Lego Dark Knight Tumbler review: a fantastic Lego Batmobile

Our Verdict

The Lego Dark Knight Tumbler set looks amazing when built and is an impressive addition to any Batman collection. The only downside is the ease of assembly, which might be too quick for those who enjoy building Lego sets as much as admiring them.

Back in the year 2005, way before the over-saturation of superhero movies, Christopher Nolan rebooted the Batman franchise. Understandably the second installment in the series, The Dark Knight has become a cult classic.

Heath Ledger’s Joker exudes chaos and fear. The cast is star-studded with Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Cane, Morgan Freeman, and Maggie Gyllenhaal. It has an enthralling plot based on themes of perception, loss of love, chaos, and destruction.

It’s no wonder that The Dark Knight has earned an impressive 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, and has its own Batmobile Lego set! I’ve had the Lego Batman Batmobile Tumbler for a while now, and I’ll be reviewing it below to help you decide whether to get it for your own Lego collection.

Pros

• The design looks amazing
• Clear instruction manual
• Very enjoyable to build

Cons

• Difficult to clean

The applied science division at Wayne Industries created the ultimate vehicle, The Tumbler. AKA The Batmobile! Initially designed to be a military tank, the Tumbler – the real one – weighs a whopping 2.5 short tons.

It can go over 200+ mph with an acceleration of 0-60 in 2.9 seconds, has a 1500-horsepower jet turbine, and uses gasoline, nitromethane, and liquid propane. This vehicle is a beast, and its Lego counterpart is as well. For only $269.99 (£229.99) this set is well worth the money.

Specs

Lego Dark Knight Tumbler specs:

It also comes with a very detailed, well-printed instruction manual that will walk you through the whole process with ease.

Design

This set looks impressive. It is a fantastic conversation starter for anyone interested in Batman movies (or Batman comics). Christopher Nolan’s Batmobile is iconic and the Lego version does a good job of translating the edgy design into a well-crafted Lego set that is aesthetically pleasing and very much like the real thing.

There are panels on the top that you can remove to see the cockpit which is simply designed, but highly detailed. The main snag to its product design is it is very hard to keep clean. (Unless you were to display it in a glass cabinet). Unfortunately, when dusting the model, bits often fall off and can be extremely difficult to put back on in the correct place. Even compressed air can be too harsh at times.

Even just lightly touching the set or moving it can cause bits to break off and small bits can easily get lost. (Fortunately, Lego provides a missing brick service!) So, unless you are to glue the set together, bits falling off is inevitable. But then, that leaves the question: to Kragle or not to Kragle?

There are two versions of this set. The original version (included in the images) was discontinued in 2015. The new set is more or less the same but has some major improvements. For starters, the new set comes with a stand. The first set has a knack of rolling away, because well, it’s on wheels. Another difference between the sets is the Joker Minifigure.

Debatably, the original Joker Minifigure in his purple suit is more aesthetically pleasing. In the new set, he is wearing his waistcoat. The fact this set comes with a Heath Ledger’s Joker Minifigure is definitely a huge selling point for collectors regardless of which design you have.

Ease of assembly

This set will most certainly have you shouting “Where is she!” Because the set is made up of primarily black and small fiddly blocks and it is exceptionally hard to find specific pieces which can be frustrating at times. During assembly sorting containers are crucial. It is a set for adults though and so, understandably, is harder to build.

Most definitely aimed at the more experienced builder. But, the instructions are very clear and concise. Parts are built in steps and then attached to the overall model. Because the set is symmetrical you often build two of the same piece which can speed up the building process.

And overall it is a very fun set to build. Its structure is quite technical and despite its exterior – which can be considered the opposite – its base is very sturdy. As always, the whole model is made of very high-quality Lego pieces.

Where to buy the Lego Dark Knight Tumbler

You can get the Lego Dark Knight Tumbler at the official Lego Store.

Should you buy the Lego Dark Knight Tumbler?

Overall, I think the Lego Dark Knight Tumbler set is well worth the $269.99 (£229.99) it costs to purchase. It looks incredible, is beautifully designed, fun to build and the Joker Minifigure makes this set unique. Despite its few minor setbacks, there are few better pieces of Batman memorabilia for The Dark Knight fans.

You can even add lights to this set too! So, if you love The Dark Knight, this set is for you — it’s the Lego set that Gotham (and you) deserves!