Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context MythologyGag / TheLEGOBatmanMovie

Go To

1%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1564262258076613300
2%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.
3%%
4[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_2lando_pct22two_facepct22_dent.png]]
5[[caption-width-right:350:Finally! A Two-Face played by [[Film/Batman1989 Billy Dee Williams]] and not [[Film/BatmanForever Tommy Lee Jones]].]]
6
7The film is stocked full of references to Batman's past:
8
9* Batman's ''many'' batsuits include his costumes from ''ComicBook/New52'', ''ComicBook/GothamByGaslight'', ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'', the Knightmare sequence in ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'', caveman garb reminiscent of his resurrection in the [[ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison Grant Morrison]] run and the original 1939 ''Batman'' comics.
10* At one point, Batman does a RapidFireNo, which segues into his beatboxing of the Creator/AdamWest ''Series/{{Batman|1966}}'' TV series theme song.
11* When Batman and Robin become BackToBackBadasses, Batman tells Robin that they're going to [[WrittenSoundEffect hit so hard, the force of their punches will spontaneously form words]]. Cue the big, flashy, comic-book "BAM!" "KAPOW!" "BLAMMO!" word effects from the 1960's show.
12* During the final battle [[spoiler:Alfred's]] costume looks like Kato's from ''Series/TheGreenHornet'', which crossed over with ''Series/{{Batman|1966}}''. [[note]] Both shows were produced by William Dozier and Lorenzo Semple, Jr. [[/note]]
13* When Robin first gets into the Batmobile with Batman, we hear the famous "Atomic Batteries to power, turbines to speed", from the opening of the '60s Batman -- which is immediately followed by Robin asking where the seatbelts are. The iconic phrase of the '60s show was ''always'' preceded by an emphatic shot of the Dynamic Duo fastening their seatbelts...
14-->'''Batman:''' The first lesson is: life doesn't give you seatbelts!
15* Batman's massive collection of Batmobiles include his cars from ''Film/Batman1989''/''Film/BatmanReturns'', ''Film/BatmanForever'', ''Film/BatmanAndRobin'', and the Tumbler from ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy''.
16** Speaking of which, this film's Batmobile briefly spins around on its own vertical axis during the opening battle, much like the ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamKnight'' version.
17* Harley Quinn wears a [[Film/Batman1989 Smylex]] T-shirt. She also wears roller skates, referencing her New 52 solo series. At one point, she gains a nurse outfit, likely a reference to her outfit in ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamAsylum''. One of her weapons is a baseball bat, which either refers to her use of it in ''Film/SuicideSquad2016'', or her earlier bat-wielding in the ''Arkham'' games. Lastly, her Harleen Quinzel getup includes an argyle sweater under her jacket -- a nod to her alter ego's famous diamond motif.
18* Catwoman wears a purple suit; her original purple and green costume[[note]]Or her 90s Balent outfit[[/note]] combined with her current Darwyn Cooke black catsuit.
19* The Joker has tattoos on his forearms, similar to his portrayal in ''Film/SuicideSquad2016'', has shark teeth like he did in ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'', and his hairstyle is reminiscent of the ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamSeries'' series design, with the purple suit from the '60s Batman TV show and the 1989 ''Batman'' movie and yellow eyes from ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''.
20* Poison Ivy takes cues from the ''Film/BatmanAndRobin'' version, with winged eye makeup resembling Uma Thurman's mask.
21* Bane is mostly traditional, with his classic hulking stature and mask, but he wears the ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' version's coat and talks with the same accent. The very idea of hijacking a plane in mid-flight ''from the outside'' for the first scene also comes from that movie.
22* The Riddler wears a smoking jacket and bowler hat similar to his design from the 60's Batman TV show, and chuckles with a similar laugh, but sports scraggly red hair much like Jim Carrey's version from ''Film/BatmanForever''.
