Jay's Brick Blog

A blog about LEGO bricks

  • Home
  • About Me
  • LEGO Reviews
  • News
  • SW Advent Calendar
  • HP Advent Calendar

Review: Lego Batman The Movie Super Heroes Unite DVD

July 4, 2013 By Jay 8 Comments

Last week, the long awaited Lego Batman The Movie: Super Heroes Unite DVD finally appeared on shelves across Australia. As an adult Lego fan, I had little interest in the movie but was after one thing: the exclusive Clark Kent minifig!

img_2286

The DVD is available in pretty much everywhere that sells DVDs, from Target to Kmart to even your local Woolworths, but not every DVD comes with the exclusive Clark Kent minifig.

If you’re after the Clark Kent minifig, the special edition DVD is exclusive to Big W. I got mine last week for $15, which is pretty decent for a highly desired minifig plus a DVD.

Lego Clark Kent Minifig

The Clark Kent minifig sees everyone’s favourite Kryptonian superhero in disguise as a reporter for Metropolis newspaper, the Daily Planet. Clark is dressed in a navy blue business suit but has his shirt buttons open, revealing Superman’s iconic red and yellow S shield underneath.

As he’s in his disguise, Clark has his understated combover hairstyle coupled with some spectacles to avoid anyone recognizing him as the Man of Steel. I’m a little disappointed that they didn’t have Clark’s signature thick rimmed glasses but it’s not that big a deal breaker. It’s to be noted that this Clark Kent is not based on the recent blockbuster movie Man of Steel, but is based on the conventional Superman from the comics.

img_2289

Unfortunately, there’s no back printing on Clark Kent. The overall minifig is really cool, as it fills the gap between civilian Clark Kent and Superman. If you’re a fan of Lego DC super heroes or Superman, this figure is a must-get. It looks fantastic on display and because it’s so exclusive, should retain it’s value down the line.

If you’re looking to get one, I recommend heading down to Big W as soon as possible, because I expect this minifig to be quite popular with the resurgent popularity of Superman thanks to Zack Snyder’s recent film.

The only real complaint I have is that Clark Kent is fabricated out of inferior Chinese Lego. You can tell immediately when you pick him up, because the minifigure is a lot lighter than usual, which is a huge disappointment. Another telling sign is the lack of the Lego words are embossed on the insides of his legs.

If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you’ll notice a recurring theme where I speak out against the inferior quality of made in China Lego. Allow me to explain.

img_2302

For my comparison I’ve selected regular minifigs in almost the same shade as Clark Kent. I’ve opted for a miner to use his torso and a policeman which almost has the same navy blue legs.

img_22951

img_22981

Here are two comparison pictures, comparing ‘regular’ Lego to the obviously inferior China made Lego. As you can clearly see, the ‘China made’ plastic is drastically more translucent when exposed to a very bright light, whereas regular quality Lego doesn’t allow light to penetrate it one bit.

Discerning Lego fans know that Lego has factories across the globe, located in Denmark, Mexico, Czech Republic, Hungary and China. Most of Lego’s plastic made in the first 4 locations have so far been consistent with the high quality ABS plastic that Lego has been renowned for, but China… China is a really sticky one.

The Chinese factory often produces parts and minifigs that are used in most Lego sets. For some bizarre reason, the plastic that is used is lighter and more translucent than Lego made in Lego’s other factories. The difference is pretty obvious, just compare minifigs from regular Lego sets and those you get from the Collectible Minifigure Series.

Most promotional minifigs, like this one are unfortunately made using inferior ‘Chinese’ plastic. For now, the regular boxed sets are exempt from these lower quality minifigs but China parts are starting to creep in. You can tell from accessories and parts that come in separate smaller plastic bags when opening sets.

Best thing to do is be vigilant, but in a lot of cases, it’s pretty hard to avoid China made Lego if you’re an ardent collector of minifigs, especially the promotional ones and those from the Collectible Series.

lego-batman-and-robin

Apologies for digressing from the Lego Batman DVD! I actually took the time to watch the DVD and it was not too bad. From some cursory research, the movie is based on the Lego Batman 2 video game, with some cutscenes from the game making it into the movie.

lego-lex-luthor-and-joker

The plot centers around Batman, aided with his trusty sidekick, a bumbling Robin as they put a stop to a plot by the Joker and Lex Luthor teaming up to take over America.

