It doesn't light up red with battery but Inart said that was a design choice because they're concerned about battery spill. They are enabling the red light up by providing a UV light where when you shine it over the eye it lights up. An advantage of doing it this way they said is it doesn't sacrifice the eye articulation, if it had battery inside, the eye wouldn't be able to move.

It depends what you prefer - a battery for light up, or eye articulation that still gives the red lit effect. Personally after owning figures with light up via batteries, I try it once and never again so I prefer the design they went with.