Review: The Lego Batman Movie, The rise and fall of Lego's Dark Knight

'Less is more.' These are words that I would certainly never use to describe Batman but after watching his own movie in the Lego universe, I am forced to say that the executives at Warner Bros. are one step away from killing Batman, again. The likes of which have not been attempted since the abomination of a film that was Batman and Robin. The lego Batman Movie is a confusing mix of past pop culture nostalgia and child like humour which, when combined, make a film that doesn't fix on its plot point, Batman/Bruce Wayne's fears of starting a family outside of his vigilante life.

The story of The Lego Batman Movie wants to be your basic Batman vs Joker, with the Lego movie twist. Batman thwarts Joker's plans and in doing so states he has no 'main villain'. Much to the Joker's dismay, he wants the Batman to recognise him for who he is, his "greatest enemy." Amongst all this, Barbara Gordon has been promoted to Commissioner of the police and wants to work with Batman, even though that is against his entire philosophy. Whilst adopting a young Dick Grayson in the process (don't ask why it just happens) Batman slowly realises that he in dire need of love and so a family is formed between Bruce, Alfred, Dick and Barbara. Then a massive fight breaks out between Joker's army compiling of the most dastardly villains Lego have the rights to and Batman's family, as well as the villains of Gotham? So, no, not your basic Batman vs Joker, with the Lego movie twist feeling ultimately forced. With far too many supporting characters, the story forgets itself and rather than showing us a Batman we well and truly deserve, we're left with a poor excuse for a caped crusader.

So are there any positives to the film? Yes! The visuals are brilliant. The opening sequence shows how far the Warner Animation Group has come since The Lego Movie in 2014. The environments are prettier, the set pieces are grander and the character expressions are far more detailed than before. Another positive is the comedy. Where the film parodies its own production company, it is genuinely funny! Having jokes about how terrible Suicide Squad was, how misleading Batman v Superman was, how past films have humiliated the Dark Knight (as previously mentioned above) and how it pays homage to the old tropes of Batman we know and love to laugh at. This is a double edged sword however as these references are either painfully dragged out, repeated or unfunny as well as having committed the cardinal sin of being included in all of the trailers. It is in these themes where the film has an identity crisis. Does it want to be a children's film about how Batman can made funny, because he was in The Lego movie admit it, but also appealing to parents who will understand the jokes from the 1960s Batman TV show. There are so many references to the comics, films and TV shows that the jokes should be funny, but instead fall flat of any laughs. Trying to copy or replicate the jokes of The Lego Movie do not work, and the original songs written for this movie have nothing on 'Everything is Awesome'.

That being said, performances from Will Arnett, reprising his role of Batman works well as he still brings a shade of comedy to the hero. Zach Galifianakis' Joker was good in the way that he highlights how his relationship with the Batman works. The idea that one cannot exist without the other is made kid friendly and outlines the paradox in Batman's personality. Although, any Joker performance that followed Jared Leto's version of the Clown Prince of Crime would be considered outstanding. Ralph Fiennes' Alfred, Micheal Cera's Dick Grayson/Robin and Rosario Dawson's Barbara Gordon/Batgirl have little impact, and are only really there to push a lacklustre story.

The Lego Batman Movie is not a great Batman film nor is it a overly fun one. However, its job of paying plenty of detailed fan service pays off very well, even if younger audiences do not understand it. Along with other jokes that don't always stick the landing, I would recommend just watching The Lego Movie for a funnier portrayal of the Batman in Lego universe.

4.5/10

Review: La La Land, One for the dreamers...

Few films give me the sensation of enjoying them so much the first time around that I instantly want, or in this case need, to re-watch it the very next day. La La Land is one of these films. Combining the show stopping performances from Emma Stone (Mia) and Ryan Gosling (Sebastian), Damien Chazelle’s visionary directing and an unforgettable soundtrack results in creating a film that has had me singing about its praises, literally.

Mia, a barista working on the Warner Bros. film lot desires to fulfil her childhood dreams of becoming a Hollywood actress, whilst Sebastian dreams of opening his own Jazz club so that he can save the genre from death. After a few chance meetings, and witnessing the jaw dropping piano skills of Sebastian, the two fall in love and make it each other’s job to make sure they go about following their dreams. The love the two share are embodied in the passion they have for their dreams, as this is the key theme throughout the film. Its key theme is that if you are passionate about your dream, willing to take a leap of faith to display your passion and finally present your dream to the world, the world will reward you.

