Power Attack Total Destruction Batmobile

I ordered this Mattel Total Destruction Batmobile from Amazon on clearance back in March- after passing on it at retail multiple times, I saw the Fanboys Forever video review on YouTube, and Brandon & Jared's enthusiastic endorsement sold me on the car! I returned the Power Attack Blast Lane Batmobile I found at Target before getting this car, not for it's lack of aesthetic, but rather it's disappointingly empty cockpit. The Total Destruction is a better value in many ways, including but not limited to it's sizable chassis, superior cockpit detail, and action features. Check out my newest video of this fun Batmobile...

This car is much better looking than I remember upon closer study at SDTB Headquarters. I somehow missed the pearlescent blue plastic the car's body had been cast in- it's subtle enough to go undetected in the wrong lighting apparently. There's some of the uneven swirling of the glittery finish this technique suffers from, but it does add to the otherwise simple deco of the vehicle.

This car has the 1940's inspired Bat-Cowl grill that we've seen in recent Mattel Batmobiles, perhaps revived by the Brave & The Bold homage to comicdom's  most famous car. We also see elements of the 1989 Batmobile in the car's rear exhaust and tail fins, art deco elements from the Batman the Animated Batmobile in the hood and engine/running board venting, and a wink at the 1966 Batmobile with the red-orange highlights.

Like I said, Mattel downgraded on features when releasing the Blast Lane Batmobile after the Total Destruction Batmobile. While there's no real paint detailing in the cockpit, we do get do get some instruments detailing in the sculpt and a steering wheel the Power Attack Batman figures can grip onto. The canopy snaps down somewhat clumsily on the right side and would seem the easiest part to break, but settles in sleekly onto the car and is slightly flexible- it should have a safe life here in the Super-DuperToyBox. 

I like that the canopy is clear blue, allowing one to see the figure seated inside- another desirable element the Blast Lane Batmobile lacked. The fins and cowled grill are made of a more flexible plastic the rest of the car to avoid breakage- one of my fins is ever so slightly bent, but the curvature on the fins disguises this pretty well. 

Action features! Like Fanboys Jared & Brandon said, this car doesn't light up or make sounds, but we do get a more retro action feature in the car's rubber band-powered battering ram grill. Without electronics to inevitably fail, Mattel outfitted this Batmobile with a feature that will last the life of the vehicle, maintained by the simple replacement of a common household item. Smart. 

The car also fires it's included projectiles from the nose, engaged by depressing one of the engine blocks on the hood, as the battering ram is engaged. The missiles won't knock any of the Power Attack figures down, but it fires easily enough, and works with accessories included with some of the Power Attack figures, like my Twin Blades Batman.

Some comparison shots of the Total Destruction Batmobile with my Stealth Jet Batmobile, Super Friends My First Batmobile, and  Imaginext Batmobile:

There's been a lot of attention on the new Mattel 6" scale '66 Batmobile lately, and for good reasons, but I love this toy's color scheme, simplicity, and play value a lot. For $14.00 shipped, it was a bargain.  I'd recommend it to anyone who collects Batmobiles like myself, or simply loves fun toys. Defined as an "evergreen line" of toys, without merchandising ties to a current video game, movie, or television franchise, the Power Attack line has appealed to me for the most part- I had no interest in the "deluxe" figures from this line, but have seriously contemplated picking up the Bat Cave playset. Be sure to check out my Power Attack Mr. Freeze video if you haven't!

More Later-Make It FUN!!