Batman Forever /Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Soundtrack Special

I recently picked up quite a few more soundtrack albums and singles on various formats for Batman Forever and Batman & Robin so I thought it time to do a little special episode. It's really fun collecting all these formats and I am particularly glad to have picked up a cheap vinyl player as I'm really loving the format.

Turns out I still have a couple more things to get including The Flaming Lips - "Bad Days" single which although wasn't branded as a movie tie-in (it came out in December 1995) but has a cool novelty CD sleeve with green goo inside it.

Another CD a commentator pointed out is something called "Batman Forever - Gotham City Radio" which is an 11 minute non-stop compilation of the songs from the film mixed with audio clips of all the main characters. If anyone has a copy of this or know where it's been ripped, please let me know.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Microverse Heroes and Villains from Kenner

I previously covered the Observatory Playset for Kenner's Microverse line a few years back. I noted at the time that it was a little sad they only included two figures with the set - Batman and Mr Freeze. They actually released this set of all the heroes and villains as 1.5cm tall figures (sadly no Gordon or Alfred!).

At this scale, the paint work and sculpting is extremely tiny and limited. I'm kind of annoyed at them bulking out the box to make it look like you're buying something bigger. 

It is still fun though to see how they translated them down to this scale. I feel they maybe went a little too small - this is the kind of thing you'd have lost in seconds if you were a young kid. 

I have some similar set for Star Wars and Star Trek and those figures and playsets are much larger and substantial. Oh well, at least my Observatory set is more fuller now. I just wish Kenner had stuffer the playset with these figures to start with rather than making you buy them separately.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - 12 inch figures from Kenner

As well as the smaller 5 inch figures, Kenner also produced these larger 12 inch figures for the Batman & Robin movie that were aimed at a very young market. The Batgirl one feels like it was even maybe aimed at young girls who liked Barbie dolls.

I don't have complete or boxed versions of these but I felt there was enough to do a review. 

I particularly wanted to show the custom Clooney figure at the end. It makes you realise that these weren't a million miles away from the high end 1/6 scale figures of today from Hot Toys and the like.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - NightSphere vehicle from Kenner

Kenner were some cheap and cheerful toy makers at times. There a lot of examples if you go looking where they repurposed some of their own figures and vehicles. The Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves line was a classic example - using 

For Batman & Robin they repurposed this NightSphere vehicle from the Animated series which on the one hand was great as it's a really unique and fun vehicle incorporating a gyroscope that allows Batman to remain upright no matter what angle you flip him in. 

The downside is that the Animated series has slightly smaller proportioned figures and the exclusive one they packaged for this iteration CANNOT FIT without some extraordinary jamming. Also the exclusive figure is basically just the Heat Scan Batman with some slightly yellower arms and legs. They could have done something a bit more unique if they wanted.

All in all, fun vehicle, useless figure. Just get the Animated version instead.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Monopoly board game from USAopoly

Taking a quick break from figures to look at the one and only board game for the Batman & Robin movie. Unlike the previous three movies, this wasn't based around the plot of the movie but rather a licensed version of Monopoly - the classic property building game. So your enjoyment is entirely dependent on how fun you find that game.

On the plus side, there's some cool metal counters featuring the Batmobile, Redbird cycle, Bathammer and symbols of the various heroes and villains. I also really enjoyed the cards which had some funny bits like "Batmobile needs repairs. Pay $75".

But the movie is a ill fit for the games. There aren't really many locations to fill all the spaces so you end up having locations like "Alfred's Pantry"... which you then end up building multiple houses on! 

And the whole Batman-ness of it is very thin - it mostly uses just stock portraits of all the actors. I would have preferred more shots of the locations - maybe using the excellent concept art.

Oh well, still a bit of fun to bring out every now and then.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - DC Multiverse Light Up Batmobile from McFarlane

Finally got around to picking up the two Schumacher Batmobiles that came out last year from McFarlane.

First up, let's look at the Batman & Robin one. I remember back in 1997 not being a huge fan of the design when I first saw it in the film. It always struck me as being a little too garish and impractical. I got hung up on why there was no canopy anymore and why the lights underneath had to spin around in red, orange and blue. It's also probably where a lot of accusations of the movie being "toyetic".

