The Lego Batman Movie (2016)
Trivia
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Spoilers (20)
(at around 8 mins) Batman's line in the beginning action scene, "You want to get nuts? Let's get nuts!" is a reference to Batman (1989), where Michael Keaton's Bruce Wayne says this line to Jack Nicholson's Joker.
Will Arnett acknowledged that the raspy, whispery voice he used for Batman is the same voice he uses with his children when he's giving them important parenting information.
Bane's voice and accent in this movie is based on Tom Hardy's portrayal of Bane in The Dark Knight Rises (2012). The voice is done by Doug Benson, a stand up comedian and podcaster who has done his comedic impression on Hardy's Bane since The Dark Knight Rises (2012) was released. The directors were fans of Benson's podcast, and hired him based on that.
Billy Dee Williams voiced the nefarious Two-Face in this movie. Williams portrayed Two-Face's "good" alter ego, Harvey Dent, in Batman (1989). He was very eager to also portray Two-Face, but did not get the chance to, due to Joel Schumacher taking over the franchise with Batman Forever (1995) and re-casting the role with Tommy Lee Jones.
(at around 38 mins) The shark repellent is a reference to Batman: The Movie (1966). In the movie, Batman is trying to dislodge a shark attached to his leg while hanging off of a helicopter ladder. He calls out to Robin to throw him "shark repellent bat spray", which he used successfully.
Batman's crazy laugh was voiced by director Chris McKay. It was originally a placeholder before Will Arnett's laugh was to be put in, but never ended up being changed.
The airplane at the beginning of the movie is under the name McGuffin 1138. "McGuffin" is the cinematic and literary name given to an object or person which is of vital importance to the characters, but whose actual function is immaterial to the plot. "1138" is a reference to THX 1138 (1971).
Will Arnett revealed in an interview about how voicing Batman affected his voice, saying, "It's real gravelly. It doesn't feel great doing it a lot, and so when we do the sessions that are like four hours long, it would hurt. It's hard to sing doing it, because I'm a bad singer anyway, so I'm thinking about trying to keep in time and then doing the voice. The rap at the end of the movie was hard. (I told the song writers) this is how it's going to be, I can't do it any better, and then all the things they call 'exertions' like running, jumping, you have to do all those kind of separately, and sort of shouting stuff too. To shout doing the Batman voice is rough."
(at around 1h 1 min) One of the names Batman suggests for his new team is "Fox Force 5". This was the title of Mia Wallace's (Uma Thurman's) failed television pilot in Pulp Fiction (1994) , about a team of five women who banded together to fight crime. Thurman also portrayed Poison Ivy in Batman & Robin (1997).
Morgan Freeman, who appeared in The Dark Knight trilogy and The Lego Movie (2014), said that Batman in the latter is his favorite incarnation of the character.
(at around 22 mins) At Superman's interview, they telecast the footage of Superman fighting with General Zod. During that, the news ticker header reads, "Superman and Zod's icy relationship" and footer reads "File footage courtesy of Z. Snyder and A. Mokri". Z. Snyder and A. Mokri refers to Zack Snyder and Amir Mokri, who were the director and cinematographer of Man of Steel (2013), respectively.
(at around 43 mins) When Batman arrives at The Fortress of Solitude and presses the doorbell, the sound is the main theme of Superman (1978) composed by John Williams.
(at around 28 mins) At Commissioner Gordon's retirement party, Bruce Wayne picks up a magazine of himself on the front page. On the back page, there is an ad for Barris automobiles. George Barris created the Batmobile for the TV show Batman (1966).
(at around 1h 9 mins) Robin states that he knows "gymkata", which is a reference to the movie, Gymkata (1985) that starred Olympic gymnast Kurt Thomas. Robin even reenacts the infamous pommel horse fight from that film.
Zach Galifianakis stated in an interview about voicing the Joker, "It was really fun! I've only done a couple of sessions, it's crazy. I'm lucky. I was telling diarrhea jokes in coffee houses ten years ago, so I'm very fortunate."
The Condiment King was also featured in Batman: The Animated Series: Make 'Em Laugh (1994).
