BAT WEEK REVIEW: Mattel's Dark Knight BAT-POD

In anticipation of The Dark Knight's release on DVD and Blu-ray this week, Superherotimes.com celebrates with a host of Bat-related product reviews. From the must-have movie on home video, to cool action figures and collectibles, such as Mattel's Bat-Pod and Hot Toys' Bank Robber Joker, BAT WEEK has you covered.

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Mattel’s Movie Masters line has been a great breath of fresh air when it comes to figures based on motion pictures. Where many companies have skimped out on decent figures based on superhero films, Mattel has heard the requests of fans and released an unparalleled 6 inch scale line based on the appearance of the Dark Detective in both Batman Begins and its hit sequel, The Dark Knight.

It’s not enough for Mattel though. In partnership with Target, they have released a 6 inch scaled vehicle for the Movie Master line in the form of Batman's spectacular new ride, the Bat-Pod.

The box for Batman’s secret vehicle is very cool looking. The entire front of the box is one huge window giving shoppers full view of the cycle and its detail.
The back of the box shows some nice artwork of Batman riding the Bat-Pod, along with a view at all of the current figures available in the line.

Ripping the vehicle from its box it is obvious that Mattel has produced an extremely detailed vehicle for the Masters line. The detail on the Bat-Pod is stunning for a mass market toy. From the gun turrets on the front to the suspension on the back tire. The gang over at Mattel has created something every collector should rush out and find.

The Bat-Pod has no problem standing on its own power. The vehicle has been expertly balanced, thanks to the large tires. However, a small gripe is that the steering controls don’t move from side to side.

Another strange thing is the paint application on the vehicle. While it is done in such a way to make the vehicle appear that it is weathered and scratched in some places, it’s just appears off in some lighting. Almost like you can see the brush strokes on the vehicle. Again this is a small personal complaint.

Taking Batman and placing him onto the vehicle was a challenge. While these 6 inch figures are very articulated, getting Batman to control his cycle proved awkward. To begin, getting his hands around the handlebars was not fun. It took me a good five minutes do accomplish the feat, mostly because I was concerned he might break.

After getting him to hold onto the handlebars, I was able to place the Dark Knight onto his seat. Now, while he does look very cool on the vehicle, he doesn’t fit well at all. You really can’t position his knees and feet onto the bike the way they should be. You always have one leg on and one just floating in space. Add to the fact that he can’t really look up all the way when he is on the vehicle. This prompted me to see how he appeared standing NEXT to the vehicle.

Standing the figure next to the Bat-Pod actually looked better than the figure riding it. Which really isn’t a bad thing here, and to be truthful I liked it better this way.

Overall, the Movie Masters Bat-Pod is a great addition to any collection, even if you can’t really get Batman on it properly. It has alot of display value and as a standalone vehicle replica, its can't be beat for the price. You can find these Target Exclusives on shelves now for $19.99.

For even more images of Mattel's new Bat-Pod, CLICK HERE!

Review and Photos by Jason Devall