lego-batman-super-heroes-unite-villains

This is my first time watching a Lego movie and while it’s obviously targeted at children, it was a pretty enjoyable and fun romp. It was very nice seeing how the creators used elements from the Lego sets released in the DC Super Heroes theme for the movie. This screenshot above shows a breakout at Arkham Asylum/Prison with all the supervillains from Gotham.

lego-batman-superman-and-batman-in-elevator1

Over the course of the film, Batman is forced to work together with Superman and the rest of the Justice League to take down Lex and the Joker. I like that they portrayed Batman as a grumpy loner alongside Robin who is a klutz and provides much of the comic relief of the show with his clumsy antics.

lego-batman-justice-league

Overall, it’s a pretty enjoyable film that kids will no doubt love. Here’s hoping we’ll get some new sets with the Green Lantern, Flash, Cyborg and the Martian Manhunter soon, so we get our shot at assembling the Justice League.

If you’re an AFOL and are looking to buy the DVD for the Clark Kent minifig, I highly recommend gifting the DVD to any younger cousins, nieces or nephews as they’ll surely get a huge kick out of the movie.

Filed Under: DC Super Heroes, LEGO Reviews Tagged With: big w, clark kent, lego batman, lego batman the movie, lego superman, minifig, minifigure, super heroes unite

« Australia Toy Sale 2013 : Lego Deals
Lego Minifigures Series 11 Instruction Sheet »

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. FowlerBricks says

    March 1, 2018 at 7:49 AM

    I have actually found the the Chinese Lego minifigures are more durable. Many CMFs are made of that plastic, as is Silver Centurion. Those guys tend not to crack. I’ve only ever had two CMFs crack but many of my other minifigures crack on the sides or arms. I don’t know about Silver Centurion, since I’ve only had him for a few months, but hopefully he is the same as the CMFs.

    Reply
    • Jay says

      March 3, 2018 at 9:47 PM

      Interesting! I don’t know about durability but LEGO have definitely slightly improved the quality of Chinese minifigures. It’s still not 1:1 but it’s getting there.

      Reply
  2. Zachary says

    April 17, 2014 at 11:19 AM

    The other things chinese legos have are sometimes the chinese lego legs have cuts on their heels(like i have on my Clark’s legs because i bought my Clark on eBay form a Chinese seller) or instead of having circles to connect the legs to the torso the legs are flat,thin squares.

    Reply
    • Jay says

      April 17, 2014 at 1:53 PM

      Oh that’s interesting. I hope that you’re not confusing them with fake Chinese knock-off LEGO. Those are a whole different thing with even shoddier standards. In this post I was referring to LEGO’s own Chinese manufacturing practices

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Review: LEGO 30606 Nightwing Polybag says:
    June 23, 2016 at 5:59 PM

    […] been ages since I’ve watched a LEGO DC Super Heroes DVD (I believe the last was Super Heroes Unite) which was decent but not really my thing. I’ll be frank, I only buy these DVDs for the […]

    Reply
  2. Review: LEGO 76040 Brainiac Attack says:
    May 12, 2015 at 10:32 PM

    […] can read my review/rant about Chinese-made minifig parts for some context behind my displeasure. I really hope this doesn’t become a norm for LEGO. […]

    Reply
  3. Review: LEGO Minifigures Series 12 Part 2 says:
    November 2, 2014 at 1:01 AM

    […] this post to find out more about the differences between China-made and regular LEGO […]

    Reply
  4. Review: Lego Iron Patriot Minifig | Jay's Brick Blog says:
    November 27, 2013 at 12:29 AM

    […] Hero themed promotional polybags – I’ve always discovered that the minifigs were made of inferior plastic that left much to be desired in the quality […]

    Reply

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to Jay's Brick Blog. In here, you'll find independent LEGO set reviews, commentary on LEGO trends & news, bargain hunting tips and an inside look into the life of an average LEGO fan. Find out more about me here

Subscribe for updates

Enter your email address here to receive updates about new posts from Jay's Brick Blog - straight to your inbox!

Join 1,782 other subscribers

Like my page on Facebook

Facebook Pagelike Widget

Buy LEGO

Buy LEGO

jayong28

Jay Ong | Jay's Brick Blog
Today is "Chap Goh Meh" or the Lantern Festival, t Today is "Chap Goh Meh" or the Lantern Festival, the final day of Chinese New Year. 🏮

It's a bit of a strange one this year, with the pandemic throwing plans into disarray, and my family being further away than usual, so celebrations were a little different in 2021.