The scenes with Jerry Maguire (1996) are a reference to the Joker quoting the movie in The Dark Knight (2008) , with the line "You complete me".
While most of the villains are based on their comic book appearances, some resemble their live-action movie counterparts. The Penguin resembles Danny DeVito from Batman Returns (1992), Poison Ivy resembles Uma Thurman from Batman & Robin (1997), Bane wears a brown and white parka, a staple of Tom Hardy's portrayal in The Dark Knight Rises (2012) (Bane actually looks identical to The Dark Knight comics) and Two-Face resembles Billy Dee Williams from Batman (1989), as well as being voiced by him.
The week of the film's theatrical release, The CW aired commercials featuring LEGO versions of Green Arrow, Flash, and Supergirl, voiced by Stephen Amell, Grant Gustin, and Melissa Benoist, respectively.
(at around 27 mins) Barbara Gordon, making her point of how long Batman has been a superhero, shows a series of slides, which re-create many famous scenes, posters, et cetera from previous Batman works, with LEGO-fied versions of their Batman. These are of, in order of appearance, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), The Dark Knight (2008) , Batman: The Animated Series (1992), Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2 (2013), Super Friends (1973), Batman: The Movie (1966), Batman No. 9, Detective Comics #27, and Batman (serials). The last two are notable for being the first comic of Batman, and the first adaptation of the character into other media, respectively.
(at around 23 mins) Richard Cheese & Lounge Against The Machine, a music artist known for doing comedic lounge-style covers of pop and heavy metal songs, can be seen in Lego form performing "Man in the Mirror" at the Gotham Winter Gala.
The villains from Batman's Rogues Gallery that appear in the movie include: Joker, Harley Quinn, Riddler, Scarecrow, Bane, Two-Face, Catwoman, Clayface, Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, Penguin, Killer Croc, Man-Bat, Crazy Quilt, Eraser, Polka-Dot Man, Mime, Tarantula, King Tut, Orca, Killer Moth, March Harriet, Zodiac Master, Gentlemen Ghost, Clock King, Calendar Man, Kite Man, Catman, Zebra-Man, The Condiment King, Captain Boomerang, The Mutant Leader, Hugo Strange, Red Hood, the Kabuki Twins, The Calculator, Dr. Phosphorous, Magpie, and Egghead.
Ralph Fiennes is the third Academy Award-nominated British actor to play Alfred Pennyworth. The others are Sir Michael Caine in The Dark Knight trilogy, and Jeremy Irons in the DCEU.
(at around 57 mins) When the Phantom Zone is opened, the villains are shown flying out in a way that mimics the ghosts flying out of the sky in Ghostbusters (1984).
Batman's costume is based on the one worn by Michael Keaton in Batman (1989).
(at around 19 mins) Alfred refers to Batman going through "similar phases" in 2016, 2012, 2008, 2005, 1997, 1995, 1992, 1989, and a "weird one" in 1966. This is a clear reference to every year in which a major Batman film was released. The films in question are, respectively, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), The Dark Knight Rises (2012), The Dark Knight (2008), Batman Begins (2005), Batman & Robin (1997), Batman Forever (1995), Batman Returns (1992), Batman (1989), and Batman: The Movie (1966).
Director Chris McKay originally wanted to include several villains from R-rated films among the Phantom Zone prisoners, but he was forced to drop them, as they were deemed too inappropriate for an all-ages movie to include them. Some of said dropped villains McKay wanted included Bill (from Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)), Annie Wilkes (from Misery (1990)), and Bill "The Butcher" Cutting (from Gangs of New York (2002)).
(at around 1 min) The pilot at the beginning identifies his flight number to the control tower as "Flight 1138". This is a reference to George Lucas' first movie, THX 1138 (1971). The number 1138 was hidden in many of his successive films, including the Star Wars and Indiana Jones film franchises. It became an inside joke for his fans, and since then the number has also been used in numerous other media not affiliated with Lucas, as an homage to his work, and continuation of the joke.
The film includes appearances of not only Batman's Rogues Gallery of recognizable villains, but also many lesser-known faces such as Orca, Dr. Phosphorus, and The Mutant Leader from Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 (2012). Also included were some of the most obscure and campy enemies Batman has ever faced, including The Eraser (a pencil-themed villain), The Polka-Dot Man, Crazy Quilt, Kite Man, and King Tut, a pharaoh villain from Batman (1966).
