Well, there really is something for everybody. While some of the criticism levelled at Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice – which is currently dominating the box office after a three-year build up of anticipation – concerns the characterization of Batman and Superman, The LEGO Batman Movie is here to remind us that there are more versions of The Dark Knight than most other characters in existence.
Parodying the darkness of the Caped Crusader, The LEGO Batman Movie expands upon the version of the legendary character that was introduced to us in 2014’s groundbreaking, smash-hit blockbuster, The LEGO Movie. Brilliantly voiced by Will Arnett, this comedic Batman is the centre of his own universe – overly enamoured with his own brand, and prone to over-estimate his own skill-set. Make no mistake – this is a family-friendly Batman that everyone can love.
“In the irreverent spirit of fun that made The LEGO® Movie a worldwide phenomenon, the self-described leading man of that ensemble – LEGO Batman – stars in his own big-screen adventure: The LEGO® Batman Movie. But there are big changes brewing in Gotham, and if he wants to save the city from The Joker’s hostile takeover, Batman may have to drop the lone vigilante thing, try to work with others and maybe, just maybe, learn to lighten up.”
Directed by Chris McKay (Robot Chicken), The LEGO Batman Movie is written by Seth Grahame-Smith who has, himself, been drafted to helm the live-action DC Extended Universe film The Flash, due for release in 2018. For his part, Chris McKay was co-editor on The LEGO Movie, which makes the union of McKay and Grahame-Smith a great DC-Lego partnership.
Joining Will Arnett in The LEGO Batman Movie is Rosario Dawson as Batgirl/Barbara Gordon, Ralph Fiennes as Alfred Pennyworth, Michael Cera as Robin/Dick Grayson, Zach Galifianakis as The Joker and Mariah Carey as Mayor Marion Grange. This being the second trailer for the film to appear within a week, we can certainly expect all kinds of purposefully-made promotional footage to be released prior to its 2017 release. But, in the meantime, this second preview definitely provides ample entertainment.