Fast forward to 2026 and I'm mostly past all those issues now. Yes, it is a "toyetic" design... and as a toy looks fantastic. I know a lot of people picked this up to go with all the other movie Batmobiles that McFarlane has made and this one will really stick out in your collection if you get it - in a good way.

The design is a great match for the movie version. The body is super glossy, the light up feature really vibrant, and the sound really cool. Not having a canopy means you can easily fit whatever figure you want in it (even Mr Freeze).

There's a few small issues like the dashboard being a sticker and the lights not spinning around like they did in the movie but they are really minor. I mean when you look at how they messed up the Forever Batmobile (green lights!!) and the Burton Batmobile (mismatched grey canopy!!) it's great that they finally got one "right". I guess it helps that it was one of the last ones that McFarlane is making and they have learned from their past mistakes.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Ice Fortress playset by Kenner

This week we're looking at the Ice Fortress playset from Kenner.

"But Mr Freeze didn't have an Ice Fortress in the film!", I hear you say. Fair point, but I always love Kenner when they go off script and invent new stuff that wasn't in whatever film they're adapting. They were great at that sort of thing and it always made for great story telling adventures as a kid.

There's not a whole lot to the set. It's primarily a few bits of translucent blue plastic that click together. There's a disc firing cannon in the middle, a couple of white cannons that fire green missiles and some swivelling guns too.

I do love that they included a new backpack and hand missile for Batman - anticipating that kids who buy the set will likely have other figures already. 

I recognised the backpack thing from the Crime Squad Animated Series line (it even still has the logo on the picture on the front). The fire missile is from the Knightquest (aka Azrael) figure from the Legends of Batman line. Got to love how Kenner recycle things.

There's also some mines and grenades too (sorry, ice grenades and freeze mines). But to be honest, you'll probably lose them.

I don't mention in the review because it only got pointed out to me in the YouTube comments after posting. This whole playset is actually a complete lift of this Ice Station Zero playset from the 90s GI Joe Extreme line.

Now all the guns make sense.

Got to love it when Kenner dust something off and rebrands it for another toy line. This is not the first time I've spotted this. Famously their Robin Hood Prince of Thieves lines took bits of several other lines ranging from Return of the Jedi to Robocop!

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - 1:3 Scale Clooney Cowl from McFarlane

After buying so many action figures - both new and vintage - it's fun to have something different to review. I've seen these McFarlane mini cowls before but it took until they brought out this George Clooney one until I got interested in them.

I've got to say, they're actually kind of awesome. For £20, I think it’s a reasonable price. It's only made out of plastic but it looks much higher quality. 

I would recommend these for any fans of this movie. It doesn't take up much space and looks cool mixed in with your figure collection or on it's own. Just hoping they get around to doing the Kilmer/Forever one soon.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Kids Colonel Meal toys from KFC

Sad to say the kids toys they gave away for Batman & Robin are not as cool as the Glass mugs they did at McDonalds for Batman Forever.

For the 1997 movie KFC had the fast food license (in the UK anyway) and offered a Kids Colonel Meal that had 1 of 4 tie-in toys depending on which week you bought the meal.

Weirdly only two are connected to the film - an inflatable bat symbol and a puzzle cube featuring some awesome artwork of the main characters.

The other two are a transforming batmobile and a squirting Mr Freeze statue based on the animated series designs. 

Not sure why they did this - one commenter on the video says that the animated ones were given away by Taco Bell in the US a year earlier and both companies have the same owner so maybe they just wanted to get rid of some extra stock. Who knows?

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Frostbite Batman & Robin figures from McFarlane

As McFarlane Toys begins it's winding down making DC action figures (they will lose the licence in 2026 as it moves back to Mattel) it's not surprising they want to squeeze out some quick easy ones to make a little extra cash. Repaints of existing figures, re-uses of bits and pieces of existing figures. 

It seems like a no-brainer to make an ice theme version of Batman & Robin - all they have to do is cast the same molds in a different sort of plastic. Initially I thought this was something they were only for the B&R movie line but it turns out there are lots of these "Frostbite editions" for their other comic book based Batman figures too.