The Super Friends members Apache Chief, Black Vulcan, The Wonder Twins, Wonder Dog, El Dorado, and Samurai made an appearance in this movie.
(at around 13 mins) The Batmobile horn is the theme song to Batman (1966).
In early casting, Guillermo del Toro and Steve Buscemi were the front runners for voicing Bane and the Joker, respectively.
The trailers for the film feature different variants of the Bat Suit. One of these variants is labeled "2011 Comic-Con Exclusive". This suit is a minifigure that was given out in raffles at New York Comic Con and San Diego Comic-Con in 2011 to coincide with LEGO re-launching the Superheroes theme. The minifigure is based off of Christian Bale's suit from The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). Another recognizable suit that is visible is Terry McGinnis' suit from Batman of the Future (1999).
(at around 1h 17 mins) Batman's television, which takes place inside of a movie theater-like room, has the sound effects from a PlayStation 2.
(at around 57 mins) The Arkham guard with the hook hand who shows Barbara Gordon the "monkey and dog" video, is Aaron Cash, a recurring character in the comics, who gained popularity through the Batman: Arkham video games.
Throughout the movie, on Harley Quinn's costume, the word "Smylex" appears. In Batman (1989), the Joker used a toxin on Gotham citizens called "Smlyex" to kill people with a smile on their face, ala the movies version of the comic books "Joker Gas".
(at around 7 mins) Unlike The Lego Movie (2014), this film does not feature any of the figures with the toy's iconic yellow skin, but instead, has more human and monstrous skin tones. The closest is a brief clip from The Lego Movie (2014), featuring an obstructed view of Emmet falling into the void that leads to the real world, shown when the Gotham newscaster discusses the fragile plates, on which the city is built. This also confirms that this film takes place after the events of The Lego Movie (2014).
Originally, Barbara Gordon followed much closer to her comic incarnation, in that she was going to be a librarian, who was secretly taking part in vigilantism, before crossing paths with Batman. At one stage in this version of the character, Barbara's vigilante persona carries a copy of the Scarlett Pimpernel novel on her being.
This is Rosario Dawson's fourth DC animated movie. She voiced for Wonder Woman (2009), Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (2015), and Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016).
The Flash appeared in The Lego Movie (2014), but had no lines. In this film, however, he does. He was voiced by Adam Devine.
(at around 40 mins) When Richard (Robin) looks at different superhero suits that Bruce Wayne has on moving hangers, he almost chooses a suit labelled "Clawed Reins", a reference to classic movies actor Claude Rains.
Many people thought this would be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, but just like the original The Lego Movie (2014), it ended up being snubbed. That made them mad enough, but they were even madder when the film The Boss Baby (2017) was nominated despite its heavily mixed to negative reception falling short of this film's highly positive reception.
Billy Dee Williams (Two-Face) also reprises one of his previous roles in his appearance in The Lego Movie (2014), playing Lando Calrissian from Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980).
Various actors and actresses provided voices for villains, but did not receive credit for their part. These include: Riki Lindhome as The Wicked Witch of the West, Laura Kightlinger as Orca, David Burrows as Mr. Freeze, Matt Villa as Killer Croc, and Lauren White as Medusa. Most of these actors and actresses provided voices for other characters as well.
This is director Chris McKay's first theatrically released film.
The French footballer Antoine Griezmann lent his voice as Superman for the French version.
Ralph Fiennes (voice of Alfred) had previously been shortlisted to play Batman in Batman Forever (1995).
Before deciding on the classic look for Dick Grayson's Robin costume, some other costume options were explored. These including a Robin Hood-inspired outfit, a contemporary hoodie, and a gymnast outfit.
Zach Galifianakis (Joker) took inspiration from a familiar source, as he believed that the character deserves that validation. He feels that way, at least in part, because of how "unpredictable and clever" the Joker is, a characterization for which Galifianakis drew inspiration from Jack Nicholson's famed 1989 take on the role.
