Movie Review

The LEGO Batman Movie goes a little too wild for its own good

Of all the great things to come out of the surprise hit The LEGO Movie in 2014, Will Arnett’s turn as Batman was near the top. The combination of Arnett’s deep voice and deadpan delivery made for some of the funniest scenes in an already hilarious film, so when time came for a follow-up, centering it on his character was a no-brainer.

The LEGO Batman Movie has two things in its favor before audiences see even one scene. First is the cachet of the original, which became a monster at the box office because it appealed to kids while also poking fun at recent pop culture. The second is the domination of comic book movies in the past decade, even if Batman’s place in that world has become somewhat diminished.

Director Chris McKay and a host of screenwriters attempt to rehabilitate the Dark Knight’s image with a film that relentlessly mocks him and the character’s history, along with many other things. The story, such as it is, has Batman facing off against the Joker (Zach Galifianakis) on multiple occasions, becoming the unwitting adoptive father of Dick Grayson/Robin (Michael Cera), and adapting to the new police chief, Barbara Gordon (Rosario Dawson), who views Batman as unnecessary and even dangerous.

But the narrative framework is really just an excuse to throw as much mayhem at the screen as they can, and they succeed in that area mightily. This being a Warner Bros. movie, the film is packed full of characters from the studio’s multiple franchises. In addition to pretty much any DC Comics character you can think of, characters from Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, King Kong, and more pop up throughout.

In fact, the film is so full of sight gags, in-jokes, puns, pop culture references, and more that it is next-to-impossible to keep up. While this makes for nearly continuous entertainment for 104 minutes, it’s also the equivalent of eating dessert for that length of time. Even if you love it, there’s a point where it all becomes too much and you need a break.

It’s also way too top heavy with DC Comics characters. The introduction of the many, many villains that DC has to offer makes for a great joke early on, but the continued presence of a good chunk of them only serves to clutter up the movie’s landscape. DC Comics fanatics will love being able to spot obscure characters like Polka-Dot Man and Clayface, but they don’t really add anything on a storytelling level.

Fortunately, if you focus on the movie’s main characters, there’s much fun to be had. The antagonistic relationship between Batman and Joker is treated as codependent, and Joker’s never-ending attempts to get Batman to show him the proper hate he deserves is hysterical. Likewise, Robin’s hero worship of Batman and Batman keeping him at arm’s length is the source of much comedy.

It appears as if the makers of The LEGO Batman Movie felt it was necessary to go hog wild to try to live up to the burgeoning reputation of the franchise. While that makes for a lot of fun, dialing things back from an 11 to a 7 or 8 would have made for a more well-rounded experience.

Batman (Will Arnett) in The LEGO Batman Movie.

Batman (Will Arnett) in The LEGO Batman Movie

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Batman (Will Arnett) in The LEGO Batman Movie.

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Movie Review

Supergirl loses the sense of fun that Superman brought to DC Comics films

Milly Alcock in Supergirl

Photo courtesy of DC Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures

Milly Alcock in Supergirl.

The new Superman in 2025 brought with a renewed sense of optimism for, if not the concept of the comic book movie, then at least the DC Comics universe. After more than a decade of DC films that felt mostly creatively bankrupt, the leadership of James Gunn gave the story a sense of fun. That included the brief introduction of Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, who’s now getting her own showcase in, naturally, Supergirl.

When we first met her in Superman, Supergirl was in rough shape, arriving at the Fortress of Solitude visibly inebriated. Nothing has changed at the beginning of this film, save for her aimlessly traveling around the universe with her rambunctious dog, Krypto. One of her random stops puts her in the same bar as Ruthye (Eve Ridley), who is looking for help tracking down Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts) and a group known as the Brigands after they brutally murdered her family.

Kara is initially loath to offer aid, but when Krem shoots a poison dart into Krypto while escaping, her motivation goes way up, especially since Krem holds the antidote. Kara, with Ruthye doggedly following her, uses every means available to her to find Krem, a journey that is hampered by galaxies having different colored suns than the one that gives her powers, the yellow sun.

Directed by Craig Gillespie and written by Ana Nogueira, the film is a big step back in the fun category, not least because Supergirl is deep in her feelings for much of the film. Her personal trauma, which is detailed in occasional flashbacks, gives a reason for her depression, but fails to land fully. The story seems to want everyone to be sad, as it includes a child trafficking ring and multiple instances of families being murdered.

Milly Alcock and Krypto in Supergirl.Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

To try to counteract that downer material, the filmmakers give Supergirl many opportunities to show off her fighting skills. While still CGI-heavy, the action scenes contain enough of a semblance of reality that they feel exciting. Unfortunately, this is undercut by the inclusion of several slow-motion sequences, giving the impression that the filmmakers didn’t trust the actors to deliver the goods on a consistent basis.

Superman (David Corenswet) makes a handful of appearances in the film, and while his presence is welcome given how well the character came across in the previous movie, it also doesn’t allow Supergirl to become her own person. Almost everything she does is colored by either her cousin or her parents, and since her powers are identical to those of Superman, there is very little that makes her story unique aside from how she’s dealing with the fallout.

Alcock (House of the Dragon, Sirens) gives an appealing performance despite her character being drunk and/or moody most of the time. She definitely sells what Supergirl is going through, so if given a better story in a future film, she’s proven her capability. Schoenaerts makes for a pretty good villain, although he’s aided by a look that includes a face full of studs. Jason Momoa has a memorable supporting role as the bounty hunter Lobo, even if his character doesn’t add much to the story.

While not a full-on disaster, Supergirl does not continue the momentum that Superman started. With a story that’s more concerned with showing audiences death scenes than a hero saving people, the film doesn’t seem to understand the appeal of a character like Supergirl or how to make her someone audiences will return to over and over again.

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Supergirl is now playing in theaters.

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