With the LEGO Batman Movie smashing all kinds of records on it’s opening weekend and still going strong a week later, it’s more than apt that we get down to reviewing our Killer Croc Tail-Gator (70907) LEGO set. I’ve had my eye on this set since the LEGO Batman Movie sets were initially revealed, it’s definitely the combination of a crocodile riding a pick up truck that peaked my interest. Full disclosure: The following LEGO set was provided to The Nerd Recites without cost in exchange for an honest review and as such all of the views and opinions of the author are their own. Being sent a review sample does not guarantee a review or even a positive review, but should we enjoy the product we will always promote it. The Killer Croc Tail-Gator set has an RRP of £64.99, comes with 460 pieces and four minifigures with one of those being the outstanding Killer Croc big fig. The set builds one truck for Killer Croc and a small jet ski for Batman to use and you can read the set’s official description below:
Stage a land-water pursuit of Killer Croc’s Tail-Gator at Gotham City harbor with this action-packed set from THE LEGO® BATMAN MOVIE. Help Batman™ prevent Killer Croc™, Zebra-Man™ and Tarantula™ from escaping in Croc’s huge Tail-Gator truck featuring big wheels with rubber tires, suspension and two crate bombs. Give chase on Batman’s Batski with two stud shooters. Includes three minifigures with assorted weapons and a big figure. As with all of the LEGO Batman Movie sets the focus is on the big, elaborate and cartoonish vehicle and this set is no exception with it’s core vehicle being a rusty pick up truck fitted with monster truck wheels that looks fresh from an outing to the nearest bayou. From afar the vehicle looks well presented with a cohesive theme, especially displayed amongst the other vehicles from the LEGO Batman Movie but upon closer inspection some of sticker usage on this set really lets it down. In particular the stickers used on the bodywork of the truck are superfluous and a poor colour match with the bricks underneath, this is quite noticeable with the big white sticker used on the bonnet of the truck.
The details these bodywork stickers add are just weathering such as rust and claw marks and I’d hazard saying the set would look better without these particular stickers. Perhaps if old school water decals had been used for the claw marks, it could have been a good layer of detail but alas decals are often more fiddly than stickers for children and those who don’t model build. I’m not against all of the stickers included in this set, some are very well utilized. All of the stickers used for the road signs, license plates and warnings on the vehicle add a lot of atmosphere to the set and their inclusion is well worth it. When looking at this truck as a whole, my favourite aspect by far is it’s use of detail to unify the set as something quickly cobbled together from a swamp junk yard. The pickup truck is jammed pack with detail from the engine turbo and cow skull on the bonnet to the swamp reeds, signs and crates adorning the sides of it. The set also makes great use of flat tiles printed with a wood grain effect, I last saw these used in the LEGO Angry Birds range from last year to provide a similar “cobbled-together” effect.
The flatbed of the truck doesn’t contain much more than space for Killer Croc to stand and operate his controls for driving the truck from the flatbed. A black 8 ball is used for the gear-shifter knob here and once again it adds to that junk yard look. When it comes to features the Tail-Gator truck comes with rear suspension and two crate bombs. The bombs are operated by knobs at the rear either side of the license plate, you simply turn them away from the vehicle and to knock the bombs off. The set also builds Batman’s Batski with little sticker usage, and is very effective in achieving a good looking jet ski that matches the aesthetics of LEGO Batman’s other bat vehicles. The Batski is equipped with stud shooters and comes with a pair of iconic bat wings at the rear. On a whole there’s not much more to say about the Batski, it works and functions well, looks great and would look even better when lined up against the plethora of other bat vehicles currently available from the LEGO Batman Movie sets.
For what has become obligatory amongst the LEGO Batman Movie sets we are granted another identical Batman minifigure for our £64.99, however we’re also granted three exceptional minifigures that really make the set what it is, one of them in particular. The set includes Tarantuala and Zebra-Man minifigures from the Rogues Gallery. Zebra-Man is covered head-to-toe in printed zebra stripes (as expected) and comes with one of the new mohawk hair pieces in blck. Tarantula comes with a black ponytail hair piece, two sai weapons and has a printed yellow top featuring a spider emblem (not unlike Spider-Man’s), yellow cuffs and a yellow face mask. On a whole good and well prinited minifigures, but nothing memorable about them. Now, Killer Croc is where this set really excels in terms of minifigures. As a figure he looks fantastic, reeks of nostalgia and is without a doubt the best use of a bigfig I have ever seen from LEGO. Standing at 10cm tall he completely dwarves the other standard minifigures included in the set.
Killer Croc has an overbearing stature with his massive tail, strong legs and giant clawed articulated hands. Killer Croc’s design also makes use of the classic crocodile heads from LEGO sets of old and I for one really like this look. It’s safe to say this is the best version of Killer Croc we have ever seen from LEGO, the previous big fig inspired Suicide Squad looked more like it belonged in DOOM as demon fodder than it did as one of DC’s most visually iconic villians. In the end I have mixed feeling about this set. On one side the aesthetics of the pickup truck are sublime, it’s a well defined, if chaotic theme full of fun little details, yet on the other hand you have the egregious use of stickers on the vehicles bodywork. You’ve also got the inclusion of the Killer Croc big fig, which is brilliant in every respect and a near perfect use of the big fig format but you also have a vehicle that doesn’t fit all of the minifigures once again. Yet even with a well themed vehicle and great figures the thing that really sticks out is it’s price, it feels overpriced with an RRP of £64.99.