Gill Pringle and Chelsea Wick
For 78 years now, Batman has been a beloved and idolised pillar of justice and strength. While we are aware he is Bruce Wayne underneath the literal mask, a figurative one still stands in the way of really understanding him. Chris McKay, director of The LEGO Batman Movie worked hard to give the famous hero a human face.
While the film is not a sequel to The LEGO Movie, this installment certainly carries on the message of teamwork, friendship and community while focusing on a fiercely independent hero. “To follow up The LEGO Movie is tough,” Chris McKay said. “It’s a big challenge but we love Batman and wanted to make something that honoured the character in a way that would make it different from The LEGO Movie; to do a Batman centric story about him and dealing with him both in a comedic way and also in a serious and heartfelt way.”
In the beginning, we see Batman as the familiar exterior, surrounded by action and adventure. “We did that because I wanted the beginning of the movie to feel like the third act,” said McKay. “Like somebody else’s Batman movie or somebody else’s action movie. So this was the big heist, and then you would go home to see what his life is like after the credits roll.
“I was just crossing my fingers hoping ‘okay, I hope this is going to be funny’,” he continues. “When he is home he is really a sad and lonely guy; he doesn’t have people in his life.”
Producer Dan Lin emphasises his support for these scenes. “I just thought it was such brave filmmaking because normally for a superhero movie, he should be doing all of these cool things but these are the most mundane things and Chris took out any sound so there’s no music, there’s no score to help you there so it’s a really brave stretch of mundane life.”
A glimpse into what Batman is like when the fighting is done, when the battles are won…when he finally can crash on the couch and watch Jerry Maguire for the twentieth time… it is difficult not to see reflections of yourself. “People just started laughing and it was like a rolling laugh,” says Chris McKay about the test screenings of the film. “One of those really great rolling laughs where people just keep laughing and laughing and laughing at each thing, so I think we were really happy that it worked because it was a big part of why you want to follow him for the rest of the movie because he can be so egotistical and can put you off, but when you see what his life is like, you start to identify with him.”
By showing that even Batman has an at-home self which he shows to no one, the ice is broken and you can feel his warmth within. Even when he is being obnoxious or boastful, by seeing him with no filters (so to speak), you can tell that he is reassuring himself as he struggles like all of us to find happiness and purpose in life.
The LEGO Batman Movie is in cinemas from March 30.
Read our review of The LEGO Batman Movie
Read about The LEGO Batman Movie being made in Australia
Read our interview with Zach Galifianakis and Will Arnett about The LEGO Batman Movie
Read our interview with Rosario Dawson and Michael Cera about The LEGO Batman Movie
