SPOILERS: THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE - 10 Awesome Easter Eggs You May Have Missed
The first superhero movie of 2017, The LEGO Batman Movie quite possibly features more Easter Eggs than every upcoming release combined! Here are the best and hardest to spot references, cameos, and more!
The LEGO Batman Movie is finally in theaters, and while I didn't love it as much as some of you, I have a great deal of respect for the staggering amount of Easter Eggs which were included. Given the long comic book and cinematic history of the Caped Crusader, perhaps they shouldn't have come as a huge surprise, but it's amazing just how many unexpected references and cameos ultimately made the cut.
Everything from the comic books to the movies of Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan get a nod here, while not even the DC Films Universe manages to escape the wrath of The LEGO Batman Movie!
So, in case you haven't figured it out yet, what you'll find here is a breakdown of The LEGO Batman Movie's biggest and best Easter Eggs. From all the ways it pays homage to previous iterations of the Dark Knight to the hardest to spot winks and nods, expect to be blown away by just how much Warner Bros. managed to cram in to the first of three DC Comics movies on the way over the next year...
10. "Iron Man Sucks"
One of the biggest and best surprises in The LEGO Movie came when Disney owned Star Wars characters made a brief appearance in the Warner Bros. release. Sadly, The Avengers don't show up here, but we do get a pretty hilarious nod to one of the team's most popular members. Returning to his Batcave early on, the Dark Knight is asked by his 'puter for a password, and that just so happens to be "Iron Man Sucks."
While some fans may take this as an attack on Marvel, chances are it's actually a tongue in cheek reference to the similarities between the two heroes. After all, it adds up that Batman wouldn't be a fan of Tony Stark; they're both billionaires, both have tons of gadgets, and would no doubt be rivals if they lived in the same world. A Marvel reference in a DC movie, though! Who knew that could happen?
9. Suicide Squad? What A Dumb Idea
Surprisingly, The LEGO Batman Movie features only one nod to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and that was spoiled in the trailers for the movie a while back. Even more shocking, though, is the fact that the animated feature appears to make a couple of pretty below the belt digs at last August's Suicide Squad! Firstly, when Killer Croc swims beneath Gotham City to activate The Joker's bomb, he exclaims "Yeah, I got to do something!"
That has to be a reference to his pretty pathetic role in that movie's final act, while a later comment from Batman calls the idea of using villains to fight villains a "dumb idea." That may very well have been just a shot at Task Force X in general (the team does get a mention here), but it's surprising that Warner Bros. was ok with any sort of digs being made at a movie which proved so troublesome for them in 2016.
8. Iconic Batman Imagery
The LEGO Batman Movie has a lot of fun with the Caped Crusader's history and actually references the fact he's been around for 78 years now (time flies, huh?). When both Alfred and Barbara Gordon mention that, we get some iconic shots from the ero's past and that includes recreations of recognisable moments from a variety of the character's adventures. Hilariously, a couple are live-action as the Bat-nipples and footage from Batman '66 prove to be more hilarious than an animated parody!
Those we do get to see LEGO versions of include Batman v Superman, The Dark Knight Rises, The Dark Knight, Batman Begins, Batman Returns, Batman, Batman: The Animated Series, Detective Comics #27, The Dark Knight Returns, and even the 1943 Columbia Pictures serial Batman. That's an awful lot of nods in a couple of brief montages!
7. Batman Beyond
Surprisingly, the montage where Robin looks through all of Batman's costumes is surprisingly light on Easter Eggs. After all, you'd think that was a perfect opportunity to show off the Dark Knight's wacky outfits, and the fact that his rainbow suits are nowhere to be seen is definitely more than a little disappointing. However, keep your eyes peeled and you'll spot the Batman Beyond suit, something fans of that animated series will no doubt be very happy to see on the big screen at last.
Various attempts have been made to bring the character to live-action over the years, and while that doesn't appear to be any closer to happening, it's nice to see this iconic suit finally featured in a movie. Most of the costumes here appear to be pretty original, but it is worth noting that the oufit - and voice - of Bane are a clear reference to Tom Hardy's version from The Dark Knight Rises!
6. Batman '66
In many ways, The LEGO Batman Movie is a love letter to the 1960s TV series and an entire list could be made out of the references to that. Let's take a look at some of the biggest, though. Alfred dresses in the original Batman costume at one point, while Robin later comes across some Bat-Shark repellent which proves to be very handy in the third act when Jaws attacks.
