'Lego DC: Batman – Family Matters' Somehow Went Under My Radar

I’ve grown really fond of the Lego DC Comics Super Heroes franchise ever since my first encounter with it.  Its movies aren’t necessarily great, but as far as consistency in entertainment quality is concerned, I feel that it’s the most rewarding among DC’s ongoing non-comicbook shared universes.  For while the DCAMU, Arrowverse, and DCEU have managed to produce content that can be deemed “great”, that isn’t always the case.  The quality of their respective products varies, ranging from great to disposable.  On the other hand, while Lego DC Comics Super Heroes movies are only clever and enjoyable at a kiddie level, you can bet on it that each installment will entertain by those standards quite wonderfully.

Thus, I’m always on the lookout for a new Lego DC Comics Super Heroes movie, so I usually get to see it around the time of its release – give or take a few weeks.  However, the latest one, Lego DC: Batman – Family Matters, which was released mid-2019, somehow went under my radar last year.  It was only recently that I got to know about it and see it.

Lego DC: Batman – Family Matters is basically the Lego DC Comics Super Heroes version of Under the Red Hood.  In it Two-Face team up with a mysterious new villain named Red Hood (if you’re familiar with Batman lore, you would know who he really is) that they may take revenge on Bruce Wayne/Batman.  Also aiding in their plot are Killer Croc, Penguin, Riddler, and Scarecrow.  While this is going on, Bruce Wayne/Batman is seriously contemplating selling Wayne Enterprises since he thinks his life as Bruce Wayne is getting in the way of him doing more good as Batman.  Meanwhile, Wayne Enterprises has just created a groundbreaking AI system named Brother Eye, which has an army of OMAC drones under its control.  All these plot threads eventually converge as Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, Batwoman, Alfred, and a returning member of the Bat Family work together to save the day.  And in the process, important lessons are learned.

Moreover, the movie also serves on the side as a backdoor prologue for the next Lego DC Comics Super Heroes movie, which is going to be Shazam.  Billy Batson is introduced here as an orphan who aspires of becoming a successful podcaster and whose orphanage is being funded by Wayne Foundation.

As usual, I had fun with the movie in the manner I expected.  The plot is stupid and silly, but endearing and amusing for what it is.  The action is aptly engaging and attractive, and imaginative enough in its utilization of the particular cartoon world it’s functioning in.  The jokes usually hit, especially when they involve premises unique to Lego or DC.  And the voice acting is terrific.

Lego DC: Batman – Family Matters is effectively entertaining in the right perspective. Again, this kind of movie is by no means excellent by adult gauges.  But if you choose to look at it through the lens of a kid with undeveloped but decent taste, you will probably like it as I did.