After The Lego Movie showed us how creative a movie based on a kids’ toy could be, The Lego Batman Movie took it to the next level. It still captures the wonder of kids playing with their toys, but it spoofs superhero movies too. Now there’s even more Lego Batman to love on Blu-ray.
The animation looks glorious in HD. The colors are flamboyant, and the simple Lego shapes keep it sharp and crisp. Reflections and shiny surfaces make it look more glamorous than any of our own Lego sets. Liquid and smoke make a nice contrast to the blocky fire effect.
Taking a cue from the Minion movies, there are four original Lego Batman shorts. They’re cute, if not as biting as the feature. The shorts are full screen 16×9 but look great, like real Lego sets and textured cape and cowl.
The Master, a Lego Ninjago short, gets you ready for the fall movie. It’s got more of the irreverence I’ve come to expect from Lego. It is widescreen and shows some awesome new textures for sand and shiny dojo floors. Kung fu fights in Lego animation look promising, and it’s still Jackie Chan’s voice.
Deleted scenes have rougher animation without mouth movements. They even go to storyboards sometimes. They’re funny and would’ve been cool to see some of the action finished. There’s a really obscure Stallone reference in the third one!
Behind the scenes really goes over animation basics, but with the unique twists of Lego physics. I got a kick out of their real world lighting tests. On the commentary, the filmmakers point out Easter eggs and references, discuss different cuts of the film, and technical aesthetics.
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