Batman has appeared in numerous Lego movies over the years and has become a staple of the animated franchise. While not all of the Lego movies have been well-received, the ones featuring the Caped Crusader have tended to score higher with fans and critics.
Lego movies provide family-friendly entertainment that brings beloved characters to life in a fun and comedic animated format. When Batman is part of the story, his brooding personality and never-say-die attitude are perfect for parody. The Dark Knight’s arrogance and gadget-filled antics translate especially well to Lego form. With so many great Lego Batman movies to choose from, narrowing it down to just seven was a difficult task.
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1. The Lego Batman Movie
With a strong 7.3 rating on IMDb, ‘The Lego Batman Movie‘ stands above the rest as the pinnacle of Lego Batman movies. Voiced by Will Arnett, Batman gets his own feature that pokes fun at his ego while also delivering an emotional character arc.
A great supporting cast and clever meta-humor made this 2017 spin-off a critical and commercial hit. While not quite as big as The Lego Movie, ‘The Lego Batman Movie‘ proved there is plenty of comedy and heart to be found in a story focused exclusively on the Caped Crusader.
2. The Lego Movie
The first and most acclaimed of the Lego movies, 2014’s ‘The Lego Movie‘ deserves recognition for not only launching the franchise’s success but also featuring one of the better portrayals of Batman.
As a supporting player to Chris Pratt’s Emmett, Will Arnett’s smug, grumpy Dark Knight steals many of his scenes and exemplifies just how well the character translates to absurd Lego worlds. ‘The Lego Movie‘ sets the template for all future Lego films and nails Batman’s personality in the process.
3. Lego DC Super Heroes: Justice League – Attack Of The Legion Of Doom
Released in 2015, ‘Attack of the Legion of Doom‘ took advantage of the growing Lego DC franchise to gather numerous heroes and villains for an adventure. Batman plays a key role as a founding member of the Justice League fending off the sinister plans of the Legion of Doom.
While not breaking any new ground, Legion of Doom delivered steady entertainment with a talented voice cast that included Batman’s voice actor Roger Craig Smith. The wider scope with multiple heroes and villains made for an enjoyable watch with Batman in a central role.
4. Lego DC Batman: Family Matters
The 2019 direct-to-video movie ‘Lego DC Batman: Family Matters‘ took a loose adaptation of the classic “A Death in the Family” comic storyline and centered its plot around the Dark Knight. Batman had to track down the mysterious Red Hood while dealing with tensions within the extended Batman family.
As the main protagonist, The Caped Crusader was well served by the voice work of Troy Baker. Family Matters didn’t reinvent anything but served up some easy viewing Bats action.
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5. Lego DC Shazam! Magic And Monsters
Releasing in 2020, ‘Lego DC Shazam! Magic and Monsters‘ adapted the ‘Shazam!‘ film into Lego form with Batman playing a supporting role alongside other Justice League members. Shazam of Billy Batson encountered new foes in the Monster Society that he and the league had to team up to defeat.
While not elevating itself significantly from a direct-to-home entertainment formula, Magic and Monsters provided another light Justice League team-up adventure.
6. Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite
One of the earlier straight-to-DVD Lego films, 2013’s ‘Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite‘ followed the plots of ‘Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes‘ video game. Batman teamed up with Superman and other heroes against Joker and Lex Luthor’s latest plans.
Despite its lower production values, DC Super Heroes Unite stood out amongst early non-theatrical Lego films thanks to its stronger voice cast including Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor.
7. Lego DC Super Heroes: Justice League – Cosmic Clash
Rounding out the list, 2018’s ‘Lego DC Super Heroes: Justice League – Cosmic Clash‘ once again saw The Dark Knight as a founding member of the Justice League dealing with a threat involving time travel and Brainiac.
While adhering to standard Lego film formulas, Cosmic Clash delivered steady action and comedy with The Caped Crusader prominently involved in the heroics alongside his league comrades. Despite having room for improvement, it served up a perfectly passable Batman animated adventure.
Whether in starring or supporting roles, the Lego renditions of the Caped Crusader have proven time and again to translate extremely well to the world of kid-friendly Lego animated films. The movies that feature the Dark Knight tend to score higher with fans thanks to Batman’s naturally comedic persona meshing with the absurd yet heartwarming Lego aesthetic.
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