1/6 Hot Toys Batman Forever Batman (sonar suit)

[Wor-Gar]

At this point I think it would be hilarious if we didn't hear anything about Batman and Robin for three+ years. It wouldn't even surprise me at this point.

Its a lot more likely these never see the light of day than it is that they get a PO.

Not certain what the response is -- the response that HT cares about -- but I can't imagine that the demand is greater than it was for '89 or Returns, and HT left both those movies behind without much care... and no Penguin or Catwoman.

If I was HT, they only way I would release these two figures is as a two-figure set. Buy them both for $450+ or don't have them at all.

 

[DiFabio]

Hot Toys is ****ing crazy.

We can speculate all we want, but their decision making for the past several years has been bizarre. If this Batman and Robin dont show up for preorder in the next two months, it honestly wouldnt surprise me if they never showed up at all. If that does end up being the case, it truly is baffling why they even decided to pursue this license (and make these prototypes) in the first place.

I always think, ok, now would be the perfect time for them to release _______
and they just never capitalize on it or strike when the iron is hot. Instead they make photo negative Spider-Man and neon War Machine or the 20th iteration of a Marvel character that nobody needs. It is very frustrating.

 

[sj2106]

I think I would buy these but only if they make Riddler and Two Face to go with them. Without the villains everything looks so plain but unless it's Joker and Harley Quinn Hot Toys don't seem interested.

 

[DiFabio]

I think I would buy these but only if they make Riddler and Two Face to go with them. Without the villains everything looks so plain but unless it's Joker and Harley Quinn Hot Toys don't seem interested.

Riddler and Two-Face will never happen. They couldnt even get Returns Catwoman, Penguin or the Romero Joker out to collectors, Batman Forever villains? Zero chance.

Its so weird too because a Pfeiffer Catwoman or Carrey Riddler would probably be insanely popular . . . except in Asia I guess.

 

[Khev]

I don't know how I could pass on a HT Arnold Freeze. Kind of seems like a no-brainer for them since they've made so many Batman *and* Arnold figures.

 

[Wor-Gar]

But they'll make the robed Freeze with Polar Bear slippers. Accessory will be a frozen dinner.

 

[Khev]

Well he could still have his gun for the "I hate it when people tock during da movie" scene, lol.

 

[Wor-Gar]

I think the only way I would be tempted by these Caped Crusaders is if they went full Schumacher World... made Carrey Riddler, Jones Two-Face, Arnold Freeze and Uma Ivy.

I'd be willing to overlook "Boooooooooooom" Bane.


The crazy colors alone would make this one of the most eye-popping shelves possible.



That said, I'd much prefer just getting that promised Penguin and Catwoman from Returns to add to my lonely Batman and Joker '89 shelf.

 

[DiFabio]

I don't know how I could pass on a HT Arnold Freeze. Kind of seems like a no-brainer for them since they've made so many Batman *and* Arnold figures.

Hot Toys are not really innovative anymore. I could never see them being creative or inventive with an Arnold Freeze. That kind of figure would require too much effort on their part.

It's November now and this past year has been extremely boring for Hot Toys,


- Nebula
- Mysterio
- Venompool
- Captain Marvel
- Stan Lee 2.0
- Pepper Potts 2.0
- Thanos 3.0
- Star Lord 4.0
- Hawkeye 4.0
- Rocket Raccoon 5.0
- Tony Stark 6.0
- Black Widow 8.0
- Thor 9.0
- Hulk 6.0
- Punisher War Machine
- War Machine 11.0
- War Machine 10.0
- War Machine 12.0 (neon)
- Captain America 14.0
- Spider-Man
- Spider-Man
- Spider-Man
- Spider-Man
- Spider-Man
- Spider-Man
- Spider-Man
- 1/4 Spider-Man
- Iron Man
- Iron Man
- Iron Man (neon)

- Krennic
- Commander Cody
- Qui-Gon Jinn
- Jawa
- The Mandalorian
- IG-11
- Sith Trooper
- Princess Leia
- Wicket
- Darth Maul 2.0

- Alita
- Pennywise
- Hell Boy 2.0

- Flash (tv show)
- Two-Face 2.0


DC / WB and Aliens and Robots are nothing to them now. Not a single Batman, Terminator, or Joker in a year where it was Batman's 80th anniversary (30th for the 1989 film) that every company with a toy license has celebrated, a Terminator movie year and a Joker movie year.

