The LEGO Batman Movie sets review – part 4

(Written by William)

If there is one thing we can say about The Joker, it’s that he definitely has his own unique style. And that style is very apparent in the #70906 LEGO Batman Movie The Joker Notorious Lowrider! In fact, this is one of the most talked about set related to The LEGO Batman Movie. It has been available in the US since the beginning of December, and will be released in other countries in January. So let’s take a closer look. 🙂

First, here is the official description: Join Batgirl’s pursuit of The Joker and Harley Quinn through the streets of Gotham City in this exciting set from The Lego Batman Movie. The Joker’s Notorious Lowrider vehicle features bouncing suspension, handles for Harley to hang onto, an opening trunk with hidden double spring-loaded shooters and lots of comical features. Extra accessory elements such as Harley’s roller skates add to the role-play fun. Includes three minifigures: The Joker, Harley Quinn and Batgirl. Notorious Lowrider measures over 2” (7cm) high, 9” (24cm) long and 3” (8cm) wide. 433 pieces. Price: $49.99 – BUY HERE

As you can see, the price of this set is quite high compared to the piece-count. This is also true if you compare it to some of the other The LEGO Batman Movie sets. For example, the #70904 LEGO Batman Movie Clayface Splat Attack comes with 15 more pieces, yet the price is $15 less. The Joker’s vehicle does have larger parts, more printed pieces, and three minifigures instead of just two, but still $50 for one vehicle is quite a bit. On the other hand, this is The Joker’s vehicle we are talking about, it is deliciously purple (and other outrageous colors), and comes with full suspension.

The three minifigs in The Joker’s Notorious Lowrider are fully printed and double-moulded from head to toe. Batgirl wears a new yellow and purple costume, a yellow utility-belt and cape (metallic on one side), and also comes with a couple of yellow Batarangs. Her face is dual-sided with a smiley and angry expression. Her cowl is rather interesting, as it has a small standard bar nub at the back, where her ponytail can attach. Notice the nicely printed buckles at the side of her legs.

Harley’s outfit is extremely detailed with the black and red colors alternating throughout. She even got one red roller skate and one black one (you get one of each extra in the set). Along the side of her right arm she has the letter “Q” printed several times, while on her other arm a diamond shape is repeated. Her face is also dual-sided, with one side smiling and the other frowning. She even comes with a red baseball bat that has white diamonds painted up one side.

Moving on to The Joker, he is in a purple suit with a green and gold tie. His arms have the double-molding process and printing. One arm has two of the card suits, while the other arm has the other two. His head is dual-sided and both sides have green eyebrows and a smile. One smile is more of a smirk, while the other has a massive jagged tooth grin. His hairpiece has more volume and sharper definition than the previous version. His gun has a flag with a sticker that says, “Bang!”

Okay, let’s talk about the Lowrider now! The vehicle is done up in a garish purple/lime/gold color-scheme which suits The Joker perfectly. You also get a crazy large clown-horn off the driver’s side front windshield, a gold chicken hood-ornament, and a massive speaker system at the back. The car also features tilting seats with zebra stripe print. The front license plate reads “Joker” while the back says “Ha-Ha-Ha”. The overall styling of the vehicle has a classic feel to it, with front and back bumpers that flare out. Additionally, the massive width and length gives you the feeling you’d be lucky to get 10 miles to the gallon with this baby!

The most unique feature of this car however is not the looks, but the suspension-system. The wheels are attached to a rubber-band suspension, which allows you to press down on any part of the car’s body as if it was using hydraulics, and leave it in a pose, then make it pop back up. (You can see the video-review below by JANGBRiCKS, where he demonstrates how this works, and all the poses you can put the car into.)

The Lowrider has another play-feature as well; a couple of hidden missiles inside the trunk. To fire the missiles you will need to open the trunk, and reach in the car to where all the speakers are, and press on the blue half-pins slightly sticking up. These are connected to dishes that nudge the missiles into their firing position. A clever way for The Joker to take out his opponents. (You can see this feature in the video-review below also.)

As far as interesting element, first off, it’s rare to see so much purple in one set! Then you also get a good selection of gold bling (the gold chicken, the 1×1 round tiles on the wheels, and all those gold nozzle pieces on the sides). And there are those rather interesting zebra stripe printed tiles in 1×2 and 2×2, and the 1×1 round tiles with speaker-grille print.

There are a number of unique building techniques here as well. I really like how the missile launchers are hidden so perfectly. If you want to build something like this in your own models, the best way to start out is by choosing the right launcher. In this case, the spring-loaded modified 1×4 brick is a rather tight design, but it is also quite long, especially when loaded. Therefore, if you are planning to hide both the launcher and the missile, you will need to consider the space they take up. Here the vehicle’s long frame is quite beneficial, especially with the back seats removed. The most important thing to remember is to select the right launcher for the right design, especially if you want to hide the whole contraption.

The suspension-system of this vehicle is absolutely incredible and a work of art. I’m not big into LEGO vehicles, but the wheel-base of this car makes me rethink my preferences. It starts off by having four independent rigs to mount the tires on, which allows range of movement for the body. Next, each rig is given a specific amount of movement – this helps define how much action you can expect when the body of the car is moved. Then comes the rubber bands.

The bands serve two purposes. First, they add the springy bounce to the wheels. Second, they help provide consistent alignment for the other wheels – which is the feature that blows my mind. Pulling the wheels inward helps with full extension, but the constant pressure tells the other wheel to stay together as things move. The end result feels like a trampoline in reverse.

As a final summary, I would say that I love this set. It has everything I hoped for a vehicle with a name like “Notorious Lowrider”. The details are strangely subtle in an outlandish way. And the minifigures are astonishingly detailed. If this car has just a ten second spot in The LEGO Batman Movie, it will definitely sell. Heck, it is even selling now, and the movie haven’t even come out! On the other hand, I’m not very fond of the price. It really should be $5-$10 less than the current price. As a long-time LEGO fan, I know there are other sets with more pieces, more minifigures, more play-features and a better value. At the same time, the kid in me loves this bouncy garish vehicle. It’s amazing how easily LEGO can take my money with a well designed set, even if my mind says it is too expensive. If you are interested, you can find it under The LEGO Batman Movie section of the OnlineLEGO Shop.

What do you think? How do you like The LEGO Batman Movie Notorious Lowrider? Do you have it already? How do you like the details, the colors and the play-features? And what do you think of the minifigures? Feel free to share your thoughts and own review in the comment section below! 😉

And you might also like to check out the following related posts:

• The LEGO Batman Movie Sets Review – Part 1
• The LEGO Batman Movie Sets Review – Part 2
• The LEGO Batman Movie Sets Review – Part 3
• The LEGO Batman Movie Minifig Series
• The LEGO Batman Movie New Trailer & Sets!
• First Wave of 2017 LEGO Sets Available Now!