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LEGO Review: 70911 The Penguin Arctic Roller

Jay Lane
LEGO

Next up for review in The LEGO Batman Movie series is The Penguin Arctic Roller. As soon as I saw this set in the LEGO catalog, I really wanted to add it to my collection.

I couldn’t wait for it to appear in stores so I bought mine from LEGO.com along with a whole bunch of LEGO Batman Movie minifigs.

Read on to see what I thought about the set.

 

LEGO Review: 70911 The Penguin Artic Roller - Box

Quick Overview

  • Theme: The LEGO Batman Movie
  • Released: January 1, 2017
  • Cost: $29.99 | LEGO.com
  • Pieces: 305
  • Minifigs: 2
  • Finished Dimensions: 2” high, 8” long and 2” wide
  • Instructions: 105 total steps
  • Skill level: Beginner/Intermediate
  • Build time: ~1 hour

The Arctic Roller

I have to say that The Penguin Arctic Roller is one of the most detailed LEGO cars I’ve ever built. In my last review about the F-150 Raptor and Model A Hot Rod, I complained about the small size of the F-150 and its over-reliance on stickers. For the Arctic Roller, it’s the exact opposite. I love the size of the car and all of its details, especially all the curves and lines. I don’t know what real classic this car is modeled after but it doesn’t matter to me. It’s really cool.

Let’s get into the different components of the build.

The Stickers

I’ll start with the stickers. Standing alone, they’re not that impressive but when they’re added to the car, they add very nice details. One thing I judge sets on is the use of stickers and how they would look without them. For this set, they make a subtle, but noticeable, difference.

LEGO Review: 70911 The Penguin Arctic Roller - Stickers
It’s pretty hard to tell what the stickers are (other than the license plates and the dashboard display) until you actually place them on the car.

Side View

70911 The Penguin Arctic Roller - Left Side
Here’s the left side of the car. I love how the front wheels are larger than the back wheels. I also love the curved side panels. It’s like no other LEGO car I’ve ever seen. The side mirrors and door handles are really nice touches. I’m not sure how I feel about the “fish spears” or whatever they are. The only thing that would have made the sides more amazing is if there were some kind of suicide doors. I don’t even know if this type of car would have those but I still think it would be cool.
70911 The Penguin Arctic Roller - Right Side
Nothing unique about the right side but it’s still cool to look at.

The Cockpit

70911 The Penguin Arctic Roller - Cockpit
The inside of the car is pretty simple. Amazingly enough, The Penguin fits comfortably inside (even while he’s wearing his top hat). You have to take the roof off to get The Penguin in/out of the car. As I said in a previous caption, I’d love to see suicide doors on a car like this.

The Front

70911 The Penguin Arctic Roller - The Front
The front of the car is one of the most amazing parts of this set. The details are amazing. Check out those three different sets of lights. The huge headlines are pretty sweet. Right in the middle are missiles (or are they rockets?) that are fired by pushing the button on top of the hood.
70911 The Penguin Arctic Roller - Front Top
See the subtle hood ornament? It’s a penguin! I think it’s a really nice touch. I like the exposed engine on the top and the grill stickers. The front end looks huge from this perspective.

The Rear

70911 The Penguin Arctic Roller - Rear
The rear end of the car has some nice details. I really like the curved shape of the trunk. It seems like they could have come up with something a little more creative for a license plate, though. “High Flyer?” Um, Penguins don’t fly.
70911 The Penguin Arctic Roller - Rear Opened
In this view, you can see that the trunk is opened and The Penguin’s escape pod is neatly tucked inside. I’m not sure what it is but I’ve always loved LEGO sets that had little secret vehicles hidden inside. As a kid, I remember making LEGO trucks where a car could park inside with a rear door that opens. Maybe I watched too much Knight Rider.
70911 The Penguin Arctic Roller - Rear with Escape Pod
This is supposed to be an escape pod. It’s not much of an escape pod if you have to get out of the car, open the trunk and then climb on. Even so, it’s still a cool detail.
70911 The Penguin Arctic Roller - Escape Pod
Here’s a full view of The Penguin’s escape pod. It’s almost like a bonus vehicle and a nice addition to the set.

The Minifigs

This set comes with two minifigs, Batman and The Penguin. They are both cool minifigs, although I’m a little less impressed with Batman after seeing him in five other sets. Penguin, on the other hand, is only available in one other LEGO Batman Movie set, Batcave Break-in.

Batman

LEGO Review: 70911 The Penguin Arctic Roller - Batman
Batman is pretty much the same as always. It doesn’t make him any less awesome, though. He’s still my favorite superhero.
LEGO Review: 70911 The Penguin Arctic Roller - Batman 2
No big surprises as far as the accessories go. I am a little embarrassed to say that at first, I didn’t realize that Batman came with a utility belt. I think it’s a nice touch. I think all the superheroes need one.
LEGO Review: 70911 The Penguin Arctic Roller - Batman 3
Not much on the backside. Batman has a look on his face like “Hey. My head is on backward!”

The Penguin

LEGO Review: 70911 The Penguin Arctic Roller - The Penguin
The Penguin is one of my favorite villains in the whole series. I’m really looking forward to seeing him in the movie. All of my memories of The Penguin include Burgess Meredith playing him in the classic Batman TV series and then Danny DeVito playing him the 1980’s Batman movie.
LEGO Review: 70911 The Penguin Arctic Roller - Penguin 2
The Penguin has some pretty unique accessories. I really like the top hat, collar, and the umbrella. I also like the details with his jacket/vest and how they made it look like his stomach is bulging out.
LEGO Review: 70911 The Penguin Arctic Roller - The Penguin 3
There’s nothing going on in the back. I’m a little disappointed that they didn’t put an alternate face on him and they really dropped the ball on the back of his torso.

Final Thoughts

The Good

  • The details on the car are amazing. It doesn’t rely on stickers at all.
  • There’s plenty of value for the money. I don’t think you can’t find a better Batman set for $30.
  • I like The Penguin minifig. As I mentioned above, if you want him in your collection, this is only one of two sets in the series to feature him.

The Bad

I really enjoyed building this set and I think it would be a great addition to any collection. With that being said, I have to come up with three negatives:

  • It feels like there should have been one more minifig in the set. Maybe I can’t complain at the price point but most of the other sets in The LEGO Batman Movie series come with at least three minifigs.
  • The escape pod is cool but the fact that The Penguin can’t actually escape from the car in it is a bit of a downer. He’d have to get out of the car, open the trunk and then hop on it. It’s more like a sled. Again, I’m splitting hairs here.
  • I would have loved to see more detail on the back of The Penguin.

Overall, I think The Penguin Arctic Roller is a set worth owning. It’s right up there with The Joker Notorious Lowrider and The Batmobile.

Check out my reviews of other LEGO sets from The LEGO Batman Movie:

Note: I’ve built all of these sets and I’m hoping to add the reviews soon. Stay tuned!