Review: 853651 The LEGO Batman Movie Accessory Set
Posted by CapnRex101,
853651 The LEGO Batman Movie Accessory Set first appeared in an Italian LEGO store last month and I have been eager to acquire it since then as the pack includes an impressive range of three exclusive minifigures. The set is now being sold in LEGO stores around the world and is priced at £10.99 or $12.99 so is comparatively expensive given the inclusion of just 31 pieces.
Nevertheless, as a fervent collector of the sets based on The LEGO Batman Movie, I rushed to purchase it last week and am very pleased to add some more minifigures from the film to my collection, particularly since lots of exclusive elements are included.
Minifigures
Chief O'Hara originated as the male chief of police in the 1960s Batman series but appears as a female character in The LEGO Batman Movie and occupies a reasonably significant role during the opening scenes of the film. The minifigure only appears in this set and all four parts are also exclusive. The hair piece is new in black while the weary expression on her face reflects the rampant crime in Gotham and the extent to which the GCPD are outmanoeuvred by their supervillain opposition. It would have been nice to see an alternative face on the other side but unfortunately all three minifigures have only a single expression.
The torso is printed with a black jacket over a buttoned shirt and Chief O'Hara wears a shoulder holster beneath her left arm. This continues onto the back and the reddish brown strap matches the belt which adorns the hips. A police badge completes the figure and she comes armed with a grey pistol with dual barrels. I would rather have seen a more realistic weapon included but I believe the Alien Conquest blaster was used in the movie.
A pair of generic GCPD Officers are also included. Both minifigures feature brand new heads and they look splendid, with the unusual facial hair of the officer on the right being particularly impressive in my opinion. He wears a black and white helmet which suggests that he is motorcycle officer and the torso is printed with a dark blue jacket, radio and police badge which also appears in 70912 Arkham Asylum.
The other figure wears a dark blue cap and a matching long coat which is printed on both sides of the torso. His legs are dual-moulded so leave the lower half of the black trousers exposed and the traffic officer also wears black trousers and gloves. They are equipped with a pair of handcuffs and binoculars for observing Batman's exploits from a safe distance.
The Completed Model
The Bat-Signal plays a considerable part in The LEGO Batman Movie, serving as a representation of the GCPD's heavy reliance upon Batman. It is therefore unsurprising that it appears not only in this set but also in 5004930 Accessory Pack and the two models are fairly similar on the whole, although this version is considerable less detailed. A printed 2x2 round tile is used to represent the Bat-signal lamp beneath a trans-black dome and it is mounted in its frame by a pair of Technic pins so can be angled appropriately.
The frame is fairly bland, with a dark bluish grey 2x4 tile beneath the signal and 2x2 curved slopes on either side. I also find the blue Technic pins quite distracting and would have liked to see something covering the unsightly exposed tubes which are visible from the back. Some kind of handle assembly for a police officer to control the Bat-signal would have been perfect for this but is unfortunately absent.
Overall
Excellent though the three minifigures are, I find it difficult to justify purchasing this set. Chief O'Hara has several lines of dialogue in the film but none of the characters included are of particular consequence and the appeal of the Bat-signal is limited by its appearance in 5004930 Accessory Pack. The price point of £10.99 or $12.99 is also a little disappointing as the slightly more expensive 70900 The Joker Balloon Escape offers far better value for money in my opinion.
If you are determined to collect all of the minifigures from The LEGO Batman Movie, as I am, then this is a necessary purchase. Furthermore, it is ideal for expanding the ranks of GCPD officers given that the only other generic police minifigures come in the largest set of the first wave, 70912 Arkham Asylum. However, the pack does feel quite expensive and it might be worth waiting for a sale or using some VIP points if possible.
I hope you have found this review informative. Let us know by liking this article and share your thoughts on the set in the comments below.
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25 comments on this article
Might get one and combine it with another Star wars BP to get more rebel troopers, other than that, meh
LEGO's not too stingy about the weapons- Red Hood in this movie line has two pistols, and Two-Face gets his good old tommy gun. Even Gordon has a pistol in the Scuttler.
