By Hayden Hackney
Staff Writer
IG: @haydenmhackney
Since as early as 1941, comic book characters have been taken from the pages and put on the big screen. Through dozens of different actors and hundreds of different iterations, arguments have begun to stir up about what the best portrayal is.
The most popular arguments are typically about the more popular characters, like Spiderman or Superman.
One of the most popular arguments out there on what the best portrayal is, however, is on Batman.
There have been some amazing examples, such as The Dark Knight trilogy (2005-2012), or the newest version, The Batman (2022).
These two examples are masterfully written, and they’ve both won hundreds of awards for this. However, there is one portrayal of Batman that stands out among the rest. Arguably the most exciting, the most creative, and the most ambitious; the best Batman portrayal is easily from The Lego Batman Movie (2017).
I know, The Lego Batman Movie might seem far-fetched to be called the best portrayal of Batman out there, it doesn’t even take him seriously. However, I believe that’s what makes it so good.
It has a huge sense of self awareness, as Batman is always seen as a dark and brooding character, but the Lego Batman isn’t. The Lego Batman is a completely fleshed out character with real personal growth and background, something that other versions don’t often touch on.
On top of being a fleshed out character, he still remains a complete badass. In fact, in the first ten minutes of the movie he takes out every single one of his villains while playing the guitar, a feat that no other Batman can compare.
Going back to the topic of character development, The Lego Batman Movie presents and executes it the best.
He lives in a world that loves him, yet he feels so alone. He starts as hesitant to get close with people, as the only people he knew got taken away from him, but at the end of the movie, he gathers friends and family that he embraces rather than pushes away.
Not only is this extremely relatable for a lot of people, but it brings a sense of family for the character that is rarely seen in the media.
Possibly the most important aspect of this movie is the entertainment of it. Without a doubt, The Lego Batman Movie is the most entertaining Batman movie to date, and it’s entertaining for all audiences. Obviously, the target for this movie is a younger audience, but I know people from young to old that still really love this movie.
The Lego Batman Movie is not only an extremely entertaining movie, but it is inspiring and ambitious. While the other Batman’s are amazing, they can not compare to the wide range and scale The Lego Batman Movie hits. It presents Batman as a more fleshed out, relatable character that feels more human than others, even when he literally isn’t.
It’s no wonder that the movie’s tagline is, “Always be yourself. Unless you can be Batman.”
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