23* Killer Croc's only role in the film is to swim underwater and start a time bomb, in a [[TakeThat dig]] against his similar actions in ''Film/SuicideSquad2016''.
24-->'''Croc:''' I did something!
25* While not in the film itself, Killer Croc's [[https://www.lego.com/en-us/batmanmovie/characters/killer-croc-5420b01fd2c34b619561a669bb2c881a bio]] on the movie's website includes the following Bat-Fact:
26-->Claims he [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE46AlmostGotIm almost "got" Batman]] once by throwing a really big rock at him.[[note]]Which is not accurate, since it was Batman in disguise claiming it.[[/note]]
27* Batman asks the computer how to put the Joker in Arkham Asylum. By the way he asks the question, is he asking about bringing the Joker to the place or for a cheat code in ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamAsylum''?
28* When Batman gets caught stalk- uh, ''[[InsistentTerminology surveillancing]]'' the criminals in Arkham, he goes into a PrivateEyeMonologue (that Barbara can hear anyway) while posed just like the well-known logo of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''.
29* Though this Robin is Dick Grayson, his use of green-tinted glasses as opposed to the traditional mask is taken from [[ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns Carrie Kelly]].
30* The portraits of Thomas and Martha Wayne seem to be based on the actor and actress that played them in ''[[Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice Dawn of Justice]]''.
31* Another scene shows various civilians showing their support to Batman with signs. One sign has the onomatopeia [[Series/Batman1966 POW!]] written on it, while there's another that says "Film/BatmanForever".
32* Batman is still a [[WesternAnimation/TheLEGOMovie Master Builder]].
33* When Dick Grayson is running amok in the Batcave and having fangasms over all of Batman's stuff, Batman finally allows him to touch the Bat-Shark-Repellent Spray, which famously appeared in the beginning of 1966's ''Film/BatmanTheMovie'' as a parody of how CrazyPrepared Batman is. In both movies, the spray also defeats an unexpected, fake-looking shark attacking Batman's legs.
34* [[Film/BatmanReturns The Penguin]] and [[Film/Batman1989 Two-Face]] are based solely on the Creator/TimBurton versions of the characters, with the latter even being voiced by his actor ''in'' said Tim Burton version (Creator/BillyDeeWilliams, who only got to play the Harvey Dent stage of the character). The Penguin even rides on a vehicle looking like a rubber ducky from ''Batman Returns''.
35* When confronting Batman about his brooding, Alfred remarks that he's seen him undergo such phases before in [[Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice 2016]], [[Film/TheDarkKnightRises 2012]], [[Film/TheDarkKnight 2008]], [[Film/BatmanBegins 2005]], [[Film/BatmanAndRobin 1997]], [[Film/BatmanForever 1995]], [[Film/BatmanReturns 1992]], [[Film/Batman1989 1989]] and [[Series/Batman1966 "that weird one]] [[Film/BatmanTheMovie in 1966."]] Each phase (with the [[MediumBlending exceptions]] of 1997 and 1966) is accompanied by a shot ripped straight from its respective film, recreated in the LEGO artstyle.
36-->'''Batman:''' I have aged ''phenomenally''.
37* Alfred dons the 1966 Batman outfit, stating he [[TheSixties missed the 60's]]. Alan Napier, who played Alfred in the 60's, once donned the 1966 Batman outfit during the show.
38* When Barbara Gordon describes Batman's long history we see a screen from Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice as well as other LEGO recreations of title and poster shots of Film/TheDarkKnight, the famous shot from the opening credits of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' of Batman posing dramatically on top of a skyscraper in a lightning storm, the cover of ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns, Batman as one of the WesternAnimation/SuperFriends, [[Series/Batman1966 Batman trying to dispose of a bomb]], the Batman and Robin (minus Robin) in the spotlight cover of Batman Issue number 9, then Detective Comics number 27 (the first ever Batman comic), and a shot from [[Film/BatmanAndRobinSerial the 1940s Batman movie serial]].
