Following the success of toy commercial turned successful franchise “The Lego Movie” in 2014, the Lego Batman spinoff  has graced movie screens and even beat out “Fifty Shades Darker” at  the box office. Despite being product placement for Lego’s DC toys, “The Lego Batman Movie” has the humor and heart that 2016’s “Batman v. Superman” lacked.

In this spinoff, Batman (voiced by Will Arnett, reprising his role from “The Lego Movie”) has worked alone as a vigilante, never letting anyone join in on his adventures stopping the Joker (Zach Galifianakis) from destroying Gotham City. His longtime butler Alfred (Ralph Fiennes) urges him to work with commissioner Barbara Gordon (Rosario Dawson) and sidekick Robin (Michael Cera) in the sequel.

The lighthearted humor of “Lego Batman” is a welcome change from the dark tone of recent DC films, and it manages to entertain both the children who make up its target audience, as well as adults. The movie pokes fun at most of the previous Batman films, the Justice League and even “Super Friends,” the cartoon featuring Batman and his now-rival Superman, with jokes referencing various versions of the Dark Knight. I never thought I’d say I liked an animated Lego Batman movie better than a big-budget blockbuster, but this lighter take on the beloved hero did his story justice.

Another aspect of the film that I liked was the characterization of Batman. Batman’s arc was surprisingly emotional, dealing with the five stages of grief, as well as learning to accept help from others. Despite being a Lego movie, it built on his origin story without forcing its audience to hear the same tale they’ve been told thousands of times.

I give “The Lego Batman Movie” an A- for the originality it brought to a story that has seen countless retellings and its humorous shout-outs to other DC superheroes. This reboot of the Dark Knight is a delightful deviation from the usual superhero flick.