The Lego Batman Movie Crushed My Inner Demons

March 2, 2017

Madeleine+reviews+The+Lego+Batman+Movie.

Grace Lewis

Madeleine reviews The Lego Batman Movie.

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Loneliness may be humankind’s greatest fear. We can’t stand the thought of leaving this world unaided and unloved, without ever having had a significant other or a family. Overriding these desperate and terrifying thoughts of utter loneliness, people fill their lives with materialistic or superficial gains. Money, praise, “love” from fake sources, even the new up-to-date Batcopter. These combatting sources of loneliness seem to do the trick, duping a person into artificial happiness and obliterating their loneliness….

The Lego Batman Movie tells the story of one superhero’s epic transformation from concealment of emotions and shutting out of human contact to a life of true heroic living: Putting yourself out there and allowing vulnerability to all the world has to offer. Once Batman learns how to confront his fears of getting hurt and being a responsible member of a family, this is when he blossoms…and let me tell you, it is beautiful.

Batman is the most solitary character I know. From his parents divorce to his lack of human connection and friendship, the vigilante of Gotham spends his days fighting crime alone and living alone in his vast mansion, with only his treasured and supreme technology to keep him warm. His unbreakable and sometimes enviable self confidence enables him to completely rely on himself – at the beginning of the movie, one can see him taking the entire Joker bad guy gang on with only his own brains and muscles; it’s either Batman’s way or the highway.

Following the Hero’s Journey Circle almost verbatim, The Lego Batman Movie has an easy to follow plot line so as to allow the addition of minute details and underlying themes. As Batman completes his quest for the courage and audacity to go after the ones he loves and the ability to lean on others, jokes can be found everywhere. I was cracking up so much I left the theater with a happy heart and a grin like the Joker’s.

With all the deep messages being conveyed in the movie it was blissful to laugh almost the entire time. Funny little plot elements such as Batman’s enduring adoration for his abs kept the movie on the upswing and only added to the wholly satisfying ending. Lego Batman could have been extremely serious with what it was trying to address, but it took on a humorous tone which I loved. The movie evoked inspiration in me, reminding me how important humor is. We can’t take ourselves too seriously so I appreciated how the characters were both frank and funny – a difficult line to walk.

Although this movie is extremely light-hearted, there were times I teared up. Within the first 10 minutes, when Batman was unable to reciprocate his “hate” to the Joker who then left the scene teary eyed and distraught with Batman’s lack of mutual feeling, I was raging on the inside. With my hands on my temples, I was silently urging Batman to be honest with the Joker and take a chance.

“Tell him how you feel!” I was thinking. “Don’t let the Joker fly away believing you don’t care about him, tell him you hate him too!”

This frustration of not expressing what you want and how you feel resonated with me and everyone else in the theater, as we all fell silent during the scene. Batman serves as a mirror to the audience, displaying what it does and doesn’t mean to be courageous, living with no regrets.

Despite the emotional trip of Lego Batman, the movie wasn’t too sugarcoated or cheesy. On the contrary, I believe the directors did a stellar job of paralleling our world today. At times, I forgot the fictionality of Lego World because it alluded to modern day, highlighting the change we need to experience to further society. In times like these it is evident that Humankind must improve our inter-relational skills.

Since the release date of February 10th, I still catch myself thinking about Lego Batman. The perfect combination of satirical and stupid funny, the Lego Batman Movie was so motivating it made me want to run five miles, smile more, and crush my inner demons, like Batman crushed his. I left the movie theater inspired and more conscious of who I want to be. I want to be more like Batman.

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    JackMar 2, 2017 at 11:40 pm

    Very insightful review! I really liked the style of your writing!

    -Jack

    http://birdeyenews.forrestbirdcharterschool.org/

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