If you're a fan of Batman toys, then you're probably familiar with Jada Toys. Their Metalfigs and Hollywood Rides lines have featured countless versions of the Dark Knight and his wider universe for quite some time now. With the release of The Batman earlier this year, I knew that Jada would be giving us their take on the American muscle car-inspired Batmobile from the film, and I reached out to the company to see if they could send along a unit for review. They were gracious enough to acquiesce, and I've spent a few weeks admiring this thing, up close and on my shelf. So how does it hold up to my high expectations for Jada's work? Read on.
The packaging
While I don't quite understand the psychology of buying a sweet toy and leaving it in the box, I know that a large chunk of collectors prefer to display their collection in just this way. The box for this Batmobile is nice enough, with a large window covering much of the front and top, with smaller windows on the sides. The Batman-themed fonts and coloring adorn the package, and there's a subtle red-tinted backdrop behind the car. As with any cardboard and plastic packaging, if you're looking to display, you'll have to expend some effort finding a package that comes below your acceptable threshold for wear and tear. The fold in my big plastic window was a little damaged, but this is not uncommon when receiving a review unit from a marketing department—even with packing material, a rectangular box is a bit less secure and still than it would be in a shipping box meant to snugly hold some even quantity of these things.
The Batman
The Hollywood Rides line typically bundles a metal minifigure with the vehicle, and this Batmobile is no different. The Batman figure is decent--at this scale, and this price, you can't expect too much in the way of facial likeness, and you won't get it. But the overall aesthetic of the costume, and the pose, are close enough, and the figure looks pretty good next to the car. If you're like me, though, you didn't want this unit for the figure, and I doubt I'll be leaving it on display long-term.
The Batmobile
This is what I'm here for. This is what I'm interested in displaying on my shelf. And I think Jada did an excellent job of reproducing it. If you compare shots from the film or its trailers, you will find that nearly every detail is perfectly represented here. The most intricate parts of the film's Batmobile are the rear-mounted engine and the hood, and if we compare stills to photos of the toy, you'll find a striking likeness:
The only real discrepancies I see are the size of the rear center brake light, and the color of the glow in the afterburner, which looks blue in other pictures I've seen from the film. All of the other components are well represented, and I love the detail work. And oh yeah, it lights up, too.
The verdict
If you're a fan of The Batman, as I am, then I would consider this a must-get. This Batmobile is an excellent reproduction of what we see in the film, and I have no complaints. The minifigure is a welcome bonus if you're into that sort of thing, but I would value this just as much without it. You can find this Holywood Rides 1:18 Batmobile in stores and on the web now.
Disclaimer: Jada Toys provided Batman News with this toy for the purpose of review. All opinions are our own.
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