Batpod Movie Master by Mattel

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Title : Batpod Movie Master by Mattel

Description:

One of the highlights of 2008 has been the Movie Masters line from Mattel. Oh, there's been a few issues, like the terrible distriburion early on that made it difficult to find any of the figures, the silly chase Batmen, and the lack of much character diversity so far. Oh, and there's that old hassle of scale. But it's certainly one of the better mass market movie lines we've ever gotten, due in large part to the excellent work by the Four Horsemen.

Target picked themselves up an exclusive in this series - the Batpod. The appearance of the 'pod in the film was one of the cooler moments in a movie filled with cool moments, and what could have turned out a goofy gimmick ended up a pretty sweet ride.



Targets have just started putting these out this week, and as it's their exclusive, you should see it turn up in numbers at just about every store. Finding it now shouldn't be a problem, but I'm betting it sells fairly well at the relatively cheap price of $20.

NOTE - the vehicle does NOT come with the figure, but I included the Batman in the photos for obvious reasons.

Packaging - ***
Have you seen the other Dark Knight/Movie Masters packaging? Then you know what this box is going to look like, at least graphically. The box is just big enough for the vehicle, so there's little waste, and yet it shows off the 'pod quite nicely. There's a header card section with a J hook above the box though, and I could really do without it. I understand the need, but most Targets will probably have these on the shelf rather than on a peg.

The package also uses some new twisty ties. These are flat pieces of clear plastic that slip through white plastic 'clasps'. They are very easy to remove, and work far better than the traditional twisties as far as I'm concerned.

Sculpting - ***1/2
I really like the Movie Masters line so far, but I have to say that this Batpod is the nicest thing they've produced so far.

Remember that this is a mass market item, not some specialty store exclusive. We rarely get this level of detail in a vehicle sculpt in this market.

All the small details you'd expect are here, plus a few you wouldn't. The tires are made from a soft rubber that feels very much like the real thing, with sculpted treads. The various pieces of the vehicle have textured details, like ribbing or grooves, giving the 'pod a very realistic look.

The Batpod is scaled for the 6" Movie Masters figures, more specifically the Dark Knight Batman in the line. That's the figure you see posed here on the bike, and as you can see, it is possible to get him in a fairly decent riding position. The bike is almost exactly 12" long from the tip of the guns to the back of the rear tire.

Although you can get Bats on in a pretty good pose, it was a bit more difficult than it really should be. But that's more of a problem with the figure (having a neck joint that doesn't have quite the range of movement it really needs) rather than a problem with the 'pod. In fact, the Batpod is pretty well engineered to handle the knees, feet and hands of the figure in just the right position. It's still not a glove perfect fit, but it's damn close.

Paint - ****
Let me reiterate that this is a mass market toy, where 'paint' is often whatever color the plastic is cast in, with a few dashes of poorly added details.

Here, we see the kind of paint work normally reserved for much more expensive specialty market toys. There's a nice metallic wash over most of the bike, giving it a grimy, gritty appearance. For some it might be even too much (Alfred would never let the Batpod get that dirty!), but I thought it was just about right. My only complaint is that the silver 'wear' on the tires looks a bit out of place.

The combination of black and silver parts with the gun metal wash makes the bike look almost as good as the SIC version which sells for 5 times as much. I said "almost".

Articulation- ***
Any good vehicle should have some articulation - it is supposed to move after all! The only moving parts we get here are the tires, however.

EDIT - the fine readers over at Fwoosh were kind enough to point out to me that yes, there is another moving part - the engine cover opens up! I pulled and tugged at everything on this bike, but didn't get it to open originally, but I've had enough bad experiences breaking things I *thought* should open up that I'm very careful these days. I'll try opening it tonight and maybe add a photo, but that adds to the overall cool of this vehicle.

They do roll cleanly though, and you can shoot this guy across the floor quite easily. I wish there was some additional movement - maybe the guns, or perhaps the handlebars - but it's a fairly minor nit considering the price, and considering it does the one thing it really needs to do, and does it well.

Accessories - Bupkis
It's a vehicle, so it's not too surprising there are no accessories. Then again, most of the time you get something to put on or with a truck or jeep, so it's not unreasonable to expect something here. I'm not going to hold this against the vehicle in my final score, because I can't think of what you'd include, but it's worth noting in case you were expecting something.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
Kids may get a little frustrated at first trying to get the Batman on the bike just right, but with a little practice they'll get the hang of it.

My suggestion is to place the handle bars in his hands first. Then stretch out his arms fully, so the rest of his body is as far back as possible. Now place his feet and knees in the proper position, and then arch his back with the ab-crunch joint to bring his head and chest as far up as possible. In my photos, I've almost popped the head off completely trying to get it to sit as far forward on the ball joint as it can, and I suspect that if you carved out the neck inside a bit, you'd have less trouble. I haven't tried it yet though, so be warned.

Value - ***
You can't get much for twenty bucks these days, particularly when it comes to vehicles. The trucks and vehicles for the 3 3/4" Indy line cost twenty as well, and this vehicle is much more complex in terms of sculpting and paint, as well as being for a larger 6" scale line.

Things To Watch Out For -
Not a thing. The vehicle looks good, but isn't as delicate as I originally assumed. Kids can certainly play with it, and it won't be prone to damage any more than the usual mass market vehicle.

Overall - ***1/2
This is now my favorite vehicle of the year, even if it didn't quite get the full score overall. My only nits are around getting the figure in the perfect pose on the 'pod, and for some the simple fact that he can take even a relatively realistic pose will be plenty good enough. Mattel has done a nice job with the individual items in the Movie Masters line, even if they've had a few issues with the series overall. They should be commended for trying to produced higher quality superhero figures for the mass market, and I'm betting the line will end up on a few Best Of lists come January.

Score Recap:
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ****
Articulation - ***
Accessories - Bupkis
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Value - ***
Overall - ***1/2