Enter a New Batmobile

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Though February has come and gone, Batman builds are continuing to pop up (as to be expected).  The (debatable good / bad) film Batman V Superman introduced yet another variant of the Caped Crusader's famous vehicle, almost a mix of the Dark Knight Trilogy's Tumbler and the previous, sporty designs.  PsychoBrick46 has combined set and MOC to create an awesome, play-friendly model of the Batlfeck's Batmobile.  This vehicle was a highlight of the film, for sure.  Using the official LEGO set's cockpit design to make it movie accurate, the builder created a sleek yet tough appearance for his model.  Not a vehicle I would want to mess with, for sure!

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Nathaniel Stoner

     My name is Nathaniel Stoner, and I am an very active LEGO builder.  I mostly build in the themes of castle and science-fiction, but I also dabble in other genres and create occasional random MOC's (My Own Creations). 

     When I was younger, I would get and build small LEGO sets for my birthday, but I was never really into them.  When they fell apart, I would become frustrated attempting to put them back together and would throw them in a box in my closet.  I couldn't stand them!

     Then, miraculously, I became addicted to the LEGO brick later in my teen years.  Ever since, I have continued to build up (pun intended) my collection of bricks and to expand my knowledge of techniques and building skills.  LEGO is truly more than a toy, its an art form and a way to express yourself.

     For the most part, I collect LEGO Star Wars (mainly the minifigs), which is probably my favorite LEGO theme.  I have a fairly decent collection, including some of the original 1999 sets, such as the Snowspeeder, X-Wing, and Naboo starfighter.  I also collected LEGO the Lord of the Rings when those sets first came out.  The minifigs are great, and the story remains one of my favorites ever. 

     My hope is to inspire other young (and perhaps even older) LEGO builders to unleash their inner creativity!  You can find me on my Flikr here. 

Review: The LEGO Batman Movie - The Making Of The Movie

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Review: The LEGO Batman Movie - The Making Of The Movie

We've all seen it, The LEGO Batman Movie, but how much do you know about how it was made? Well luckily those fine folks at DK have published a book that goes pretty deep into the process, and gives a behind the scenes peek into the massive undertaking it was. From the script to the screen, and everywhere in between, you'll get to see the inner workings and many, many steps it takes to go from concept to the theater.So grab some lobster thermidor, put on your best smoking jacket and settle in for a good read.

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An Ace Build

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Tim Lydy, the LEGO Builder of Gotham City, built an incredible scene containing acid, yet will not burn you (for it is too awesome).  A place of chemicals, a place of origin. . .Ace Chemicals is famous in the world of Batman, mostly for what it didn't produce intentionally.  That's right, Ace Chemicals is where the Joker became disfigured in a dramatic fight with the Caped Crusader.  This recreation is detailed to another level entirely.  Covered in so many styles of greebling, it's hard to find any simple, standard bricks in the walls.  Take a minute and zoom in to really appreciate all the detail packed into this build.  Careful not to fall in, though!

ACE, "The Chemical Place"
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Nathaniel Stoner

     My name is Nathaniel Stoner, and I am an very active LEGO builder.  I mostly build in the themes of castle and science-fiction, but I also dabble in other genres and create occasional random MOC's (My Own Creations). 

     When I was younger, I would get and build small LEGO sets for my birthday, but I was never really into them.  When they fell apart, I would become frustrated attempting to put them back together and would throw them in a box in my closet.  I couldn't stand them!

     Then, miraculously, I became addicted to the LEGO brick later in my teen years.  Ever since, I have continued to build up (pun intended) my collection of bricks and to expand my knowledge of techniques and building skills.  LEGO is truly more than a toy, its an art form and a way to express yourself.

     For the most part, I collect LEGO Star Wars (mainly the minifigs), which is probably my favorite LEGO theme.  I have a fairly decent collection, including some of the original 1999 sets, such as the Snowspeeder, X-Wing, and Naboo starfighter.  I also collected LEGO the Lord of the Rings when those sets first came out.  The minifigs are great, and the story remains one of my favorites ever. 

     My hope is to inspire other young (and perhaps even older) LEGO builders to unleash their inner creativity!  You can find me on my Flikr here. 

Holy Wall Climbers!

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It's the simplest of gags, build a wall surface on it's side, add a backdrop of a city turned sideways and then turn the camera on it's side, voila! But even though it was completely obvious how it was done, we were always captivated by these scenes in the original Batman series. And the thing  I love most about this MOC by redfern1950s, is that it was accomplished the exact same way, brilliant!

original Batman & Robin
original Batman & Robin ( behind the scenes )

Bat-Tastic!

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BrickNerd's own Roy of Floremheim has come up with this nifty version of the Dark Knight.  Watching over Gotham, the figure stands at one foot tall.  What I like most is his fully loaded utility belt, complete with Batarang, Batlight, and Batclaw.  I even think there's a Bat-toothbrush on there, too.  Because remember, kids, even Superheroes need good oral hygiene! 

