The LEGO Batman Movie, released Feb. 10, is the sequel to 2014’s much beloved The Lego Movie and follows Batman (Will Arnett) as he struggles to accept his own loneliness while reluctantly raising an orphan, Dick Grayson (Michael Cera), and fighting the Joker’s (Zach Galifianakis) next master plan.

The LEGO Batman Movie follows a simple premise that allows for it to dive into heavy themes about family, fear of loss and loneliness. While this does not sound like an enjoyable bout of family fun, the movie does not relent on humor. The entire Batman mythos is up for grabs as the movie picks apart and makes fun of everything from the recent Batman v. Superman to the short-lived 1940 serial starring the dark knight. The animation on display is fantastic. The LEGO Batman Movie looks like hyper stylized stop motion and often adds visual humor to the movie.

There is only one real issue with the film. While the jokes are hilarious, they are often unyielding to a fault, as audience members are practically run over with humor. This adds a frantic and enjoyable pace to the movie, but jokes often trip over each other, making them fall flat with the audience.

The LEGO Batman Movie, like its predecessor, is a surprisingly deep and hilarious family friendly adventure. While the humor may not always be delivered smoothly, it is a small problem in an overwhelmingly fun film that cements the LEGO franchise as a new force to be reckoned with.

VERDICT: 9/10