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Packaging - ***
The box is similar to something you'd get with a statue, with an outer
sleeve, inner flap box, and interior foam insert. The only assembly is
attaching the guards/controls to the handle bars, and removing two red
pegs that keep the wheels from turning in transit to you. You'll want
to keep at least one of these pegs around, on the off chance you
display this thing on a slight incline. If you live in San Francisco,
remember to turn your wheels toward the curb. If your display shelf
tilts, remember to use a red pin.
However, even with that basic construction, it took forever to figure
out just what to do to assemble those damn bars. There is a single
sheet of instructions, but they
are quite simplified, and anyone with any past experience with
collectibles like this knows you want to be absolutely sure before you
start pushing and shoving.
Sculpting - ***1/2
This bike would qualify for the title 'mixed media', with a liberal use
of plastic, metal and rubber to get the final look. They were smart
enough to use metal for the key structural pieces that might take the
most pressure as you're posing Bats on the bike, giving it a
structurally overall solid feel.
I
was fortunate enough to see the actual prop in LA when I saw the film
there, and this version is an extremely close match. The soft rubber
tires have the exact tread, the foot pedals match the original design,
and all the small doodads and gizmos included mostly for show are here
as well.
As it usually is with actual
movie props though, there's
not a ton of detail on the real deal. The pod had to look good on
screen, in a fairly dark environment, and that's what they went for.
That
does mean that when it's translated down to something you hold in your
hand, that it might seem a bit, shall we say...short on detailing. Yep,
there's some wires here and there, the occasional tube or trinket, but
nothing compared to the level of detail I suspect we'll be getting with
the much more complex Tumbler.
That's fine by me, since it
matches up with the actual vehicle. No need to add stuff that wasn't
there just to pretty it up.
The
scale here is very good, with the Pod stretching 23 inches
long including the guns, and
standing about 6 inches high. It looks just right with the Hot Toys
Bats,
although you're going to find that just like with the much smaller
Mattel version, it's a bitch to get Batman in position. You'll need to
take your time, and I found that working from the back forward -
getting the feet and knees in place, adjusting the hips, then the
chest, then the neck and shoulders - worked the best for me.
There's
no kick stand, but with those huge, wide, fat tires, there's no need.
It can sit fine on it's own, even with Batman riding on the seat.
But as I said, getting Batman on the seat is a whole 'nother story
though. It was
tremendously frustrating trying to get him in the proper pose, and
working with the adjustable cape (which I'll discuss further below) was
a royal pain. I never did get him to hold the handle bars just right,
since they kept popping off. I may end up gluing them in place once
he's in a regular display. Not being able to get the Batman to work
properly with the vehicle without taking blood pressure medication is
the main reason for the pod losing a half star here.
Paint - ****
Batman is not the kind of guy to put a lot of color on his ride. Stick
with basic black, gray and silver, and let the machine's performance do
the talking for you.
While
there isn't a wide range of colors, they did manage to use the basic
color palette to provide some additional detailing, including the wear
on the tires. There's no unintentional slop, and in fact, there's no
intentional slop either. Batman keeps his machine clean, or at least
Alfred does.
The colors have a realistic,
mechanized
appearance, just like tooled metal. You should expect that anyone you
show this to is going to want to touch it - that's a natural response
to something this cool.
Articulation - ***
The vehicle has a number of 'articulated' points. Obviously, the wheels
roll, although my back wheel rubs slightly on each pass. Remember to
replace one of those little red pins if you don't want it rolling right
off your shelf.
The engine compartment also
opens up, and this is where the batteries are stored for the light up
feature. That was an excellent design idea, since it hides them
completely from sight. No ugly battery covers, no visible screws or
switches.
The handle bars also turn
slightly to the left and right, although they don't turn the front
wheel in any way.
Accessories - ***1/2
Accessories with a vehicle? Yep!
There is a replacement cape
included for your new suit Hot Toys
Batman. This cape has wires through the edges, allowing it to be posed
in a dynamic fashion. Pop off the old cape and pop on the new, and you
have the start of a more poseable outfit.
But that's not really
enough if you want to get the appearance of him actually driving the
Pod. To get the cape to flow out straight behind him, you need
something more sturdy than just some thin wires, and that's where the
cape frame comes in.
This frame attaches quite well
to
the armor
on the back of your Batman figure. The fact that this was designed so
well in advance shows just how smart and forward thinking the folks at
Hot Toys are. The frame has several thin metal slats which can attach
to the bottom of the cape as well, and these are much thicker and
studier than basic wire. This allows you to get that ultimate driving
pose!
I had some difficulty getting
the slats to attach to the
cape (again, the instructions are not exactly detailed), but once you
figure it out you can really get a great looking pose.
Light Up Feature - ****
The light up feature is designed extremely well, and has two very, very
bright LED lights. As I mentioned, the battery compartment (which
requires two AAA batteries, not included) is well hidden, and the
switch to turn it on is on the bottom of this engine compartment. The
switch looks to be quite high quality, much better than the simple push
button switches we had with the Aliens Dallas, Kane or Power Loader.
Fun Factor - ***
This is not a toy in any way, shape or form. I wouldn't even roll it
across the floor slowly without Lloyds of London insuring it first.
While there are plenty of metal pieces used in
critical areas, there are also lots of easy to break small details, so
you really have to handle it with care.
Still, the average bat-fan is
going to be giddy just opening it up. Can you really put a price on the
giddiness of a Bat-fan? Yea, my wife can.
Value - **
As much as I love this vehicle, I gotta tell you - it's NOT worth $300.
Had the second suit Batman been included, yep, it would have been a
steal. But as it stands, this feels much more like a vehicle
that should be down around $200, especially when you compare it to
their Power Loader from the year before.
Now, I have sponsors that have
it as cheap as $235, so at that price, I'm giving it **. If you end up
paying closer to $300, you can drop another half star off this
category.
Things To Watch Out For
-
I had one Hell of a time getting the handle bars put together, and the
instructions were weak. I did finally get them on so they'd stay, but I
had to be very careful as I was doing it to avoid snapping the thin
plastic supports. Thankfully, the lower handle bars themselves are made
of metal.
In general, you'll want to take
lots of time with every aspect of this vehicle. Breaking something is
certainly possible, just as it is with any high end delicate
collectible. This isn't made for the sand box, and because of that they
can add much more detail and realism. But all that detail comes with a
price - you have to be careful handling it.
Overall - ***1/2
Pick this crotch rocket up for around $200, and you can add another
half star for the perfect score. But at $250 - $300, this is as
expensive or more so than the Aliens Power Loader. That 'vehicle' was
just as large, with tons of articulation, and much more complexity.
Hell, it even had a figure included!
For the big fan though, this is
a must buy. Combine this with the
new suit Batman, get that cape flowing out behind him, and you'll have
an amazing display that will illicit oohs and aahs from your most
crumudgenly of friends. Or go all out - pre-order the Tumbler, pick up
the original suit Batman, and put that pair on shelf next to them!
Score Recap:
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint -****
Articulation - ***
Light Up Feature - ****
Fun Factor - ***
Value - **
Overall - ***1/2
Where to Buy -
There are a number of great online options:
- Showpiece
Collectibles has a great price at just $236.
- Urban Collector
is carrying it for just $236 as well.
- CornerStoreComics
has it at $260.
- Alter Ego Comics
has it at $265.
- Entertainment
Earth has it at $295.
- Forbidden
Planet has it in the UK for 300 GBP.
- or you can search ebay
with the sponsor MyAuctionLinks.com.
Related Links -
I've
covered a lot of the Hot Toys product so far, but let's look at just
the Dark Knight stuff:
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