The Lego Batman Movie – 2017

Score: 8/10

This is how you make a funny Batman movie DC, this is how you do it! It’s actually a little bit sad to see this as a huge Batman fan, because I have to wonder why Warner Bros can do it and DC can’t. Don’t get me wrong, Christopher’s Nolan Dark Knight trilogy was simply amazing, brilliant, and a true classic of the superhero genre. But the atmosphere there is dark, heavy, and the extended DC universe has followed that trend, with Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad being dark movies, bogged down by tension and bereft of true moments of comedy. You never laugh, you are forced to watch them seriously, and that robs you of most of the pleasure.

And in the current market, having serious superhero movies without comedy doesn’t work anymore. Today’s audiences appreciate Guardians of the Galaxy, Deadpool, Thor: Ragnarok… All of them have humor, all of them do not take themselves too serious. This is an important part of any modern film actually, to be relaxed and laugh a little. DC can learn from The Lego Batman Movie. This is how you should do a Batman movie, presenting the fun aspects, without giving up on the action scenes and on the high stakes of it all. This is how you should do any superhero movie, making the audiences laugh and thus facilitating their immersion, making them identify with the characters and relate with the story.

The Lego Batman Movie does just that, it makes its audiences feel part of the story. This feeling is helped by the huge amounts of fan service in the film. It makes references to all the Batman movies, starting from the 40’, and integrates all this references in the actual story, making them feel natural. The conflict is interesting, and bringing together so many villains from different types of mediums makes for some very interesting on screen collaborations. Seeing Lord Voldemort fighting alongside King Kong, Sauron and many others is fun, and it makes you giggle. The Lego Batman feels as a weird comic book crossover multiplied by 100 and, surprisingly, it works perfectly.

The cast is amazing, with a special mention for Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis and Michael Cera. They all perform very well and manage to capture the essence of each character. The story and the characters complement each other perfectly, managing to entertain and transmit emotion at the same time. The animation is done very well, and you feel an air of nostalgia when you think about your childhood and the times you played with Legos.

The one criticism I have for the movie is that it does not have the air of uniqueness that The Lego Movie had. It’s different, and it’s a very good superhero movie, but it misses the charm of the first Lego movie, because it does not have its strong connection with the real world. Nevertheless, the sheer quality of this entry makes you forget that fact. Its 104 minutes is also a plus, being the perfect length for an action comedy. The Lego Batman Movie is created for kids, a true family movie, but will be enjoyed most by nostalgic adults who want to remember the superhero shenanigans of their childhoods…

In conclusion, a movie worth seeing, one of the best superhero animated films of all time, and a perfect way to spend an afternoon with your family. You will laugh all the way through and how can you not, when saving the world means sticking your head into someone’s ass…? 😛

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – 2017

Score: 8/10

The Guardians series is the most funny of the Marvel Universe and you go into volume 2 expecting that. And yes, you receive it in droves, as this movie tries to go even farther than its predecessor in the humor department. You are laughing all the way, and it is relaxing to see a movie of such magnitude not taking itself to serious. It makes the viewing experience more enjoyable and its success is what prompted Marvel to include more humor in Thor: Ragnarok and I guess in every single entrance of the multiverse which will follow. We like our superhero movies to be lighthearted and funny and this will not change.

The action is interesting, the special effects are amazing, and the characters are developed even further than in the first one. You learn a lot of backstory that helps define each character and you start to discover the red line of their past that makes them act the way they do. The cast is stellar, and when you have Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell all in one movie, nothing can go wrong. Every single actor delivers an amazing performance and you can see they had so much fun doing this film, which gives it an extra layer of likeability. Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer is simply amazing, and almost steals the movie with his rough humor and absurd lines. You find yourself laughing out loud in the theater and enjoying every second of it.

The story is good, a little bit convoluted in points, but streamlined quite well in the final act. The CGI is good, the grand action scenes offer enough awe to justify them, and all in all the conflict manages to keep you involved until the end. Also, speaking of action scenes, Yondu’s arrow massacre is one of the best action scenes I have ever seen in a movie, making you laugh and leaving you speechless at the same time. The action in the movie is superb and right up there with what Marvel has offered us across the years.

The movie is a little bit too long at 136 minutes and its 4 post credits scenes are starting to push the limit a little bit, especially since one of them is another useless cameo from Stan Lee. 2 post credits scenes are ok, but going past that for me is just fanboying for the sake of fanboying and nothing more. The music is good, a nice selection of songs, although I feel that they are not as fresh as the ones from the first movie.

And this brings me to my only criticism of the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, that it is far too similar in my mind with the first one. It simply does not have the same wow factor and you kind of feel like you have already been there and done that. This takes away a little bit from the overall enjoyment, although it did not have an effect on the box office results, with Vol. 2 earning more than the original. I just hope that for volume 3, which is slated for a 2020 release, Marvel will change the formula a little bit and shake things up.

In conclusion, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a very good movie, which I recommend to any comic book fan. A great installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and a worthy successor to the first Guardians movie. Oh, and the smaller dumber Groot is by far the best plant I ever saw in a movie. 😛