Review: The Joker Balloon Escape [70900]
Set Summary
Name: The Joker Balloon Escape
Set #: 70900
Theme: The LEGO Batman Movie
Cost: $16.99 CDN
Brick Count: 124
Minifigures: 2
Release Date: January 2, 2017

LEGO Joker Balloon Escape [70900] box art
Summary Review: 73%
VALUE: 80% ($0.14/brick is an ok value.)
BUILD: 80% (A little weak in terms of design, but fun.)
MINIFIGURES: 90% (Decent Minifigs, and a great brick-to-fig ratio.)
ENTERTAINMENT: 40% (Really bad build-time value, passable enjoyment rating.)

LEGO Joker Balloon Escape [70900]
Review
VALUE: 80%
At $16.99 in Canada, and coming with 124 pieces, this set will cost you $0.14 per brick. That is $0.01 over both the average cost of a brick in the LEGO Batman Movie theme, as well as the overall average cost that I have calculated using the January 2017 catalogue (click here to read my analysis). It is still not a terrible value though, and earns this set 80% for value.

LEGO Joker Balloon Escape [70900] play feature
Much like with the Mr. Freeze set I reviewed a couple of weeks ago (click here to read it), this one comes with a piece of the Gotham Power Plant. I find it looks more like a chemical plant, but that is just my opinion. By itself, it is a little lack-luster. When you attach the separate bomb piece on, it looks a little more elaborate. There is also a built in switch that you can flip, causing the fuel tank to blow apart. The fuel tank is rather precariously attached for that reason, and comes off very easily. I think they probably could have achieved the same effect and made it more sturdy. Just like with the Mr. Freeze set, the pipe work here is really nice, as is the computer terminal. There is a neat explosive hazard sign sticker to affix to the fuel tank too. As I mentioned with the Mr. Freeze set, I like that these sets are designed to be joined together to create a larger play set. I kind of wish more LEGO sets and themes were designed with this in mind.

LEGO Joker Balloon Escape [70900]

LEGO Joker Balloon Escape [70900]
You get two Minifigs in this set, Batman and Joker. Batman is nothing we have not seen before. His facial expressions are a little different than in Mr. Freeze Ice Attack. You get one scowling, and the other surprised. He also comes with a grappling gun, rope, and hook. Otherwise, there is nothing new. He earns the same 80% as before.

LEGO Joker Balloon Escape [70900] Batman Minifigure

LEGO Joker Balloon Escape [70900] Batman Minifigure alternate face

LEGO Joker Balloon Escape [70900] Joker Minifigure front view
This set took me 17 minutes to build. With the whole set coming in at $16.99, that means that every minute of build time costs just about $1.00. That is a terrible value in my books, and earns a score of 20%. Luckily for me, I got this set using VIP points, and didn’t actually pay anything for it.

LEGO Joker Balloon Escape [70900] Joker Minifigure rear view

LEGO Joker Balloon Escape [70900] Joker Minifigure alternate face
Overall: 73%
This set has a decent per-brick value and build. Though the Batman Minifigure is pretty much the same as in any other set, Joker is really nice, and both are pretty good for such a small set. Where this set really suffers is the build-time value. It is a really short build for the price that you will end up paying. If you took advantage of the last Double VIP Points event, this is a fun set to get for free. Otherwise, waiting for a 20% off sale will make the build-time score a pass.
What do you think of The Joker Balloon Escape? Feel free to drop me a line in the comments below.
Until next time,
-T.N.B.

LEGO Joker Balloon Escape [70900]
This set really just seems like an excuse to get Batman and Joker minifigs together for cheap. Though I suppose when you combine all the sets together it does come out to be something more impressive.
I finally saw the LEGO Batman movie last week and, as expected, I quite enjoyed it.
It is exactly that, a cheap way to get Batman and Joker. The movie is fun, I still wish they had stuck to only DC Comics characters though.
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