The LEGO Batman Movie [SteelBook] [Includes Digital Copy] [Blu-ray/DVD] [Only @ Best Buy] [2017]

While many may have different preferences for Batman, be you from the old school of the golden/silver/bronze age comics, Adam West's TV series, the 1990s films, Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, or the most recent "Batfleck" generation, this film has enough references to make any fan of the Caped Crusader grin from ear to ear for the duration! The constant comedic tone is a refreshing take on the normal DC brooding character of recent years, and fits the LEGO film brand well. Similarly, the other pop culture references are numerous, well played, and an utter delight to Sci-Fi, comic, and gaming nerds alike. The blu-ray transfer, coming from a digital source, is just about perfect visually, with a well matched multichannel audio track (Either DTS-HD Master or Dolby Atmos, though the Atmos track really didn't seem necessary to me for this film). The HDR was a fine addition, but like the Atmos audio, really not a very noticeable contributor for me, even on a great LG OLED panel and an Onkyo Atmos-capable system. The extras include a handful of deleted scenes, a few animated shorts, and a variety of featurettes, all of which my family found enjoyable. The shorts were definitely the hit, though. All in all, a great buy, particularly on sale. 4K UHD/HDR are not really a must for this type of production, so if there's a large price difference, I would stick with the standard blu-ray - You'll still get premium audio, and picture quality that beats out most 4K streaming options. Great blu-ray, and a fun family film that we will enjoy over and over, for years to come.

We purchased the Blu Ray version because I didn't see a 4k version. Besides, we don't own a 4k screen or player yet. Other than the fact that our whole family loves Legos, you can't go wrong doing a movie about them. As for Batman... it's an automatic purchase. Doing a perfect job with the CGI is a dream come true! The animation and voice actors were fantastic. My daughter raved about it for the whole time from the day it was released at the movie theater until we finally picked it up. She had already seen it 5 times at the movie theaters! So, why the 4 Star rating? Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I really thought the humor was a little off in places and didn't fit. The overall story line was great until it got to what I thought was the meat only to find out it was cleverly disguised Styrofoam. The catch phrase used today would be Batman and Joker are "frien-emies". Personally, I thought the 'How it Should Have Ended' take on the show was Sooo much better. The message that it's OK to steal AND you can get buy with it IF you are Batman (or in this case, Robin), stunk to high heaven. The 'How it Should Have Ended' people addressed this short coming and had the JLA come and help Batman in spite of his 'Injustice' he did. (No wonder he wasn't invited to the JLA party). So, 5+ Stars for the animation and acting, 2 Stars for the script.

Wish we could do 1/2 stars, as I'd put this at a 4 1/2, rather than a 5. In this case, I'll round up, as it deserves it, because the positives outweigh the negatives. Took my 4 year old to see this, and he enjoyed it so much we bought it the day it released for his birthday. Overall, if you're looking for one that's more for the youngsters, the original Lego Movie seems to do a better job; not that Batman is bad in this sense, just more "universal" in that regard. Batman seems to fall just a slight notch below. For the most part, Lego Batman nails it. There's humor for everyone; children and their parents, Batman fans, Lego fans, or just the average moviegoer looking for entertainment. It's not without fault- there are rare moments of "let's get to the next joke," but these are far and few between. If you enjoyed the Lego Movie, you might have the bar set just a touch too high- but odds are, you'll still find much to like with Lego Batman. Whereas Lego Movie seemed to sustain its momentum all the way through, you may have a few moments of stumbling here, but when Lego Batman is at its best, it shows it's every bit as good.

There's jokes for kids and parents, both, but maybe I'm too old for the here-there-and-everywhere focus of each and every scene. The individual scenes and dialogue seem to bounce all over the place as if the movie can't concentrate. It's dizzying. The overall story arc makes sense and happens at an enjoyable pace, but when reflecting on each scene you wonder how we ever made it. It's like playing racquetball through a series of rooms: yes, you move from room to room and make your way through the entire building, and do so at an expected pace overall, but within each room you wonder if the energy expended watching the ball bounce all over the place and the players running all over the room was necessary or even distracting. Could we have simple walked from room to room, stopping and admiring the each room for a brief second, before walking on to the next room? I don't know if I'm too old, the director was unfocus, or the producer(s) thought the audience of children would lose interest otherwise.

I'm Batman....I'm Batman....I AM BATMAN! As I have said before previous Best Buy reviews, this is not a movie review, but rather a product review on the plastic two-disc 3D case of The Lego Batman Movie. The case is fine, typical double Blu-Ray case, the special features are something to enjoy even with the younger audience, including the commentary, which is shocking. I say that because if you ever listen to some commentary as for instance Home Alone, the language is shocking. Anyways it does has some short animated films on there which is fun to watch, and the 3D actually impressed me, something I wasn't expecting. Don't want to see it in the 3D with your one eye, or can't from dead batteries, or children stepping on it? No problem there is a standard Blu-Ray included to enjoy. For movie reviews be sure to check out @thedappermanreviews on Instagram, and remember if you can't be no one else, You can always be Batman!

I'm not going to give my opinion of the movie itself because I know that I can only judge one with my own eyes. Instead I'm going to describe the 3D combo pack. As has become common with them since 4K combo packs arrived on the market, DVDs are no longer included, and for some reason I thought it would come with one "on accident" a la Warner's last animated movie Storks and Assassin's Creed. I never really used the DVD, I just wanted to note it just incase it is a deal breaker. Secondly, and most controversial, there is no Atmos track on the 3D disc. Even though I don't have a sound system for my home theater I feel the pain for those that do. Why don't they include the 3D audio track on the 3D disc? Space was definitely not an issue as Warner is infamous for underusing disk space. Other than that I will say, you're buying this for the movie like I did and you won't regret your purchase! These were just my observations if you were deciding on the 3D one

The Lego Batman Movie actually fills holes where all of the Live Action Batman movies leave off. Lego Batman still retains his skills as a Master Builder from the Lego Movie, but this isn't about the magic of Lego, though building is a significant part of the Lego Batman World. Blending these worlds provides a great cross section of entertainment, mostly for adults who have experienced all of the Batman world created outside of the comic books. Equally entertaining is the introduction of Robin and Batgirl. Melding all of these elements together has not gone especially well in other movies, but this time, the balance between humor and darkness is achieved for many long time Batman fans. The steelbook case is a great piece of art and a good way to display the movie when not in use. The art is original to the case and is not used on the other cases, it makes the DVD/Blu Ray/Digital combination a little more special.

If you like this movie, then this set is great for you. Not only do you get the Best Buy exclusive steelbook, but you also get blu ray, dvd, and digital copies of the movie itself. As for the movie, it wasn't great, but it was cute. I was far more entertained by the previous LEGO Batman movies that have been released over the past few years such as LEGO Batman: DC Super Heroes Unite and LEGO Super Heroes: Batman Be-Leaguered. I felt that both of these, and several others, gave far better (and more entertaining) portrayals of the characters. The LEGO Batman Movie didn't portray ANY of the characters well. Yes, I know that the story is told with LEGOs, which is why I referenced others that did a better job at it. I enjoyed one viewing, but I seriously doubt I'd watch it again, and I hope that any future LEGO movies are closer to the older LEGO movies and not at all like LEGO Movie or LEGO Batman Movie.