Of the two, I really wanted to get the Robin figure as it sort of looks like the bit in the movie where he gets frozen. Sure the earlier figures had some clip on ice pieces which were a fun addition but I tend not to put those on him when he's in my cabinet.

As I say in the video these figures remind me of the old Star Wars: Power of the Force line from the 90s where they made translucent figures of Obi-Wan, Anakin and Yoda to make them look like force ghosts. Turns out these aren't quite as see through - there's a layer of "frosting" that's been added to the figure - which I guess is necessary as the internal workings are a little more on display than those earlier Star Wars figures.

I don't think these are necessarily an essential purchase but I'll take all the variations that McFarlane want to throw out.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Ultimate Batman and Ultimate Robin figures from Kenner

I reviewed the (so-called) Ultimate Batman Forever figure from Kenner a few years back. It was a pretty large 15 inch action figure that had very limited movement and mostly served as a statue. Kenner, of course, made Ultimate figures for the Batman & Robin movie too - this time of both heroes.

The issues are mostly the same. The likeness is kind of wonky on both and they are posed dynamically. The cape is extremely see-through and the only moveable parts are the arms and waist. Still, they are kind of fun to put on a shelf and look great side by side. All in all, a non-essential purchase.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Batmobile vehicle from Kenner

Finally getting around to reviewing this Batmobile from Kenner. It took me a little while because I purchased it on eBay without checking it was complete (rookie error). For years I was missing the missile on the front and given that's really the only play feature I thought I should wait until I found one.

Fast forward a few years and I now have a complete Batmobile. I wish I could say it was worth the wait but unfortunately this is a pretty disappointing vehicle. 

The car in the movie seems tailormade to make a toy out of but sadly Kenner fumbled the ball. The biggest issue being there's no light up feature - instead we have some very boring stickers. We don't even get a steering wheel! 

My theory is that Kenner put more effort into the Bathammer (which does light up) and chose to save some money on a Batmobile. I guess they figured more kids would be interested in the new vehicle and most might already own one of their old Batmobiles from the previous movies or Animated series.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Deluxe Wing Blast Robin figure from Kenner

Slowly picking up the last few of the Batman & Robin figures from Kenner. Managed to snag this Deluxe Wing Blast Robin recently after a long search. It was a nightmare to find due to there also being a similarly named "Blast Wing" Batman figure in the line. 

Anyway, glad I got it as it's a really nice figure.

For starters there's some amazing artwork on the box of Chris O'Donnell wearing a photo realistice version of this suit.

The figure is in an appropriately snow themed blue and white version of the Nightwing suit. Like most of the line it's only two colours but the sculpting is great, lots of little details like the bird on his back.

He comes with a little scythe weapon (very similar to the Batgirl figure) and this really nifty back pack with spring out wings that reminds me of similar Batman figures from the animated series line.

There's also a missile that clips on to the backpack and fires. All in all, a really solid figure.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - George Clooney Batman figure from Beast Kingdom

Kinda weird that only a few months after McFarlane released their Ultimate Batman Movie figure set that Taiwanese toy manufacturer Beast Kingdom announced they too were making a figure of every Batman actor from Keaton to Pattinson. While McFarlanes were around 7 inches, the Beast Kingdoms were an inch taller and all sold separately.

I, of course, had to pick up the two Schumacher ones even though they aren't fantastic. The George Clooney one is probably the better of the two.

The figure has tons of articulation but it comes at the expense of some very open joints (particularly around the groin). The head sculpt is actually really good for the price but it sits weirdly high on the figure and is awkward to put in any pose. The cape is nice and has wire inside but again, it's weirdly connected to the cowl. 

It's a textbook case of one step forward, one step back. Still it's fun to have something a little different on the shelf and although I sound disappointed un the video, I have come around a little more on it.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Ultimate Armor Mr Freeze figure from Kenner

Getting close to completing the Batman & Robin toy line. These last few are becoming harder and harder to track down. I was lucky to find someone in Germany selling this and ended up paying a bit extra to get it posted to the UK.

This was totally worth it though. The figure is a villain version of those Batman and Robin figures where you snap on the armour and those types of figures are some of my favourite ones ever. 

