The Not-So-Dark Knight
The Lego Batman Movie gets a trailer that will brighten up your day.
One of the clearest differences between Marvel hero movies and DC hero movies are their tones. The phrase “dark and gritty reboot” was practically invented for describing the post-Christopher Nolan DC movies, while Marvel continues to rely on one-liners and origin stories to define their franchise. While audiences continue to groan about how these movies are all becoming one and the same, Warner Bros. latest trailer for The Lego Batman Movie offers up a glimpse into what superhero movies should be: original.
The live-action films he has been featured in are so set in making Batman consistently unhappy, lonely, and grim that it gets tiring to watch him. The Lego Batman Movie will be a children’s Batman movie, yes, but this version of Batman (played by Will Arnett) is undeniably hilarious and relatable. He cannot stand Robin (whom he adopted on accident), is afraid of snake-clowns, has trouble with figuring out the correct input for video game systems plugged into televisions, and can make fun of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. One of the many laugh out loud moments featured in the trailer has Batman admitting to the Joker (voiced by Zach Galifianakis) that Superman is his greatest enemy and he has been cheating on the Joker by fighting other people behind his back. It is so clear that while the writers revere the legacy of Batman, they can poke fun at how DC has treated him lately.
There is always a strength in teamwork because other people can always help you see different sides of yourself. Helping Batman on his journey to happiness this time is Alfred (Ralph Fiennes), Robin (Michael Cera), Batgirl (Rosario Dawson), Harley Quinn (Jenny Slate), mayor of Gotham City Marion Grange (Mariah Carey), and, of course, the Joker. This ragtag team promises to help the caped crusader discover if he is even able to be truly happy.
Arnett’s Lego Batman character first burst onto screens in 2014 in The Lego Movie, where he was just a supporting character. The Lego Movie was really one of the big surprises of that year due to its brilliant self-awareness. It introduced viewers to a totally lived-in world full of imagination, hope, transparency, and fun. Almost any of the exciting characters of the film could have carried their own spinoff, but I am glad that it was Arnett’s “darkness, no parents” Batman. And, it really does look like this upcoming film will utilize some of the inventiveness of The Lego Movie; Batman can be heard using terminology from the first movie (he is a “master builder”) as he goes about saving Gotham City.
This film is directed by Chris McKay while the original directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller serve as producers. Watch the latest trailer below and look for The Lego Batman Movie to swoop into theaters on February 10th, 2017.
Related Topics: Batman, Comics