Picked this up at the weekend. A nice, attractive little pack. The bearded cop with the motorcycle helmet would be great should I ever consider putting together a Village People Lego tribute band.
That one officer looks like he just stepped out of The Village People :)
A Batman CMF pack costs about $4 and includes one unique minifigure. I'm guessing all the minifigures in this accessory set are somewhat exclusive too. So if you buy three CMF packs that would be $12 and if you bought this set it would be $13. Either way you get three new minifigures for about the same price. Not to mention you get a little Bat-signal with this set so I find the $13 price tag justifiable.
Ordered two of this set. One to build and display and one specifically for O'Hara's hair piece because I think it will look great on Kylo Ren.
The black and white motorcycle helmet worn by one of the officers is not new. It was one of the defining features of Bad Cop from The Lego Movie and was in every set he came in , along with the Dimensions pack from the initial release.
This looks cool but I am not sure I can dig Chief O'Hara sex change: http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0215918/?ref_=tt_cl_t6
Edit: not to be confused with the words that I hate this minifigure but Lego, WB and DC could have created a new original female character without using a male name to place on her.
Really want this. I ike the unique look of each minifig. I'm alright with the price, considering a CMF price in US is $4 and this set contains 3 minifigs plus the small build for the signal.
Out of stock at LEGO Shop GB about an hour ago.
Are these made of the same poor quality plastic other battle packs have been made of previously?
It's been a massive put off for me with previous packs like the Nexo Knights and Ninjago ones as it's even more inferior than CMF plastic which in my opinion is acceptable.
SOLD OUT
Sold out online here, too. That was fast. Glad I got one, some days ago.
The right officer's head would be great for a Joakim Broden minifig.
Little miffed these have gone out of stock, load on EBay though, going for double the price! I sure hope Lego get them back in stock shortly!
Well that sucks, I had two packs and another batman movie set in my basket yesterday ready for checkout, but wanted to think about it a bit longer and now it's sold out?? I expect them to come back in stock but it's a bit disconcerting...
Kinda disappointed that the girl is O'Hara. Was hoping for a Lego version of Renee Montoya
They're back on back order this morning, phew! :)
^ ^ Yes, due for release by 22 February.
@Lordmoral
The reason for beloved characters being updated to opposite sex or different races is because a lot of the things created back in the day, whilst not racist or sexist in and of themselves, didn't offer opportunities to women or ethnic people so everything was white, straight and male. To promote a more integrated and realistic society today, there is little option but to reimagine characters. Yes, they could create a new character but I suspect that character would lack the history and appeal of an existing character.
Let's say they wanted to add some diversity to Scooby-Doo...wouldn't it be more relevant to make Fred, say, Pakistani? As opposed to having a new addition to the gang who was Pakistani. New additions are seldom welcome but changing the gender, race or sexual orientation of an existing character only really bothers people stuck in their ways. It doesn't erase the past, people still have the fond memories of THEIR version. This would just be a new take on the format.
^I think the idea is maybe just create a new character and not even have Chief O'Hara in the movie at all. It's not like it matters what their name is.
Anyway, I hope to pick this set up. I asked a friend to get it but haven't heard back from them if they actually did. I guess we will see.
@Greendude I'm fine with changing the race of Commissioner Gordon and Batgirl, I'm totally fine with Billy Dee Williams as an African-American Two-Face, but Chief O'Hara is still an off one to me. Why not use Renee Montoya, the female Detective from the 80s, or another female character with an existing history? I'm not actively upset, I'm only responding to the individual post. I don't think it's always about people being 'stuck in their ways'. Some choices make more sense than others.
I'd hope to pick this up. Won't cry if I can't find it.
I found this review very useful, as I had no idea the female minifigure was Chief O'Hara. I was kinda hoping she was Renée Montoya, but she's too white. :)
She was hilarious in the movie so I'll be picking this up.
The motorcycle cop's face looks a lot like the wrestler Sheamus from the WWE.