The LEGO Batman Movie: Spoiler-Free Review

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Last night I went to see The LEGO Batman Movie. Yes, it was the day after the opening day (what can I say, I'm a busy guy), and yes it was in a theater full of children, but it's a family movie, and I wanted to experience it with it's target audience. Besides, I'm effectively a 12 year old, just ask my wife. I went in with pretty high expectations, The LEGO Movie was pretty awesome, and Batman was my favorite character from that, so the bar was high. I'm happy to say it did not disappoint, I loved it.

It has everything, action, laughs, heart-felt moments, excellent dialog, top-notch performances, more action, more laughs and so many subtle (and not so subtle) references and easter eggs that it will take another couple viewings just to take it all in. The writing is fantastic, and it has...*gasp* ...a story! And it's not just yet another bad guy threatens Gotham, batman saves the day sort of tired narrative (it is, of course, a subplot) but at it's core it's a film about family, being alone, and being afraid of loss. Real, genuine, emotional content from a bunch of polygons rendered to look like a bunch of toys. That's not a trivial accomplishment. CG features are a dime a dozen these days, but few are really capable of evoking an emotional response beyond a couple chuckles. The film starts out heavy on action, then slows down pretty abruptly. If I have a minor complaint it's with the pacing, when it slows down, it slams on the brakes. Judging by the fidgeting in the theater, the kids felt the same. 

The talent gathered to bring this to the screen is so good it's hard to grasp. I didn't read much before viewing, and I only knew a few key cast members. But during the credits I was thrilled to see so many A-list names. That's the power of the DC and LEGO brands, and the faith in the filmmakers to do this properly. This is a spoiler-free review, and those names were a surprise to me, so I'll let you be surprised too. I am also proud to know several people involved in this production, and I tip my hat to all you crazy talented artists and technicians. And before you ask, no, I didn't work on the movie. I did do some animation for some of the promotional tie-ins, but I had nothing to do with the feature.

One of the things I love most about this film, and The LEGO Movie, and from the preview The Ninjago Movie, is the care the filmmakers take to ground the film in classic brick filming. Subtle things like adding barbs to hands during fast moves to simulate motion blur, swapping out tubing for arms when they need to stretch or squash, staying true to building techniques that we have to use in the real world. Of course, in CG you can break any rule you'd like, but they "keep it real" for the most part. Of course, for better animation they play fast and loose with things like shoulder attachments, hips and general limitations of the Minifig design. And of course, Batman's cowl has a full range of emotions and flexibility that simply would be impossible in actual bricks. But there's a story to tell and I understand why they did it. The simple inability to make a figure shrug has frustrated me in the past, why purposefully hamstring yourself? I feel the filmmakers struck a good balance in what's possible and what's practical.

But like I said, this is a story about family, and it's a welcome departure from the gritty, depressing Batman content of late. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed Nolan's trilogy, but you have to admit, they're a bit...dark. And I don't want to ever see anything as campy and stupid as Shumachers' Batman and Robin ever again, but a little levity and self awareness would be appreciated. And don't get me started on Batman v Superman, I stand by my original 9 word review: "A plodding, uninteresting mopefest intermittently interrupted by catastrophe porn". I found this film not only faithful to the history of Batman, but downright reveling in it. It's self-awareness was evident, and makes for some great laughs and sweet nostalgia. The themes of the film make for some insightful moments, and genuine character arcs, all with a group of characters and an environment we are all so familiar with they feel like relatives and places we have visited. Yet this film feels fresh, earnest and willing to please. And please it does, I give it 5 out of 5 Nerdlys.

 
 

Batmobile Blues (NOT!)

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More and more Batman builds!  Are you tired of it yet?  No?  Good!  The Incinerator14 is adding to the Batman excitement with another super sleek Batmobile!  (There can never be enough LEGO Batmobile MOC's.)  The builder of this model used all sorts of smooth and sleek slope elements to give this vehicle a sporty, yet tough, appearance to the model.  Instead of designing one of the more modern Batmobiles, this model is a replica of 1995's Batman Forever.  The builder had this to say:  "Since I find the design rather interesting and since it almost hasn't been recreated in LEGO form, I wanted to see if I could recreate this car..."  What's your favorite rendition of the famous car of the Dark Knight?  Let us know below in the comments!

Lego Batman Forever Batmobile
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Nathaniel Stoner

     My name is Nathaniel Stoner, and I am an very active LEGO builder.  I mostly build in the themes of castle and science-fiction, but I also dabble in other genres and create occasional random MOC's (My Own Creations). 

     When I was younger, I would get and build small LEGO sets for my birthday, but I was never really into them.  When they fell apart, I would become frustrated attempting to put them back together and would throw them in a box in my closet.  I couldn't stand them!

     Then, miraculously, I became addicted to the LEGO brick later in my teen years.  Ever since, I have continued to build up (pun intended) my collection of bricks and to expand my knowledge of techniques and building skills.  LEGO is truly more than a toy, its an art form and a way to express yourself.

