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 - Blade Blast Robin figure from Kenner

I may have finished off all the Batman Forever figures but there's still plenty of Batman & Robin ones to go. 

Here is a fairly standard "peg warmer" called Blade Blast Robin. He sports the same shade of neon orange as Heat Scan Batman so you can make a good pairing with him. I'm surprised Kenner didn't re-release them as a two pack.

The missile he comes with is very cumbersome. There's no way you can stand the figure on its own while holding it. It does have a cool switch that flicks out the yellow blades though.

News: Beast Kingdom is making new Batman Forever and Batman & Robin figures

Beast Kingdom has previewed these 8 inch (I think) figures at the Licensing Expo 2024.

They seem to be doing the same thing as McFarlane and making a whole range of Batman movie figures from Michael Keaton to Robert Pattinson and everything in between.

Most interesting are some new figures of Val Kilmer's Batman, George Clooney's Batman and a Jim Carrey Riddler figure.

I've got to say I love the look of the Riddler (maybe even more than the forthcoming McFarlane figure). The cloth jacket and bowler hat look ace.

I'm less keen on the Clooney and Kilmer figures though. I don't know, something feels a bit off about them. Their heads seem quite far off their bodies.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Mr Freeze figure from McFarlane

Finally at the end of the McFarlane line. This episode looks at Batman (which I've already reviewed) and the Build a Figure Mr Freeze. I've got to say they did a great job with Mr Freeze. I wish we had a Jeep Swenson Bane figure as well but hey, maybe that was too much to ask for.

The Mr Freeze has a great head sculpt. Really good Arnold Schwarzenegger vibes. And I love that they used a semi-translucent blue for the see-through parts of the helmet.

The only criticism I really have are the colours of the suit. The blue parts of the suit feel a bit light and flat. Obviously these lit up on the real suit but that's impossible to do on this scale. I still feel they could have come with a brighter colour. 

I've had a look at other people's customs and I think I'm going to find some shiny pearlescent blue plastic to stick over the top of these bits.

The other issue is the grey suit which really should have been painted with chrome. I'm going to try and rectify this by using a "Molotow Liquid Chrome pen, 2.0 tip" as recommended by ace action figure customizer Les Walker.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Robin figure from McFarlane

Third in the McFarlane Batman & Robin wave is Chris O'Donnell's Robin. 

It's a pretty great figure. The likeness isn't as perfect as Poison Ivy but I think it's a solid effort. The pouty lips and big jawline are there.

I love that they added some accessories for this one. There are two ice pieces that can go over his head and arm so you can recreate the part of the movie where Mr Freeze blasts him with his freeze ray. That's a neat touch.

Hopefully if this line sells well, we'll get an Ice Suit Robin in the near future. If not, I'll just have to buy a duplicate and get out the old Chrome paint.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Poison Ivy figure from McFarlane

If any character from Batman & Robin deserved a better action figure it's Poison Ivy. She got two versions for the Kenner toyline and both had a face sculpt that looked nothing like Uma Thurman and both costumes looked nothing like any of the outfits she had in the film.

25 years later McFarlane had righted that wrong and made - in my opinion - the highlight of their Batman & Robin line.

The body is really accurate to the movie costume. If I was pedantic, some of the colours could gave been closer - the red hair for instance is maybe too vibrant. But they're accurate enough for me.

It's the face sculpt that is the most impressive element. They've really captured Uma's likeness. If you only buy one figure, this is the one to get.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Batgirl figure from McFarlane

I've finally tracked down all four of the recent McFarlane Batman & Robin figures and they are glorious. I still can't quite believe they are real and not a dream.

I'm not a big collector of modern figures. I mostly buy vintage stuff from the 90s so forgive me if I don't have the knowledge to compare how these are to other modern figures.

Anyway, first off is the Alicia Silverstone Batgirl. Apart from the matt black colour (why not blue, like the movie?) I don't have much to critique.

The face could have been slightly better. Certainly adding a little black mole on his cheek help with the likeness.

The most surprising element I like is actually the molded plastic cape. I usually hate these things but this one is really well done, the ripple on the cape really give it a realism.

I'll put the Mr Freeze bits to one side and build him at the end.

Anyway, goes with out saying. If you read this blog you should buy this figure. Who knows, they sell enough we may get a Batmobile to go with it!

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - 5 Diecast Vehicle Set from Kenner

Diecast vehicles are never my favourite things to collect but I had to pick this Batman & Robin set because it was going cheap on eBay.

It contains 4 of the vehicles seen in the film - the Batmobile, Bathammer, Redbird cycle and Mr Freeze's Freezemobile. All at various scales.

Sadly Batgirl's ice cycle doesn't get a look in. Instead we're given an exclusive Mr Freeze's Thugmobile - which I'm fairly certain is a repaint from another line.

Anyway, these are fun but not essential. The accuracy is pretty loose and the paintwork isn't great. But if you want to put in the time with your own painting skills they might be worth it.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - George Clooney Batman figure from McFarlane

Thanks to an extremely generous fan I have the George Clooney Batman figure from the McFarlane Ultimate Batman Collection to review.

If you are a fan of the movie Batman & Robin this is the figure you've been waiting for. The sculpt is really spot on. Maybe not as much as the Val Kilmer one but it's recognizably Clooney's face. All the details are there - yep, even the nipples.

Articulation is excellent. The only one I didn't need is the neck. They should have kept it like the movie suit and not have him able to turn his head. 

The figure is also available as a solo release (as part of a 4 figure wave (with bonus build a Figure Mr Freeze). That one comes with a plastic cape. This one has the cloth cape which is nicer.

Anyway, what are you doing reading this review. Get out there and buy one. If this sells well, maybe we'll get a Batmobile!