After Jeff drives through the guard gate at the energy plant he sings, "Nothing bad ever happens to me." This is from a song by Oingo Boingo titled "Nothing Bad Ever Happens" from their album "Good for Your Soul".
The Lego Movie (2014) is the first Warner Animation Group film to become a franchise.
Zoë Kravitz voices Catwoman in this film. She would go on to portray Catwoman in the live-action The Batman (2022).
Not only is the Batcomputer voiced by Apple's Siri, but when Batman assembles the Scuttler, it makes the Apple Macintosh "boot-up" sound when it is completed. This may be a tribute to Pixar's titular character from WALL·E (2008), who also makes this sound when fully charged.
On his podcast "Doug Loves Movies", Doug Benson (voice of Bane) often introduces the game segment of the show with "let the games begin", a line spoken by Bane (Tom Hardy) in The Dark Knight Rises (2012).
Ralph Fiennes (Alfred) is also the actor who played Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter film franchise. LEGO Voldemort makes an appearance in this film, but is voiced by comedienne and fellow British actor Eddie Izzard.
(at around 59 mins) When Alfred drives the limo out of Wayne manor as all the enemies are attacking, the rear license plate is shown and reads "WAYNE CAR".
(at around 4 mins) Zach Galifianakis says the line "it's worth a Google" in this movie as the Joker, and The Campaign (2012) as Marty Huggins.
(at around 6 mins) The TV scientist that explains how Gotham will be destroyed is a clear imitation of Neil deGrasse Tyson.
(at around 51 mins) The large X-Ray window from Total Recall (1990) makes an appearance when Batman and Robin are breaking into Arkham Asylum to shoot the Joker with The Phantom Zone Projector.
Although it's only through live-action archival footage from Jerry Maguire (1996), this is Tom Cruise's first appearance in an animated film.
In the movie, the character Sauron, originally from The Lord of the Rings, was played by Jemaine Clement. Clement is a singer, comedian, and actor from New Zealand, which is where The Lord of the Rings movies were filmed. Also, he is one half of the New Zealand folk comedy duo "Flight of the Conchords". His partner, Bret McKenzie, had a small role in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001).
Seth Green (King Kong) previously collaborated with director Chris McKay on Robot Chicken (2001). On that show, Green played many DC characters, such as Batman, Superman, Aquaman, Robin, and Penguin.
Throughout the movie, a running gag is shown that the Joker is much better than the rest of the villains, who are called 'lesser known', even though big names (e.g.; Riddler, Catwoman, Mr. Freeze) are among them.
Sir Patrick Stewart was considered to voice Alfred.
Zach Galifianakis, the voice of the Joker, has been nominated for the Annie Award for Best Voice Acting, making this the second Warner Animation Group film to be nominated, the first being Storks (2016) with Katie Crown, the voice of Tulip.
This is the sixth collaboration between Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill after 21 Jump Street (2012), This Is the End (2013), The Lego Movie (2014), 22 Jump Street (2014), and Hail, Caesar! (2016).
"Atomic batteries to power, turbine to speed" said by 'Puter is a direct reference to the Adam West Batman TV series when Batman and Robin jump into the Batmobile and start it up to leave the Batcave.
Mindy Kaling and Leslie Jones were considered for the voice of Harley Quinn in this film.
It is said that editor John Venzon was the voice of the Penguin. The other two editors, David Burrows and Matt Villa, voiced Mr. Freeze and Killer Croc respectively, but are uncredited for it.
Ralph Fiennes and Mariah Carey's first animated collaboration since The Prince of Egypt (1998). Fiennes voiced Rameses and Carey sang "When You Believe" with Whitney Houston. Two other Batman movie cast members joined them: Val Kilmer (Moses) in Batman Forever (1995) as the title character, and Michelle Pfeiffer in Batman Returns (1992) as Catwoman/Selina Kyle.
(at around 46 mins) In the Fortress of Solitude, Batman is instructing Robin step-by-step how to get to the projector and says "That's excellent listening". This is making fun of quicktime events (qte) in video games, that became very popular in video games in recent years to the point of heavy player criticism. This is referenced later again in the movie.
It was rumored that South Park (1997) co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone were to voice the Riddler and Bane, respectively. Parker would be in Despicable Me 3 (2017) the same year as this movie.
