You know that you have created a cultural phenomenon when a viewer can say in great detail what a film is about without them ever having watched your film. Long before I ever saw Casablanca, I knew who the leading man and lady were and what characters they played. I had heard lines from famous scenes quoted to me my whole life, so I knew them front ways and back by the time I got around to actually watching the movie for myself. For a film to endure throughout the ages, this cycle must keep repeating itself, again and again, inviting new generations of filmgoers to seek the film out for themselves, all the while remaining a part of the culture through quotes and descriptions.
If I use this as my way to define a cultural phenomenon, then I would certainly have to bestow the title upon the Lego Movie. I knew every detail about this movie down to the company that made it before my boyfriend showed it to me last month. I knew the lines, the songs, and the message having watched countless reviews for it in advance. What helped was that when I finally watched it, I found more things to enjoy about the film. The brightly-lit action scenes filled with snarky-yet-energetic characters made the action fast and entertaining. In a way, it reminded me what it was like to be a kid again which I guess was kind of the point. Best of all, it cumulated with a scene that was equal parts heartwarming and conclusive, something sorely lacking in modern films bent on pushing out sequels. I thought it deserved all the praise it got. It, as well as its main theme, are cultural phenomena.
The Lego Movie, however, I feel will be a phenomenon unto itself.
A poor film is one thing that this most recent installment to the Lego Movie franchise—the Lego Batman Movie—is not. Far from it, the film contains heartwarming scenes and characters, particularly the titular orphan-turned-son Robin (voiced by Michael Cera), a strong, relatable message about accepting and appreciating the help of others, a dynamite Joker and Harley Quinn, fast-paced action scenes, and innumerable references and jokes that each make this film a great choice for moviegoers young and old to watch this weekend. There was even a joke about Adam West’s Batman thrown in for those who remember.
One thing I am not sure of yet, though, is whether this film will be the cultural phenomenon that the Lego Movie was. Though far from being a bad film, I think it will have a hard time stepping out of the shadow of its predecessor to be considered as a stand-alone film. For example, all the amazing animation they applied to the previous installment is back and better-looking than ever, but we still somehow know in the back of our minds that we have already seen it before. The jokes in the Lego Batman movie are good and come at you faster than sucker punches, but we have already seen this style used enough in the Lego Movie to make it feel like an extension of the original film.
I am not sure that there was any other way they could have manipulated the techniques in this film to make them feel more “original” to us. Considering the reputation experimental films have gained throughout the years, it might be best that they didn't go too far outside the box.
It might benefit us, then, to think of the Lego Batman Movie simply as an extension of the original film, or as a small part of a greater franchise. It certainly will not disappoint if you’re looking for an entertaining flick to watch this weekend. Using the Rotten Tomatoes scoring system, I will give it a 90%. Although lacking the staying power of the original film, it is guaranteed to be fun for fans of all ages.
