I’ll be honest, I bought this movie for the exclusive Nightwing Minifigure. I am a sucker for freebies. I have actually not bought a movie in years. With Netflix and digital downloads, I do not feel the need to the waste shelf space with DVD/Blu-Ray cases anymore. In fact, the wifey and I threw out most of our DVD cases in a big purge last March. We placed all of the movies into one of those old CD binders, and it is way more space efficient.
Prior to this point, the LEGO movies have not really released any limited edition Minifigures that have greatly interested me. But, I did not have Nightwing yet, and this one has the blue comic book/animated series costume as opposed to the red one that was previously released. He also doesn’t have the stupid hair of the even earlier Minifig. So, this was a must have for me.
This Minifigure is awesome. I am a little biased given that I am a huge fan of the DC Comics theme, and Batman in general. But, this Minifigure would have been worth the purchase for me, even if the movie had been terrible (which it wasn’t). I have to say that the spikey hairpiece is my favorite for male Minifigures, so any time I get that I am happy. In addition, Nightwing comes with two transparent blue Escrima sticks. While his legs are just plain black, his torso is painted on both the front and the back. Nightwing also comes with a double-sided face. He can smirk, or sport an angry face (see feature image, or last image).
Now, on to the main part of the purchase, the movie itself. I am always dubious about direct to DVD movies because I often feel like they were just not good enough for theatres. This one came with a Minifig, so it was worth a shot. I actually enjoyed the film quite a bit. It was lighthearted, and aimed at a younger crowd. But, it was also funny, and enjoyable for an older viewer as well. The official synopsis of the movie from the case is:
What happens when Batman takes a vacation, leaving the Justice League to watch over Gotham City? Why, chaos, of course! When the Joker tricks Superman into releasing Gotham’s most villainous rogues from Arkham Asylum, it’s up to Robin the Boy Wonder, Cyborg, and Wonder Woman to save the day! Meanwhile, Batman’s vacation is anything but relaxing as he, Batgirl and Nightwing discover a fiendish plot by Deathstroke and the sinister Bane to create an army of mass destruction! It’s time to hit the bricks in this all-new LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes movie!
I found Batman to be hilariously reminiscent of the 1960s Adam West Batman with all of his impossibly detailed deductions. Joker’s relationship with Spoony was also a cute way to bring his psychosis into a kids’ movie. I have to say that I found Cyborg to be really annoying initially. I like the grown-up, comic version, not the teenage version depicted here. But, he redeemed himself when he donned a yellow cape in a humorous attempt to be the next Boy Wonder. The funniest moment for me was when Batman pulled a brick separator out from under his cape.
There was a lot of product placement in this movie. In addition to the brick separator, many LEGO sets appeared, including a variation of Harley Quinn’s Hammer Truck, Bane’s Drill tank, and the Batboat Harbour Pursuit. I have not seen an actual big-fig of Bane, but I would certainly not mind if LEGO actually came out with one.
I enjoyed this movie, and I will probably watch again with my nieces at some point. It was funny, and the story was cute. With the Nightwing Minifigure, this movie is definitely worth the purchase. You can download a free Nightwing colouring page by clicking here.
Until next time,
-T.N.B.