The first animated feature film of Mariah Carey and Zoë Kravitz.
Conan O'Brien's (Riddler) first theatrically released animated movie.
Will Arnett (Batman) and Jenny Slate (Harley Quinn) were both in theatrical Dr. Seuss films. Arnett was in Horton Hears a Who! (2008), and Slate was in The Lorax (2012).
(at around 21 mins) When Bruce Wayne is preparing to leave for the party, we hear a few seconds of the Al Jarreau song "Girls Know How". This song also figured prominently in a scene from Night Shift (1982), which starred Michael Keaton, who portrayed Batman in Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992).
(at around 1h 3 mins) When Batman and Barbara Gordon are filling each other's sentences, Batman says: "Succulent something". That is a reference to the popular YouTube video "Democracy manifest".
(at around 15 mins) When Batman enters the Batcave, he asks his computer whether he has any mail. She replies with numerous things, including a coupon for Bed, Bath & Beyond. This could be a reference to former Batman Michael Keaton; in The Other Guys (2010) Keaton plays a police chief who has a part-time job at Bed, Bath & Beyond.
Jenny Slate (Harley Quinn) and Ellie Kemper (Phyllis) previously appeared together in The Secret Life of Pets (2016).
Will Arnett (Batman/Bruce Wayne) and Jemaine Clement (Sauron) were both voices in Despicable Me (2010). Arnett played Mr. Perkins, and Clement played Jerry the Minion. Jenny Slate (Harley Quinn) was the voice of Valerie de Vinci in Despicable Me 3 (2017) released later the same year as this movie.
Jemaine Clement (Sauron) and Kate Micucci (Clayface) previously appeared together in the Rio franchise. Clement voiced Nigel the Cockatoo, and Micucci voiced Tiny the Green Finch.
Ralph Fiennes' fourth theatrically released fully animated film after The Prince of Egypt (1998), The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005), and Kubo and the Two Strings (2016), the former of which is not a stop-motion film.
Batman says his greatest fear is snake-clowns. In Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019), Joker is turned into a giant snake.
The fourth fully CGI Film to be based off of a comic strip, after Over the Hedge (2006), Big Hero 6 (2014) and Snoopy and Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie (2015).
A few frames show the words 'Bad Wolf' on a Batcopter. This is a reference to the first season of the revived Doctor Who series, where those words played an important part of the overarching story and could be seen written in the background of multiple episodes.
The fourth theatrically released animated spin-off after Puss in Boots (2011), Penguins of Madagascar (2014), and Minions (2015).
Spoilers
(at around 3 mins) Early on, the Joker says that his plan is not like the "two boats" plan or "the parade with the Prince music". This is a reference to The Dark Knight (2008), in which the Joker hijacks two boats and threatens to blow them up, and to Batman (1989), in which he holds a parade set to the song "Trust" by Prince to distract Gotham from his schemes.
Villains in the Phantom Zone include King Kong, Lord Voldemort (from the Harry Potter film franchise), the Kraken and Medusa (from Clash of the Titans (1981)), Gremlins (from Gremlins (1984)), The Wicked Witch of the West and Flying Monkeys (from The Wizard of Oz (1939)), Daleks (from Doctor Who (1963)), Velociraptors and the Tyrannosaurus Rex (from the Jurassic Park film franchise), Sauron (from The Lord of the Rings trilogy), Agent Smith (from The Matrix trilogy), the Great White shark (from the Jaws film franchise), Lord Vampyre, The Mummy, and the Swamp Creature (from LEGO Monster Fighters), and the Skeleton Warriors (from Jason and the Argonauts (1963)).
(at around 1h 15 mins) When Batman chases the Joker through the hall of mirrors towards the end of the film, it is a clear reference to both The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller and The Killing Joke by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland.
(at around 1h 27 mins) When Batman and Robin are fighting the Phantom Zone villains, Batman is spinning Robin around while Robin kicks away a bunch of Agent Smiths. This scene, including its angle, is a direct nod to The Matrix Reloaded (2003), where Neo spins around on a pole, kicking a bunch of Agent Smiths during the rooftop fight scene.