The classic theme tune can also be heard on numerous occasions, while one very cool action sequence near the end of the movie brings back the now iconic "Bam!" and "Pow!" logos as they flash up on the screen. Some of the more ridiculous villains from the show also get to make a comeback in this animated movie, with King Tut and Egghead both getting brief but amusing moments to shine at various points here. Regardless of your feelings on this series, you've got to smile at most of these!
5. Superman: The Movie
Channing Tatum's Superman and members of the Justice League all make brief appearances here, but the nods to the Man of Steel's big screen debut are still pretty unexpected to say the least. For starters, the Fortress of Solitude is identical to the design dreamt up by Richard Donner, while the doorbell on that iconic structure is actually the opening bars from John Williams' beloved and iconic theme tune from Superman: The Movie (something the older viewers in my screening adored).
General Zod and the Phantom Zone get lots of mentions here, while the latter plays a key role in the story. There's even a LEGO version of Jor-El which should instantly bring back memories of Marlon Brando's version. All in all, these are some brilliant nods to Superman's past, though it's almost a shame he doesn't get chance to spend more screen time with Will Arnett's Caped Crusader!
4. A Long List Of Iconic Villains
The LEGO Movie featured a lot of unexpected cameos (including the Star Wars ones mentioned a little earlier in this post), but I think it's fair to say that most of us expected The LEGO Batman Movie to keep the spotlight on the Dark Knight's rogues gallery. Instead, a trip to the Phantom Zone for The Joker results in appearances by the likes of Sauron from The Lord of the Rings and Voldemort from the Harry Potter franchise (who bizarrely isn't voiced by Ralph Fiennes despite him playing Alfred here).
Other movie monsters include King Kong, Dracula, Jaws, the Gremlins, and even Daleks from Doctor Who, and seeing Batman go to war with them is something I don't believe any of us could have ever predicted would grace the big screen. Their voices are a tad hit and miss, but for the most part, they do get some cool moments to shine.
3. The Dark Knight Trilogy
Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy is considered one of the best trilogies of all-time, so it's no shocker that it gets some screen time here. The movie actually kicks off by referencing the fact that each of those started with blackness, while the blue fliter used for those returns here (as does what sounds a lot like Hans Zimmer's score for The Joker).
The two boats the Clown Prince of Crime failed to blow up in The Dark Knight are referenced by a pilot early on, while as I've already mentioned, The LEGO Batman Movie definitely appears to be parodying Tom Hardy's Bane. Even Gotham City appears to be based on Nolan's versions, as Chicago's bridges end up factoring into the city's architecture in a big way, particularly for the third act. That's pretty much it, unfortunately, but it's definitely nice to see these now iconic movies get a nod even in the most minor of ways!
2. Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series is understandably loved by the vast majority of fans, hence why it's referenced here on at least a few occasions. Most of those are the visual ones we've already mentioned, but what you may not realise is that The Condiment King is one of them! He took on that role after The Joker used mind-altering drugs to change his personality due to him being one of the judges who mocked him back when he was a stand up comedian.
I mentioned the Batman Beyond suit a little earlier, and that hero's animated series also seems to get some nods here. For starters, the concept of Barbara Gordon being Gotham City's Police Commissioner definitely hails from that show, while look closely and you'll notice that Blight, one of Terry McGinnis' greatest foes is hovering around in the background at one point (so too is the Mutant Leader from The Dark Knight Returns, talking of future set Batman tales).
1. Tim Burton's Batman
Outside of Batman '66, Tim Burton's films probably get the most Easter Eggs, and one of the first comes just moments after that reference to the two boats in The Dark Knight when the pilot mentions, "the time with Prince music and the parade." Billy Dee Williams' return as Two-Face is another obvious nod after he previously played Harvey Dent before being replaced by Tommy Lee Jones, while The Penguin is constantly accompanied by a rubber duck, something fans of these movies will definitely remember.
There's the "Let's Get Nuts!" reference we've known about for a while, and a near miss with an old lady crossing the street definitely appears to be a nod to what happened when The Penguin took the Batmobile for a joyride in Batman Returns. Talking of that iconic vehicle, pretty much every iteration makes a blink and you'll miss it appearance early on!
Which of these was your favourite Easter Egg in The LEGO Batman Movie? Have we missed any other good ones? As always, be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
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