If you follow this blog, you will understand that the range of sets based on the movie The LEGO Batman Movie is in my humble opinion made up of rather successful sets and other references that are much less attractive.
The 70907 Killer Croc Tail-Gator set (460 pieces - €74.99) has everything to belong in the first category, except its price. It's the kind of licensed merchandise I love, with a nice big vehicle and great minifigures.
It's mainly during assembly that you discover, step by step, the original look of the Tail-Gator , Killer Croc's big pickup truck, which, if I believe the official LEGO description of the set, " ... escapes across water and land and goes to the port of Gotham City... ". It's wrecked, packed with details, totally asymmetrical in its finish, and that's all the better for it.
First function of no great interest: it is possible to eject the boxes located at the back by turning the appropriate knob. Nothing very exciting, and these two protuberances disfigure the rear of the vehicle a little. Nothing serious.
Lots of stickers in this box. Too much, as usual. The "wooden boards" are however pad printed and the MOCeurs will recover some in this set.
Obviously, Killer Croc does not fit in the cabin of the vehicle which can however accommodate a minifig, its cockpit is therefore located at the rear with a steering wheel and a gear lever.
The rear wheel suspension system, very simple, is based on rubber bands like on the Joker's vehicle from set 70906 The Joker Notorious Lowrider , except that here the wheels on each axle are connected, which limits the possibilities. Incidentally, I reiterate my complaint on this point: spare rubber bands would be welcome, so we can continue to enjoy the set's "real" functionality for a long time.
The Redneck finish on Killer Croc's off-roader is excellent, the prominent engine, the body parts in different colors, the Texas Longhorn cow skull on the front, the headlights, the billiard ball on the gearshift, it's all there.
Batman is obviously included in the box. His mode of transport is less fancy; he has a very classic Bat-Ski that allows him to chase Killer Croc through the Florida swamps. Two stud shooters are integrated, and you can even store a Batarang in the back. The thing doesn't stay flat very well and floats vaguely before tipping over (it says so on the box).
As for the characters provided, you will all have recognized Killer Croc, on whose torso you will attach the arms, the fingers (which will remind you of those of the Rancor from the LEGO Star Wars set 75005 Rancor Pit ) and the upper jaw.
Thanks to all its moving parts, this new figure is far more expressive than the one released in 2016 in set 76055 Batman: Killer Croc Sewer Smash which left me wanting more.
In the box, two other characters, less known to the general public, Tarantula and Zebra Man. Nothing to say about the finish of the two minifigs, it's clean.
Tarantula, shown here in her New Earth version and armed with two daggers, sports the (black) hair of the waitress seen in series 11 of collectible minifigures. There's no printing on the legs. The Dark Tan tone of the head and arms is accurately reproduced on the Light Orange torso . It's a good match.
Zebra Man, the box's other second-class hero, is ... zebra. A white minifigure with black hips and hands, pad printing on the chest, arms, feet, sides of the legs and back of the head, a rubber crest, and voila. It's very well executed, for a zebra costume.
We will see what role these two characters, unknown to the general public, will play in the film. In the worst case, it will always give you two more minifigs to fill your Ribba frame.
Ultimately, I really like the wacky aspect of this set, with Killer Croc piloting a totally outlandish and oversized off-road vehicle. I'm much less keen on the retail price. It's far too expensive, especially considering the two second-rate characters, however well-designed they may be. This set is already available for less than the retail price on Amazon Germany . Hopefully, there will be other deals.
Note: The set shown here is up for grabs. To participate, you must comment below. You have until January 21, 2017 at 23:59 PM to contribute to the discussion, and a random draw will determine the winner. The winner's name/username will be posted here within 24-48 hours of the contest closing date.
Update: The winner has been drawn at random, their username is shown below.
| Gregcastle - Comment posted the 15/01/2017 at 9:41 |