According to The Lego Movie (2014), the entire fictional universe exists in The Man Upstairs' basement workshop. Therefore, the two tectonic plates, on which Gotham City stands, are most likely two tables pushed together in the "real world".
(at around 1h 3 mins) After Batman agrees to work with the others to stop the Joker, the cast offer to help Batman, and he replies "What am I going to do, get a bunch of criminals together to fight the criminals? That's a stupid idea." This was a jab at Suicide Squad (2016), in which criminals fighting criminals was the plot of the movie. Criminals fighting criminals is what saves the day in both movies.
(at around 1h 20 mins) When Dick Grayson looks at different superhero suits that Bruce Wayne has on moving hangers, he almost chooses a suit labeled "Nightwing". In the DC Universe, when Robin grew up, he and Batman had a falling out, and he gave up the Robin persona to become a superhero named "Nightwing" who operates in Blüdhaven. Dick Grayson does wear the suit eventually and (temporarily) ends up on a plane bound for Blüdhaven.
(at around 1h 30 mins) Batman and the Joker re-create the climactic scene from Jerry Maguire (1996), with the Joker saying, "You had me at 'shut up'", instead of Renée Zellweger's line, "You had me at 'Hello.'" While neither says the line, "You complete me", Heath Ledger's Joker used it in a similar scene in The Dark Knight (2008).
Batman's computer password is "Iron Man Sucks"; although this is a DC film, Iron Man is the only Marvel character mentioned in it.
On a marquee in the background in Gotham is a "Two Shades Darker" screening at that theater. Fifty Shades Darker (2017) screened at theaters nationwide the same weekend as The Lego Batman Movie (2016).
(at around 58 mins) The Daleks are not identified as such. Rather, they are called "British robots", and the audience is told to "ask your nerd friends". The Daleks are also not voiced by the official voice, Nicholas Briggs, and three variants on their voices can be heard: two lifted straight from Doctor Who (1963), one American accented Dalek without ring modulation, and one British Dalek that sounds more modulated.
Alfred uses the Batman costume from Batman (1966) to stop the destruction of Gotham City.
The gremlin minifigs in the movie are identical to ones that appeared in the Gremlins themed expansion to the game Lego Dimensions (2015). An actual minifig of Stripe from the film is included in the set, but looks more distinct than the rest, who more closely resemble the generic gremlin enemies in the games actual content.
Several of the villains that come from the Phantom Zone also appeared in Lego Dimensions (2015), a toys-to-life game produced for all game consoles at the time. Daleks and Velociraptors are featured as "vehicles" in the Doctor Who Fun Pack and Jurassic World Team pack, respectively. The Harry Potter team pack featured Voldemort as a playable character (though in the game, voice clips of Ralph Fiennes' portrayal of him were used). The Gremlins team pack has Stripe as a playable character, who closely resembles the other gremlin figures used in the film. Sauron also appears in the story mode of Lego Dimensions (2015), though in his humanoid armored form, and not as a playable character. The Wicked Witch of the West and her flying monkey are playable characters if one owns The Wizard of Oz Fun Pack. Finally, the Lego Batman Movie Story Pack lets gamers play through several levels based on the movie's storyline.
Alfred's second costume is highly reminiscent of Kato's (Bruce Lee's) outfit in The Green Hornet (1966). The Green Hornet (1966) and Batman (1966) had a two-part crossover episode.
The five different colors of the Daleks that are seen match those of the New Dalek Paradigm introduced in 2010: white, yellow, orange, red and blue. The New Dalek Paradigm design received a lot of criticism from fans and, though reused initially, has not been seen since 2012. The question of their disappearance has now been answered: they were sent to the Phantom Zone.
(at around 1h 25 mins) The audience gets Rickrolled. Robin plays Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" at one point, as a suggestion for fight music.
In the trailers, Barbara Gordon wears a purple button shirt. The purple is a reference to the color of the bat suit she wears later in the film's events.
While the depiction of the Gremlins in this movie has the visual appearance of their representation in the Joe Dante films Gremlins (1984) and Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), their role dismantling airplanes actually more closely resembles their depiction in the original 1943 Roald Dahl children's book, which was written as a companion to an animated Disney film that was never produced.
