Is 'The Lego Batman Movie' the best Batman movie ever? Here is what the critics are saying

When the question of who is the greatest comic book character of all time is posed, one of the answers is often Batman. As such, to date, there have been 10 theatrically released Batman movies. That is more than the number of Superman films, Spider-Man flicks and all the various X-Men movies. In just a few days, a new Batman film will be hitting theaters: The Lego Batman Movie. 

The Lego Batman Movie hits theaters with an enormous amount of fan anticipation. The film is a follow-up to 2014's critical and financial hit The Lego Movie. Lego Batman features the voice of Will Arnett as Batman, arguably the breakout character from the original film. 

Obviously, there is a decent amount of pressure on The Lego Batman Movie to be not only a great movie, but to succeed as a film that features arguably the greatest comic book character ever. Fortunately, it sounds like Lego Batman is good — really good. In fact, there are some who go as far to say that The Lego Batman Movie could be the greatest Batman flick ever. It is a bold claim considering Christopher Nolan's work with the character (not mention Tim Burton's). 

While it is unlikely that too many people will be placing The Lego Batman Movie ahead of Nolan's The Dark Knight, there seems to be little doubt that the film will be one of the best ever to feature the Caped Crusader. As of this writing, the film holds a stellar 97% on Rotten Tomatoes with the consensus reading:  

'The Lego Batman Movie' continues its blockbuster franchise's winning streak with another round of dizzyingly funny — and beautifully animated — family-friendly mayhem.

Here are what some of the critics are saying about The Lego Batman Movie:

Brian Truitt, USA Today: 

While 'The Dark Knight' won't be supplanted anytime soon as tops among Bat-movies, the new film makes a strong argument for second-best simply by taking time to explore the core of Batman that others haven’t: He’s a complicated mess who can’t get out of his own way long enough for the greater good.

Owen Gleiberman, Variety:

The plastic universe of Lego once again becomes a stylized satire of the real world in a witty and bedazzling animated superhero caper that dares to mock its own hero's raging ego.

Alonso Duralde, the Wrap: 

Movie superhero fans tend to be divided into camps, with Marvel people complaining about the dank glumness of the DC films, and DC partisans decrying the jokiness of Marvel movies. Committed to lunacy while paying homage to the varied legacy of Batman over the decades, 'The Lego Batman Movie' might be the common ground that satisfies both camps.

Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times: 

Director Chris McKay keeps things zipping along, alternating between smart and often hilarious rapid-fire exchanges of dialogue, and big, big, big action sequences that fill every inch of the screen with brightly colored, fantastically kinetic action.

To be fair, The Lego Batman Movie does not hold a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, so here is one of the few (like, very few) negative reviews:

Gabriel Roth, Slate:

But the greatest disappointment is how much of the script seems to have been assembled from a kit by someone afraid to deviate from the instructions. In a sequel to 'The Lego Movie,' that’s not just a letdown, it’s a betrayal.

The Lego Batman Movie hits theaters on Feb. 10.

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