The LEGO Batman Movie Review

The gag density is extraordinary, and the jokes are made by people who have actually read the comics: the film knows about the Condiment King, it knows Batman has never once apologised, it knows that every version since 1966 is canon if you squint. Will Arnett's growl is a running joke that never wears out because the delivery keeps finding new registers of self regard. But the reason it lasts is the thesis underneath, that Batman's refusal to acknowledge the Joker as his greatest enemy is the same refusal that keeps him eating lobster alone in front of a laptop, and the film takes that loneliness seriously enough that the resolution actually moves.

Michael Cera's Robin is relentlessly, deliberately annoying and it pays off. Animal Logic's plastic surfaces are gorgeous, with brick built explosions and real fingerprints on the studs. The weakness is the third act, which piles in every licensed villain the parent company could clear and turns a tight comedy into a crowded action set piece, and the sentiment in the last ten minutes is applied with a trowel.