Thank you @LEGO for an excellent range of Chinese Traditional Festival sets. 🙏

@little.ong (and myself) really loved the Duplo Happy Childhood Moments set, and I especially enjoyed the new dumplings element! 🥟

Spring Lantern Festival is one of the best LEGO sets I've had the pleasure of building, and I also appreciated the foray into the mythological origins of Lunar New Year with Story of Nian. 🧨🧧🎆

More sets that celebrate the rich cultural diversity of the world, please! 🌏
More photos of the upcoming #LEGO Amelia Earhart T More photos of the upcoming #LEGO Amelia Earhart Tribute are now available!

Coming March 2021 globally, but if you're in Australia, it's available from today onwards from @legocertifiedstores_anz!
Very impressed by the minifigure designs of Chief Very impressed by the minifigure designs of Chief Mammatus and Thunder Keeper from the new #LEGONinjago 71747 The Keeper's Village.

Love the Polynesian influences that have inspired #ninjagoseason14 - The Island!
Hey @lego, I think i understand what #vidiyo is al Hey @lego, I think i understand what #vidiyo is all about now.

Step aside @musicbyllama!
Really enjoyed building and reviewing the new #LEG Really enjoyed building and reviewing the new #LEGONinjago 71747 The Keeper's Village from Season 14 - The Island 

Hit the link in bio to read the full review

For #Ninjago fans, it doesn’t get much better than this. 71747 The Keeper’s Village is packed with value and is a great centerpiece to Season 14 – The Island.

I have a soft spot for location, or structure-based Ninjago builds, so The Keeper’s Village strikes that itch in the best of ways.

The jungle lair sets the scene and provides a rich backdrop that works really well as a small playset and display piece.

Combined with a very generous helping of 5 minifigures, there’s a ton of value and playability built into the set, especially the stone pillar which works remarkably well as a “big enemy” for the Ninjas to deal with – it very much gives off a “mini-boss in a video game vibe”.

The highlights for me would be Chief Mammatus and Thunder Keeper’s designs. As a big fan of the Islanders theme, I love that #LEGO could callback to those designs in a fresh new way, utilising the tech and innovation that’s now possible through minifigure design.

Whether you’re an adult fan looking for a set that’s a bit more kiddy, outlandish and fun, or you’re planning to buy this for a young child who wants an engaging playset, I can highly recommend 71747 The Keeper’s Village.

Rating and score: 4/5 ★★★★✰
Thanks @lego for sending over the new #LEGONinjago Thanks @lego for sending over the new #LEGONinjago Season 14 sets ahead of their March release!

My first review of 71747 The Keeper's Village is already live on the blog! Speed build is live on YouTube as well! 

@justhypeofficial Kai Plushie just chilling as he's now a regular fixture on all #ninjago videos!
Happy Valentine's Day to this 10/10 stunner. 🌹 Happy Valentine's Day to this 10/10 stunner. 🌹 

Sharing photos from Japan because we miss travelling (and food!) but being in lockdown with you for 5 days isn't too shabby of an alternative.
Happy "Niu" Year! 🐮 May your hongbaos be fat, Happy "Niu" Year! 🐮

May your hongbaos be fat, cookies be crunchy, and mandarins juicy 🍊💦
Swipe to check out @LEGO's Lunar New Year sets!

恭喜發財 

Just missing the Dragon Dance and Dragon Boat Race as they're in storage!
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Recent Posts

  • LEGO 40450 Amelia Earhart Tribute Gift with Purchase revealed!
  • Review: LEGO Brickheadz Pets German Shepherd, Shorthair Cats, Goldfish & Budgie (40440, 40441, 40442, 40443)
  • Is LEGO planning to announce a NASA Mars Perseverance Rover?
  • LEGO Fan Media sites caught up in Australian Facebook News Blockade
  • First look at all the new LEGO Vidiyo sets – Beatboxes and Bandmates!
  • Review: LEGO Ninjago 71747 The Keeper’s Village
  • Review: LEGO Duplo 10943 Happy Childhood Moments

LEGO Reviews

Review: LEGO 76047 Black Panther Pursuit

Review: LEGO 75945 Expecto Patronum

Review: LEGO 10269 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy

Review: LEGO 60271 Main Square

Review: 6858 – Catwoman Catcycle City Chase

Review: LEGO 70419 Wrecked Shrimp Boat

Review: LEGO 75167 Bounty Hunter Speeder Bike Battle Pack

Categories

Archives

Jay

Jay is passionate about LEGO and the endless creative adventures made possible by this complex interlocking brick system.
Learn more →

Popular Posts

Copyright © 2021 · WordPress · Log in We may earn a commission when you use one of our offers/links to make a purchase.