The LEGO Batman Movie franchise is in peril. This is how it all went down…

Batman. The Dark Knight. The Caped Crusader. The hero of Gotham City has gone by many titles over the years. As one of the most popular superheroes of all time, the story of Bruce Wayne has been told time and time again across practically every medium of storytelling. His cinematic adventures are easily his most popular, despite Bats’ rather chaotic history on the big screen.

Batman was first played by Adam West in the 1960’s. Decades later, Michael Keaton would take on the role. Two sequels later, Val Kilmer replaced Keaton. In Batman & Robin, George Clooney became Gotham’s protector. After that, it was Christian Bale, followed by Ben Affleck, who will be followed by Robert Pattinson.

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These are the actors most synonymous with the role, and that should come as no surprise. His live-action films have historically been his most popular, but they haven’t always been the strongest adaptations. That being said, popularity does not necessarily equate quality, and it’s unfortunate that one of the strongest Batman films of all time is overlooked because it’s animated instead of live action.

The LEGO Batman Movie Needs More Respect

The Lego Batman Movie deserves to be a part of the conversation as much as any other Batman film. I would argue that it’s objectively superior to (at the very least) Batman Forever, Batman & Robin, and Justice League. Personally, it’s my third favorite Batman movie behind Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice and The Dark Knight.

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The Lego Batman Movie has the second highest Rotten Tomatoes score for a Batman movie at 90%, second only to TDK. The film featured dozens of members of Batman’s rogues gallery, several members of the Bat-Family, and countless callbacks and references to Batman’s cinematic history. The comedy was top notch, the action was brick-tastic fun, and simple themes of working together and accepting your family provided the film with a surprisingly poignant emotional core.