This time it makes way more sense because Arnie's suit was big and bulky and he did have a sequence where he has to put it all on ("A laundry service that delivers!").

The paint work is still pretty minimal but I appreciate them going with something other than blue for the colour. The mint green undersuit looks kind of awesome.

Just a couple more Mr Freeze figures to go.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Deluxe Rooftop Pursuit Batman figure from Kenner

Another day, another Batman figure. This one has a pretty cool colour scheme though. And even has the classic yellow oval symbol on his chest. I was always kind of disappointed that wasn't on Clooney's suit in the film. Nice to see it back here on a figure.

Once again, we have huge backpack that sort of turns Batman into a one-man jet. It's a little clunky and actually when it's all on it's tough to get him to stand up.

Anyway, this is far from the best figure in the line but far from the worst either.

And here's an interesting fact I learnt after I posted the review. Kenner/Hasbro actually reused most of the vehicle as Deluxe Midnight Pursuit Batman figure from a later Animated series line.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Deluxe Aerial Defender Robin figure from Kenner

This figure and it's Batman counterpart might be some of the strangest figures of the Batman & Robin toyline. Rather than have a figure and a backpack, this one fuses the figure permanently into a mini plane. In fact, on closer inspection, you only get a head and torso.

As a kid I probably would have hated this and tried to pull the vehicle apart but as an adult I find it kind of novel. Kenner were trying to find new ways to make their action figures stand out and I can't blame them for that. Particularly when your toy line has over 40 figures!

One interesting note is that the figures are actually pretty accurate to the look and colours of the ice suits in that are used at the end of the movie (the Guardians of Gotham 2 pack are also pretty close).

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Microverse Observatory Playset from Kenner

I've got a lot of nostalgia for these kind of micro playsets. I had 5-6 Mighty Max playsets back in the day (some of which are still intact) and definitely a few of the Star Wars ones. I don't know how much I played with them but they were always fun to set up and have on a shelf. There's something intrinsically fun about having a movie set rendered in miniature form. 

Took me a while to find a complete version of this Observatory playset. People tend to lose all the little accessories easily which is understandable so it means wading through tons of half complete sets on eBay. Glad to finally have it in my collection but it doesn't feel quite as fun or packed with features as the three Batman Forever ones.

The scale of the figures is very small and the playset feels a little bit... empty. It could have really done with a trapdoor or missile or something extra to bring the whole thing to life. 

There's two more Batman & Robin microverse sets out there - a Batcave one and a slightly larger Arctic Gotham set. I'll keep my eye out for them. I'd really like the set of micro figures too (shown in the video) but I can't find these anywhere.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Thermal Shield Batman figure from Kenner

I've done so many review videos I've sort of lost track what I've covered (hence the error in this video where I start comparing it to Rooftop Pursuit Batman figure which I bought ages age and assumed I already covered).

Anyway, Thermal Shield is a pretty fun figure. I like the big mask that flips down over his head and the sculpting on the figure itself is one of my favourites. 

I don't know if the hole on Batman's head really is for the missile but it does make for a hilariously goofy look when you put it there.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Jet Blade vehicle from Kenner

While the Batman's Bathammer and Batgirl's Ice Cycle were more or less faithfully translated to toy form by Kenner, Robin's Batskiff (as it's sometimes dubbed) was translated twice and neither are particularly close to the size or shape of the vehicle. 

First we had a small miniaturised red and black version that came with Deluxe Glacier Robin and now we have another larger version that comes with... no figure at all. In fact the box depicts Batman driving it, but clearly this is meant to be the Bat Skiff.

It's a much longer shape than it appeared on screen and the fan is much smaller but it's still a nice design. I wish they had picked a slightly shinier grey than the matt colour they went for.

Sadly, there are no light up features like it had on screen. Clearly all the money was put into making the Bathammer toy light up. It's not a complete loss though, the vehicle has a fun pull-out wings feature and best of all the missile is NOT another push button affair. We have a novel spinning blade wheel that fires out.

I think this feature was taken from an existing projectile feature that had been used a couple of years earlier in a Batman Forever role play toy called the AeroDisc Shooter.

Anyway, if you have the other vehicles, this one is a must. Otherwise what is Robin going to drive.