On this edition of Direct to DVD Dissection, it’s a look at a movie adaptation of a popular video game franchise. The Good News? It’s an animated adaptation straight from the developers of the game it was based on. The Bad news? It’s an animated adaptation that pretty much IS the game it was based on. It’s LEGO Batman The Movie!
Released May 21st, 2013
The Story
Joker will team with Lex Luthor to destroy the world one brick at a time. It’s up to Batman, Superman and the rest of the Justice League to stop them.
The Cast
Troy Baker as Batman. Baker has voiced various characters in games and cartoons, such as Booker Dewitt in BIOSHOCK INFINITE and Jake Muller in RESIDENT EVIL 6. He’s also appeared in cartoons like AVENGERS ASSEMBLED, GENERATOR REX, & SCOOBY DOO: MYSTERY INCORPORATED.
Christopher Corey Smith as The Joker. He’s voiced characters in games like DISHONORED, ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM, and DEAD SPACE, as well as animated series like BLEACH and NARUTO. He also voiced another DC character in another video game, voicing Superman in the MORTAL KOMBAT VS DC UNIVERSE game.
Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor. Mentioned in a previous review, he’s appeared in several films and properties from the 1980s to today. Brown previously played Luthor in the SUPERMAN animated series, as well as several movies that put Batman and Superman together, like this one.
Travis Willingham as Superman. He voiced characters in games like BINARY DOMAIN, HALO 4, and BATTLEFIELD 3, and voiced Hulk in the SUPERHERO SQUAD cartoons and Roy Mustang in the FULL METAL ALCHEMIST English dub.
The Dissection
Batman (Troy Baker) & Superman (Travis Willingham): The World's Finest LEGO.
The LEGO video game series has been going on since 2005, when the first LEGO game based on the STAR WARS prequels was released. Since then, various games based on other franchises like INDIANA JONES, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, and HARRY POTTER were released. The games followed the stories of the properties they were based on, and were close to the movie plotlines with some humor mixed in. The LEGO BATMAN game, released in 2008, did not revolve around any movie property, telling it’s own story. The game later got a sequel in June of last year, called LEGO BATMAN 2: DC Superheroes, featuring actual voice acting instead of the series trademark miming and gibberish. From that game, we now have an animated adaptation that was released.
Why mention all that? Cause this movie is that game. It’s not really an adaptation of the game as it is the game itself, albeit without gameplay.
The movie itself was made around the same time as the video game was being produced, and uses the cutscenes in the video game in this movie, with some new scenes added in to fill in the gaps where the game aspects were. As it is, if you played the LEGO Batman 2 video game, you would know the whole premise of the movie and it makes it redundant to see this if you already played and completed the game it was based on.
Still, on the chance that you haven’t played the game, and are interested in the story, it plays out like a more comedic version of Batman. It drops little references to other moments in the universe like the FINAL COUNTDOWN arc from the comic books and Lex Luthor’s Presidential run. Still, fans of Batman probably will find some disappointment with the voice cast. With the exception of Clancy Brown voicing Lex Luthor, many of the characters are not voiced by their trademark voice cast, but by other people doing sound alike versions. Still, that’s the only knock someone could have, as it ‘s not bad acting for something of this level.
Lex Luthor (Clancy Brown), all dressed up and ready for EVIL.
As for the story, it’s like a cartoon, with an important life lesson and humorous violence and even some jokes that only adults might get. And the interaction between Batman and Superman is genuinely good, especially the contrast of how dark and moody Baker’s Batman is played, as opposed to the more boisterous and goofy Superman by Willingham. Plus, Charlie Schlatter as Robin is funny as the fall guy of the comedy in the movie. however, with a runtime that is barely 70 minutes, it’s very short. It feels like it needs something else included on the disk, more than what is already on it.
Speaking of inclusions on the disc, if you go out to check out the DVD or Blu Ray, there are extras as well, including a few based on how the animation of LEGO figures was done and several stop motion animated shorts from a contest. Also included is some episodes of BATMAN: BRAVE AND THE BOLD (“Triumvirate of Terror” & “Scorn of the Star Sapphire”) and TEEN TITANS (“Overdrive”), along with trailers of Warner Bros. Plus, an actual LEGO figure of Clark Kent comes packaged with the retail versions.
The Verdict
On the one hand, the movie itself is well written and it’s got some good moments and the characters have some good chemistry. On the other hand, if you have played the video game that was released several months before this, there is no reason to see this film. It’s a very narrow audience, but those that are not fans of the LEGO games but do enjoy the humor the games have could get into this. However, the short run time prevents this from getting a full recommendation. Unless you’re really dying to own a Clark Kent LEGO figure, it’s nothing you can’t get for cheaper via digital release or a rental.
CONTACT THE AUTHOR
On FAN FORUMS: Michael Coello
On Twitter: @mcoello1