39* Barbara Gordon replaces her father Jim Gordon as Commissioner, as she did in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond''.
40* Barbara cleaned up Blüdhaven, ComicBook/{{Nightwing}}'s home city.
41* Gentleman Ghost is listed among Batman's RoguesGallery, [[RoguesGalleryTransplant in spite of being a Hawkman villain]], much like how the character was more associated with Batman in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold''.
42** The same also applies to Clock King and (to a lesser extent) Captain Boomerang. The former was a Batman villain in the [[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries the 90s animated series]], while the latter a member of the Suicide Squad in the [[WesternAnimation/BatmanAssaultOnArkham Arkham series]].
43* Early on when Joker hijacks the plane full of explosives, the pilot flying asks him if it's anything like his plan with [[Film/TheDarkKnight the two boats]] or the one with [[Film/Batman1989 the parade and the Prince music]].
44* During the opening logos, Batman refers to DC Comics as "The House that Batman Built". The company is named after Detective Comics, best known for introducing Batman. The Batman symbol from ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'' can be also seen behind the DC logo.
45* [[Film/Batman1989 The Joker gleefully states he now knows]] WhereDoesHeGetAllThoseWonderfulToys when plundering the Batcave.
46* When Dick decides to emulate Batman, he grabs a suit called "ComicBook/{{Nightwing}}". (It doesn't resemble any Grayson Nightwing outfit, though, but was Superman's costume that he wore inside Kandor, the first instance of the hero Nightwing.)
47* Batman tells Joker "You wanna get nuts? Let's get nuts!", much like Bruce does in the [[Film/Batman1989 1989 Batman movie]].
48* Among the merchandise Batman gives to the orphans include T-shirts with ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'' logo on them (albeit with "The" removed) and baseball caps with the 1966 ''Series/{{Batman|1966}}'' logo on them.
49* At one point, Harley [[Film/SuicideSquad2016 fights people in an elevator.]]
50* In a reference to the series' finale of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'', "[[Recap/JusticeLeagueUnlimitedS3E13Destroyer Destroyer]]" -- [[spoiler:at the end of the movie, to thank them for all their help, Batman gives his rogues gallery a thirty-minute MercyLead]].
51* A FreezeFrameBonus one -- the parenting book that Alfred reads was written by Bartholomew Wolper, the quack psychiatrist from ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns''.
52* Billboards around Gotham advertise [[ComicBook/GreenLantern Ferris Air]], ComicBook/BlackCanary's band, [[Franchise/TheDCU Big Belly Burger]], a butcher shop run by [[Characters/BatmanRoguesGalleryPart3 Professor Pyg]], Janus Cosmetics ([[Characters/BatmanRoguesGalleryPart1 Black Mask]]'s company), and a cologne called [[WesternAnimation/BatmanMaskOfThePhantasm Musk of the Phantasm]], among others.
53* At one point, Batman confronts Joker in a corridor that he's vandalized in [[VideoGame/BatmanArkhamAsylum a very familiar-looking way]]. Shortly thereafter, the two [[ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns fight in a hall of mirrors]]...which leads to a chamber that includes a [[ComicBook/TheKillingJoke throne surrounded by piles of dolls]].
54* When [[spoiler:Joker's bomb breaks Gotham in half,]] a shot of the news shows the headline "CATACLYSM IN GOTHAM". In the comics, the story where an earthquake nearly destroyed Gotham (leading into ''[[ComicBook/BatmanNoMansLand No Man's Land]]'') was called ''ComicBook/BatmanCataclysm Cataclysm]]''.
55* During the DancePartyEnding, Joker can briefly be seen wearing his "vacation outfit" from the shooting scene in ''ComicBook/TheKillingJoke'', sans hat.
56* Like ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', the villain's EvilPlan involves turning a power plant into a giant bomb to completely destroy Gotham.