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Bane figure from Kenner

If you are more interested in a traditional Bane figure this is the one for you.

Sadly Kenner didn't make him look much like his actual appearance in the film with those sickly green arms and massive skull button on his chest. I guess this was another case of making figures before the costumes were made.

The design seems to be based very much on the comic version (designed by Graham Nolan). I enjoy the little accessories he comes with - the massive metal glove and the weird axe on a rope. Even if you don't like this movie, this is still a good Bane figure to get if you like the character. He fits in quite nicely with the Legends of Batman figures (which didn't get a Bane figure in the line).

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Brain vs Brawn figures from Kenner

Very fun two pack of figures here. 

You get a completely chrome Batman which looks fantastic in the light but the real treasure is the bonkers Bane figure. Kenner really went all out on this - coming up with a really fun concept whereby Bane has been seemingly surgically altered to be half made of see through ice and half covered in mutated plant vines. 

As I say in the video, I can't help but be reminded of Jason X even though that film came out 5 years later. This Bane is a definite highlight of the line.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Snowtracker Batman figure from Kenner

This week we've got Snowtracker Batman - another cold themed Batman figure. That was basically the theme of all the Batman and Robin toy line. Hot or cold (...or plants).

Anyway it's got a hard white cape that folds into place and fires a missile out the back. And that's about it. I don't know, this one wasn't working for me. It feels a little bit basic.

The one bit of interest is the paintwork on the legs 😔

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Mr Freeze figure from Funko Pop

And so we reach the last remaining figure I needed to get for the Funko/Schumacher Batman figures. The Mighty Mr Freeze.

As with all Funkos the attention to detail is perfect. They've really captured the likeness really well. If you like Funkos and like Arnie's Mr Freeze this is well worth getting and eminently affordable (which not a lot of toys are!). 

As I mention in the video Funko have had a tough time recently and these aren't as plentiful in shops anymore so if you want one I wouldn't wait too long.

As for my sidenote about McFarlane making some Schumacher figures in the future, I seem to have willed this into being!

McFarlane Toys have just yesterday announced they will be making a line of Batman & Robin figures as well as an Ultimate 6 Pack of all the Movies Batmen (Keaton, Kilmer, Clooney, Bale, Affleck and Pattinson).

See my posts on www.1995batman.com here and here.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Frostbite figure from Kenner

Henchmen are an essential element of many Batman stories. Who can forget Jack Napier's "number one guy" Bob the goon? (Who got a figure from the Toybiz line). Or Two Face's hulking henchmen with their neon Tommy guns? (Who didn't get a figure but maybe show have).

Of course the Batman & Robin movie had the ultra silly idea to give Arnold Schwarzenegger's Mr Freeze a "hockey team from hell". And we did at least get one figure named Frostbite. I'm not 100% sure he's meant to be the same character as Frosty (the henchman who get frozen by Freeze for interrupting the movie). 

Anyway, it's a decent sculpt. He's got his mask down and has this weird backpack/luge/armour thing that folds in lots of different directions. I've got to admit this one had me puzzled. There's no instructions for how this works.

But anyway, you can either fire the hockey sticks or put them in his hands as weapons. And that's enough for me. I'm glad we got a henchman and maybe if I get bored I'll buy a few of them, paint them slightly different colours and build a little army.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Neon Armor Batman figure from Kenner

One of the notable things about Kenner was their thriftiness. They'd often pad out toyline with existing molds. Robin Hood Prince of Thieves for instance used Hawkman and Robin (from Super Powers), a villain from Robocop and a Gamorean Guard.

Rather than be annoyed at this, I always admired their ingenuity and appreciated them trying to maximise the amount of figures in a toyline.

When it came time  to do the Batman & Robin toyline, they did reuse a few molds from the Batman Forever line. In most cases it just required a swap of a Kilmer head to a Clooney one.

Neon Armour Batman is a typical example. I think ultimately it's a downgrade but still a relatively fun figure with some cool snap on armour.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Robin Redbird cycle figure from Kenner

Of all the vehicles in Batman & Robin I think the Redbird cycle was my favourite. It was sleek, it had a little bit of colour and Robin looked cool riding it.

Thankfully Kenner translated the bike to toy form very faithfully. The bike looks great and has the usual extra play features. A missile on the front, trip bars either side and most bizarrely a rocket underneath the bike (surely this should come out the back).

The way Robin rides the bike is the only let down. I shouldn't be surprised - Kenner used this design a lot. The Street Racer Batman bike for Batman Forever worked the same, as did The Shadow movie bike.

Anyway the figure that comes with the bike looks great. It's a rework on the Battle Glacier Robin figure (the one with the snowmobile) painted yellow and black. The colour scheme reminds me of the mid 90s Nightwing costume which was also pretty great.

Batman & Robin Merchandise Review - Deluxe Ice Terror Mr Freeze figure from Kenner

It's weird that considering how toyetic the Batman & Robin movie was that some elements of the film didn't become toys.

Mr Freeze's Freezemobile seems like an obvious candidate for a toy but sadly the closest we came was this Deluxe Ice Terror Mr Freeze that came with this three wheeled dragster.

It's a big step down. I know Kenner had a few of these three wheel vehicles across their various Batman toylines but I never felt they worked. They always felt really weedy compared to the massive batmobile and batbikes.

There's an attempt to make the vehicle more interesting by giving it the ability to transform but again, for me, it's very lacklustre. It just turns into a slightly lower, longer dragster. Why not make it turn into a plane or a sled?

The figure itself is okay. An interesting attempt at giving Mr Freeze a suit with lots of cooling pipes. I appreciate them trying to make a more colourful Mr Freeze.