the rubber nipples, pointing out the ridiculousness of trying to take a grown man and his cosplay obsession seriously.





The LEGO Movie, the focus is purely on Will Arnett’s clueless crusader and his suits, villains, vehicles, puns, and – as noted by Ralph Fiennes’ Alfred - “even that weird stuff from 1966”. Barbara Gordon (Rosario Dawson) takes control of the Gotham Police force and suggests an allegiance with Batman, thereby threatening the winged wonder’s lifestyle of singlehandedly taking down criminals by day and guffawing at the dénouement of Jerry Maguire by night. Begrudgingly accepting help from newly-adopted Dick Grayson (an ingeniously cast Michael Cera), Batman sets out to prove his worth as a lone wolf with calamitous, hilarious results. In this spin-off of sorts to 2014’s anarchically enjoyable, the focus is purely on Will Arnett’s clueless crusader and his suits, villains, vehicles, puns, and – as noted by Ralph Fiennes’ Alfred - “even that weird stuff from 1966”. Barbara Gordon (Rosario Dawson) takes control of the Gotham Police force and suggests an allegiance with Batman, thereby threatening the winged wonder’s lifestyle of singlehandedly taking down criminals by day and guffawing at the dénouement ofby night. Begrudgingly accepting help from newly-adopted Dick Grayson (an ingeniously cast Michael Cera), Batman sets out to prove his worth as a lone wolf with calamitous, hilarious results.





LEGO Batman bobs and weaves through explosions of comedy. A burning heart of child-like joy, an outer debris field of pop culture content and smoky wisps of LEGO-obsessive in-jokes (the Gotham City cinema advertises 'Two Shades of Bley') ensure not a single funny bone is left un-tickled. It's not merely pointing and laughing at Batman; the screenwriters clearly love the character and his stories, and so the barely-contained affection they have for other fans shines just as brightly. Moving at the same break-neck speed as its predecessor,bobs and weaves through explosions of comedy. A burning heart of child-like joy, an outer debris field of pop culture content and smoky wisps of LEGO-obsessive in-jokes (the Gotham City cinema advertises 'Two Shades of Bley') ensure not a single funny bone is left un-tickled. It's not merely pointing and laughing at Batman; the screenwriters clearly love the character and his stories, and so the barely-contained affection they have for other fans shines just as brightly.





Scott Pilgrim, but our hearts belong entirely to Ralph Fiennes as Alfred and his very British expletives, always one step away from lumping "Master Bruce" with an ASBO. Meanwhile, Zach Galifianakis as the overly-attached Joker is a more interesting portrayal of the clown prince of crime than Jared Leto and his method-acting hokum will ever be. Plus he’s actually, y’know, funny! Arnett’s gravelly delivery never stops being hilarious and Cera is the finest he’s been since, but our hearts belong entirely toRalph Fiennes as Alfred and his very British expletives, always one step away from lumping "Master Bruce" with an ASBO. Meanwhile, Zach Galifianakis as the overly-attached Joker is a more interesting portrayal of the clown prince of crime than Jared Leto and his method-acting hokum will ever be. Plus he’s actually, y’know,





The Killing Joke wasn't: smart, beautifully animated and unquestionably cinematic, with a keenly unique eye for the Batman-Joker relationship. Additionally, it doesn't make Barbara Gordon surplus to seedy requirement, but instead an equal, nay, superior force to the mammalian mansplainer. The colourfully jovial attitude of the 60's TV show, a bombastic score worthy of the Nolan movies (Hans Zimmer’s frequent collaborator Lorne Balfe is an inspired choice of composer) and justice for some left behind by the Schumacher films seal the deal (Billy Dee Williams reprises his role as Harvey Two-Face after nearly thirty years). It's everything that 2016’s grossly misjudged adaptation ofwasn't: smart, beautifully animated and unquestionably cinematic, with a keenly unique eye for the Batman-Joker relationship. Additionally, it doesn't make Barbara Gordon surplus to seedy requirement, but instead an equal, nay, superior force to the mammalian mansplainer.





The LEGO Movie's "Everything is cool when you're part of a team" mantra...but frankly, when's that ever been a bad thing? It’s a family film in message and content, it’s ‘U’ certificate signified by my favourite of all BBFC guidance notes; “Contains rude humour”. Drawbacks? Well, the central message intended to give the kids pause for thought is nothing particularly new. In fact, it borrows heavily from's "Everything is cool when you're part of a team" mantra...but frankly, when's that ever been a bad thing? It’s a family film in message and content, it’s ‘U’ certificate signified by my favourite of all BBFC guidance notes; “Contains rude humour”.





How it Should Have Ended series may as well announce redundancy now that an entire avenue of superhero parody has now been swiftly neutralised with the stroke of a well-aimed Batarang. Trying to grab hold of every joke is like attempting to snatch bullets from the air, which seems entirely appropriate as a fault when that's a job more suited to Superman. When ‘too much comedy’ is the worst criticism I can level, there’s no choice but to concede defeat, don the plastic cowl, do a bit of Bat-beat-boxing and lay down the ‘THWACK!’ on some Daleks. If there is any downside, it has to be that there aren’t any Batman jokes to make anymore. Seriously. YouTube’sseries may as well announce redundancy now that an entire avenue of superhero parody has now been swiftly neutralised with the stroke of a well-aimed Batarang. Trying to grab hold of every joke is like attempting to snatch bullets from the air, which seems entirely appropriate as a fault when that's a job more suited to Superman. When ‘too much comedy’ is the worst criticism I can level, there’s no choice but to concede defeat, don the plastic cowl, do a bit of Bat-beat-boxing and lay down the ‘THWACK!’ on some Daleks.