57* A Shreck's department store, similar to the one Catwoman blew up in ''Film/BatmanReturns'', can be spotted in one shot of the city.
58* Several villains appear in the movie but are not explicitly named; often based on one particular incarnation of the character:
59** Magpie, whose hair and outfit are based on her design in ''WesternAnimation/BewareTheBatman''.
60** The Mutant Leader from ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns''.
61** Hugo Strange, seemingly based off his Arkham Series incarnation.
62** Penguin's Kabuki twins from ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman''.
63* The fortress of solitude's doorbell plays the opening of Music/JohnWilliams' main ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'' theme. The Fortress also resembles the crystal versions from the Christopher Reeve Superman movies, though it has the giant gold colored door and keyhole (sans the giant key) from [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] Superman comics.
64* When Batman is tossing away Superman's Kryptonian memory crystals, Superman's father, Jor-El, appears as the Marlon Brando version of the character from ''Film/SupermanTheMovie''.
65* Alfred's outfit in the final battle is a more formal chauffeur's uniform with hat and a Batsymbol, which ends up resembling the uniform of DC's WWII-era heroes, the Blackhawks.
66* The idea of Batman acquiring a family unit is very similar to the 1956 - 1966 run of the comic, where Batman gained a love interest in 'Batwoman' Kathy Kane and Robin became more explicitly a son figure. Ironically Barbara Gordon replaced her as 'Batgirl' after a reboot, partly to remove the family and romance aspects of the character.
67* Penguin has an [[Film/BatmanReturns army of actual penguins with rocket launchers strapped to their backs]].
68* Also, Batman nearly runs over an old lady crossing the street, just like Penguin in ''Batman Returns''.
69* Using just a rope tied around the control as the Batplane's "autopilot", looks like a dig at how Two-Face used "The Club" automobile locking device to lock a helicopter's steering in ''Film/BatmanForever''.
70* A magazine ad mentions "Barris Automobiles" - [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Barris_(auto_customizer) George Barris]] was the legendary auto customizer who built the Batmobile for the 1960s TV series.
71* The logo on the hood of Harley Quinn's cannon truck is one of her pet hyenas.
72* Bruce does a DoubleTake when Dick says he's "jazzed" to meet him, and asks suspiciously if he just said "jazzed". It's a reference to ''ComicBook/BatmanJazz'', which had jazz-themed villains.
73* Catwoman exclaims "Meowch!", which was the title of the infamous New York Post review of ''Film/Catwoman2004''.
74* The Joker's cell in Arkham Asylum has a lighting and tile scheme similar to the Major Crimes Unit's interrogation room from ''The Dark Knight''.
75* Among the weapons arsenal that Batman turns in to enter Arkham is a live dolphin. A scene in the [[Film/BatmanTheMovie movie spun off]] from the [[Series/Batman1966 Adam West TV series]] has a quick mention about a dolphin saving the Dynamic Duo from a torpedo (by HeroicSacrifice).
76* Batman references "spending a life with Russian ballerinas", a reference to ''The Dark Knight''.
77* Barbara as [[WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond Batman's]] [[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheKillingJoke love interest]].
78* Condiment King gets a punch in the stomach from Batman and crumbles. The same thing happened in [[Recap/TheAdventuresOfBatmanAndRobinE18MakeEmLaugh his debut]].
79* The Justice League [=57th=] Anniversary Party includes members from the ''WesternAnimation/{{Superfriends}}'', including the Wonder Twins and Apache Chief. It also includes ComicBook/{{Cyborg}}, who was a late addition to the League.
80* When the Joker storms the cargo plane at the beginning, the pilot states that Batman will stop him, mentioning the time with the [[Film/TheDarkKnight two boats]].
81
82There are also some shoutouts to Franchise/{{LEGO}} lore:
83* Killer Croc, to hammer home the LEGO aspect of the film, uses the classic crocodile head design first introduced in Toys/LEGOPirates.

Top