     For the most part, I collect LEGO Star Wars (mainly the minifigs), which is probably my favorite LEGO theme.  I have a fairly decent collection, including some of the original 1999 sets, such as the Snowspeeder, X-Wing, and Naboo starfighter.  I also collected LEGO the Lord of the Rings when those sets first came out.  The minifigs are great, and the story remains one of my favorites ever. 

     My hope is to inspire other young (and perhaps even older) LEGO builders to unleash their inner creativity!  You can find me on my Flikr here. 

Gotham City Without Batman

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This is a little high concept, but very cool (and hey, it's Batman). The overall shape here represents a flower vase. In the vase itself is several scenes of Batman and Robin taking time off with some distractions. Above that is Gotham, with it's classic city graphics. The outstretched hands represent the people of Gotham, calling out for Batman. And the "flowers" are obviously bat signals. A pretty stunning piece by Vincent's LEGO Creation.

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The Dark Knight

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The world has sorta gone Batman crazy (and regular crazy come to think of it) with the looming debut of the LEGO Batman Movie. I can relate, I'm so excited we're giving away a complete set of Minifigures and tickets to see the movie! So while I may not have been surprised to see this bust of Gotham's Dark Knight by builder havoccnp, that doesn't mean I didn't go "oooooooh" as soon as I laid eyes on it.

Batman01

BrickNerd LiveBuild - Batman Movie Clayface Splat Attack

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Batman has many enemies, but none are quite so unusual as Clayface. I mean, how do you fight a guy made of clay? Well, come to think of it, bringing some water, a throwing wheel and a little patience might be an approach, but I digress.

Join me and Mrs BrickNerd as we build 70904 LEGO Batman Movie Clayface Splat Attack live! Building starts at 9am PST!

Win A Complete Set Of LEGO Batman Movie Collectible Minifigures And Two Free Tickets To See The Film!

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We're super excited for the LEGO Batman Movie, and we want to get you excited too. The new collectible Minifigures based on the movie are awesome, so we're going to give away a complete set, all 20 figures! Not only that, but we're going to give away two free tickets to see the movie! Just use the form below to enter, and we'll see you at the movies! Contest ends February 5th at midnight PST. 

Void where prohibited.

Winner will receive by mail one (1) complete set of 20 LEGO Batman Movie Collectible Minifigures and an electronic voucher for movie tickets via Fandango. If Fandango is not available in your area alternate arrangements will be made. This is a world-wide contest, but entries from USPS forbidden destinations are not eligible and will be disqualified, sorry.

LEGO Batman Movie Minifigures have been provided by The LEGO Group for review purposes. Providing them as a prize is solely the responsibility of BrickNerd Enterprises. LEGO Does not endorse this contest.

BrickNerd is not associated with The LEGO Group. Opinions shared on this site are our own and not the opinions of LEGO or The LEGO Group. LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site.

The LEGO Batman Movie ©2017 WBEI and DC Comics. All Rights Reserved. LEGO, the LEGO logo and the Minifigure are trademarks and/or copyrights of the LEGO Group. ©2017 The LEGO Group. BATMAN characters and elements © & ™ DC Comics. ©2017 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved.

If you are under 18 get your parent's permission.

LEGO Batman Movie Collectible Minifigures

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The new LEGO Batman Movie Collectible Minifigures are out and TLG was kind enough to send us a box to check out. Here's a quick look at all the figures.

And wouldn't you know it, there's more than one complete set in the box, meaning we have a complete set just laying around the studio, a complete set that someone would be very happy to have, hmmm...

Batman

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Batman didn't get to be the most popular super hero by having super strength, or super speed, or  alien technology, or any super power. And he certainly didn't get there for the ability to talk to fish. He got there by being super scrappy, super well trained and let's face it, super rich. But no one will dispute the absolute badassery of bats, and this bust by Carson Hart captures said badassery perfectly.

HA HA HA HA HA!

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Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! The most famous villain in the world, the Joker. This dude has been causing Batman nothing but headaches since 1940. This version by builder MaverickDengo wasn't inspired by any particular source, but certainly has a more comic/cartoon feel to him. It also happens to be his first character build, very impressive, that mouth is a clever work of art.

Batman

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There's never a shortage of LEGO Batman on Flicr, so it takes some clever building or a hook to stand out. This MOC by gan.marco is a pretty sweet chibi style Batman, on a cool base with the bat's iconic symbol prominently displayed. But what makes this MOC stand out is the super secret miniature Batcave hidden in the base. Turn it around to reveal the teeniest, tiniest, cutest Tumbler you ever did see.

2016_Batman TDK 2
2016_Batman TDK 8
2016_Batman TDK 10

The Batman

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The centerpiece of Tim Lydy's Forms of Gotham collection, Bruce Wayne's alter ego, the crimefighting legend, Batman. Like the other figures in the collection, Bats stands on a base representative of his place in Gotham lore, namely where his fate was sealed, crime alley. This is where young Bruce witnessed the murder of his parents, and was changed forever.

The Batman
Cowl, Close Up