At the films heart is the music. Justin Hurwitz’s original soundtrack made me want to get up and dance as soon as the opening number began. His music shifts from the most rapid tempo into the slowest possible tempo to capture the feeling of the moment. The entire cast could be prancing and swaying to their hearts content and then at a moment’s notice, it cuts to a piano or trumpet solo that reaffirms your attention, keeping your attention on what is happening at all times. Not only does the music put a smile on my face, but the setting of LA enhances this further as we are introduced to the city as the locals would have us see it because La La Land, as a title, has a double meaning behind it. To be in La La Land is to be in a state of euphoria or a dreamlike state. The locals of Los Angeles have come to name their city ‘La La Land’ and this is where Hurwitz’s composition has struck gold as each song, combined with Stone’s and Gosling’s musical performances, creates a sense of euphoria not only for the characters, but the audience as well.

Although, it would not be a film about securing dreams in Los Angeles without a couple of dreamers. Gosling and Stone’s performances are both Oscar worthy. Their acting experience is brought together with the musical traits of singing, dancing and not forgetting Ryan Gosling learned to play the piano exclusively for this film. This generates a cinema experience of all rounded talent that shows with work and practise, anyone should be able to make it in the industry of entertainment. Where La La Land receives some criticism in the ways in which the characters are far too basic to make it in music and show business, Mia states within the film that “people want to see what other people are passionate about” and that is why she and Sebastian thrive in LA as there is passion thrust into every single audition, musical performance and dramatic encounter. Chazelle’s writing and direction of the film places Mia and Sebastian in the most scenic locations Los Angeles has to offer, most notably the Griffith Observatory. He uses nothing but the soundtrack during the set piece, ever so simply entitled ‘Planetarium’, beautiful special effects to show our character’s dancing among the stars, signifying how strong the love they share is.

Do not expect a traditional romantic ending however, as where this film’s premise is based on taking risks to live out your dreams, this film loves to remind you that life isn’t a fairy tale. Reality is still very much in play and where the whole plot of La La Land may seem far-fetched, all that has transpired for Mia and Sebastian has been in the bounds of life as we know it. Where it feels painful watching the ending, it still retains a form of beauty around it as both characters become conscious of how each other have accomplished their dream thus concluding their stories in a perfect way.

La La Land is a near prefect film that ticks all the boxes of a traditional musical as well as adding a few boxes for future musicals to tick. With a fantastic script, an unforgettable soundtrack, a beautiful setting and brilliant performances, La La Land is the new gold standard for films and deserves to win every single award it is nominated for.

9.5/10

An introduction...

"Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try." These immortal words from Yoda in 'The Empire Strikes Back' are applicable to everything we do in life. Trying leads only to the point where we choose to commit to something. Doing is taking that commitment and completing that action. This is me, as I write this, trying to start a blog or is it me just writing a blog, thus doing rather than trying? I'll be honest, I never really wrapped my head around it all. Nevertheless, it's a quote that echoes throughout our lives and is arguably a constant reminder to us all that Star Wars is the franchise that keeps on giving! This is why I have decided to begin writing about all things entertainment, be it films or television shows. Whether these platforms of entertainment present their audiences with compelling stories, phenomenal acting, jaw dropping action set pieces, tear jerking moments of emotion, scenes of pure comedy or a lack of anything listed (Suicide Squad for example), the world of entertainment allows us to aspire to be more than our reality ever can.

I will aim to use this page as a force for good, consisting of reviews, reactions and references to pop culture spanning the ages. I look forward to furthering this page with many different bits and pieces as 2017 looks to be a very fun year for film just as long as DC have created a decent Wonder Woman movie, or else Justice League will be bound to flop, The Last Jedi isn't a clone copy of Episode V and  concerning The Emoji Movie trailer that is bound to be released sometime soon, you can expect a very angry reaction from me.

My first piece will be a review of La La Land I hope to have up in the coming days. Hint, it deserves the best picture award at the Academy Awards this year.