I tested for you: The LEGO Batman Movie 70922 The Joker Manor

Another box that probably arrives too late but still deserves our attention on what it has to offer: The The LEGO Batman Movie set 70922 The Joker Manor with its 3444 pieces, its 10 minifigs and its public price set at 279.99 €. This box will be available from November 24 on the LEGO Shop and in the LEGO Stores.

The pitch of the set is as ambitious as its public price: it is about building the Jokerized mansion of the film, which includes "memorable details"and"super cool functions". Why not.

As usual, no guided tour here, just a personal opinion on this set.

Let's start by evacuating the usual remarks for this type of set. This Joker manor only remotely resembles the version seen in The LEGO Batman Movie. From far away.

This is a simplified version, or rather a reinterpretation, of the building revamped by the Joker and transformed in the film into a gigantic amusement park dressed in multicolored garlands. But since everyone has already forgotten the film ...

Those who hoped that this Joker manor could occasionally be reworked Wayne manor by removing the burlesque attributes set up by the Joker will be at their expense. This is not planned by LEGO, it would be necessary to redesign a large part of the center of the building which should not frighten some MOCeurs.

A two-in-one version could have been interesting. The playability would have been increased tenfold and everyone would have enjoyed it. It is now almost certain that the Wayne manor of the film will never be available in a LEGO set, even in a simplified version.

We can blame the set for the same flaws as all the LEGO "dollhouses" of the same barrel. Everything is crammed there and most of the spaces are difficult to access, but it is also this exaggeration of details that generally makes all the charm of this type of set.

I often regret the lack of depth of these half LEGO buildings. Here, the effect is blurred by the rollercoaster that encircles the mansion. The impression of a structure cut in two is less present and this is a good thing.

Finally, 25 stickers are needed, including the 4 mirrors in the "gallery", to dress up the different elements of the set. Some integrate rather well but those of the light panel on the front are catastrophic. The Joker's face is broken into three parts and it's ugly.

The LEGO logic that a sticker does not overlap two pieces applies here, but I think there should be some exceptions for aesthetic reasons ... Bonus: the word THE is also a sticker .

Exit the Ferris wheel from the film, the Luna Park spirit of the building is here mainly embodied by the few rails that go around the building with a very slight drop. The supports which hold each of the pieces of the circuit are also more or less well integrated. On one side two beams protrude nicely from the walls of the Wayne manor, on the other a large block of Technic parts that protrude does the job.

Visually, the superposition of the festive elements brought back by the Joker and the austerity of the original building works quite well. The contrast is successful, even if this set is sorely lacking a few light bricks judiciously hidden to recreate (at least partially) the psychedelic atmosphere of the film. I note the coin based HA HA is placed on the wrong side of the building, it is on the left in the movie.

A note concerning the assembly phase: This set is very quickly assembled, thanks in particular to the many pieces of different colors distributed in the bags. Sorting is done quickly and the instructions are even more readable.

Contrary to what one might suppose, this set is not very generous in functionality despite its opulent appearance. We will be satisfied with a hatch which opens onto a small slide and the mechanism which allows to remove the two fists dressed in boxing gloves present on the front.

The gallery of mirrors based on stickers located on the ground floor is of little interest, its access is in any case hampered by the rails of the rollercoaster. For the rest, your imagination will do the work.

Each interior space is a (compressed) homage to a scene from the movie, which fans will appreciate if they actually remember the movie ...

Special mention for the microwave oven and the piano, two very successful elements just waiting to be reused in another context.

No fun for hours: pretending to play the piano, watch a DVD, or play at the dinette in the kitchen has no interest, but this patchwork of furnished rooms nevertheless offers the possibility of recreating scenes from the movie if you want to expose the model on this side.

Obviously, all eyes are here on the assortment of purple tracks and the little green wagons provided to create the circuit around the mansion. As it is, the train cannot make a complete turn. We place the wagons on the highest part of the circuit, and the whole goes down once in three to the lowest point, if it does not stop at the first turn. That's all.

Since the announcement of this box, many fans are already imagining what could be the next LEGO Creator Expert set on the theme of the fairground: A rollercoaster, which would join the sets 10257 Carousel  (2017) 10247 Ferris Wheel  (2015) et 10244 Fairground Mixer (2014)

Why not, provided that LEGO invents us a way to make the wagons rise high enough to then take advantage of the inertia and make a complete turn of the merry-go-round. The friction between the rails and the wheels of the wagons is low, but the wagons are very light even when ballasted with a minifig.

A ramp with a motorized rack to take the train to the highest point of the circuit via the pines located under the wagons should do the trick.

This climax will have to be high enough so that the wagon train can then complete a complete circuit, if the latter has the true attributes of a rollercoaster (a looping!) And is not content to be in the style of the one supplied with the Joker Manor.

As for the minifigs, of the 10 characters provided, 4 are in the outfit seen in the end of the film clip (Friends are Family). Batman, the Joker, Robin and Batgirl will be joined in early 2018 by two other characters in the same very disco outfit via the second series of collectable minifigs based on the film: Harley Quinn and Alfred Pennyworth.

I will buy this set for these minifigs that I find particularly successful even if they are ultimately only versions from a clip itself from a movie ...

Nightwing is a bit loaded, but the minifigure is really original. Alfred is disguised as Adam West aka Batman in the 60s TV series. Nice wink. It also uses the legs of the minifigure seen in the set 76052 Classic TV Series Batcave (2016). The torso is minimalist but it is also the proof that a simple line is enough to give allure (and belly) to a minifigure.

For the rest, it's already seen in the range The LEGO Batman Movie, almost to the point of overdose.

Special mention all the same for the minifig of Nightwing, or rather Dick Grayson disguised as Nightwing in an outfit obviously a little too tight for him especially at the level of the crotch ...

In the tradition of the character attributes in this line, the glasses are molded onto the mask as they usually are with the hair. The armor of the minfig is unique, with two notches to insert the wings.

In conclusion, this Joker Manor is not a playset even if it incorporates an ersatz rollercoaster. The concept is certainly promising, but it needs to be developed. The other features of the set are really limited, and we will quickly tire of pushing the wagons harder and harder to derail them.

In the best case, this set offers a set to display with a nice rendering from a certain distance. Those who embarked on the diorama adventure The LEGO Batman Movie will find here the centerpiece of their creation. To be placed on a pretty rocky outcrop made from bricks for an optimal effect.

The assortment of minifigs will help some of us decide to spend 280 € in this box, with characters in new and exclusive outfits. I probably could have been a little more enthusiastic if this set had been marketed around the film's release. It's too late, the soufflé The LEGO Batman Movie has long since faded.

Note: The set provided by LEGO which was used for this test is put into play. A random draw among the comments posted on this article will determine the winner. You have until November 23, 2017 at 23:59 p.m. to manifest yourself.

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.
Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.