They're grossly incompetent. There are only 8 weeks left to this year. I guarantee they round the year with more boring releases (like a Rey 4.0 or another Iron Man) instead of finishing strong.

 

[Khev]

Wow the amount of non-Marvel/SW offerings has been absolutely pitiful this year hasn't it. Probably one of the reasons it's so fun to keep seeing BF Batman and Robin popping up. I'm shocked that Alita somehow made the cut.

 

[DiFabio]

I just don't get how there wasn't a single Batman or Joker figure. Even like Shazam I think was worthy of a figure and it was actually announced and teased if I remember correctly. That would be a really cool and unique release.

The biggest blunder on their part is the Phoenix Joker. Holy ****, talk about a missed opportunity and getting caught with your pants down. That film has been huge, Joker is an iconic figure (and what I'd argue put Hot Toys on the map) and there's nothing. Nada. No teaser, no announcement, no figure. Sure, there might be some legal reason they didn't make it, but it would have been the perfect time to release that awesome Romero Joker or another Jack Joker or a Ledger Nurse Joker or something Joker related, right?

Yet we got like 4 versions of the Jared Leto Joker, 3 versions of Harley Quinn and that stupid Deadshot Will Smith a few years ago. It's just baffling to me. That company has no sense of zeitgeist.

I'd really like to see Sonar Batman and Robin go up for order this year, just to break up the monotony of Hot Toys right now. They're just not fun anymore. There was that one year we got things like Bespin Luke, Keaton Batman, Nicholson Joker, Indiana Jones and Reeve Superman, all within the same year. It was amazing. Now it's like, if it's not Marvel or Star Wars, it's not happening.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Joker movie wasn't released in HK... so that may have had something to do with it.

 

[Khev]

Hopefully they sold all of their Leto Jokers because I bet they couldn't give one of those away now.

 

[ZE_501]

[...]They're just not fun anymore. There was that one year we got things like Bespin Luke, Keaton Batman, Nicholson Joker, Indiana Jones and Reeve Superman, all within the same year. It was amazing. Now it's like, if it's not Marvel or Star Wars, it's not happening.

All things considered, the above may be why my collecting went from a trickle to nothing.

I?m not their target market anymore. [emoji50]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DiFabio]

Hopefully they sold all of their Leto Jokers because I bet they couldn't give one of those away now.

Joker movie wasn't released in HK... so that may have had something to do with it. Not certain what the response is -- the response that HT cares about -- but I can't imagine that the demand is greater than it was for '89 or Returns, and HT left both those movies behind without much care... and no Penguin or Catwoman.

That's another thing. If it's all about their Hong Kong based audience and what they like to see (which is Iron Man and War Machine apparently), why the hell would you pay to pick up the rights to do figures from an obscure Batman movie from 1995? Does anyone in Asia even know or remember Batman Forever? It's just such an oddity.

Going back to the Leto Joker stuff, it's also hard to believe that the Returns Batman was shown 5 years ago and they never visited that license ever again. That figure (and two pack with Wayne) sold out pretty quickly and it goes for big bucks on the secondary market now. The same can be said with the DX 09 and DX 08 which go for obscene prices now. Even the NECA Catwoman and Penguin were insanely popular. Why they never pursued Penguin and Catwoman or a suit vault or even a battle damaged variation of Batman just doesn't make much sense to me. It felt too early to start diving into Batman Forever.

I also miss their vehicles. I'm looking at that '89 Batmobile they made right now as I post this and realize something like that will NEVER happen again. What happened to their 1/12 line? A one 1/12 '89 Batwing? That thing would SELL. Same with classic X-Wings and TIE Fighters. It's so annoying how they show these potential products at shows with the little "TBD" plaques only for them to never be seen again. It's becoming more and more common too.

 

[Wor-Gar]

With the demise of Star Wars and the end of Marvel, I'd say we have the best chance of HT revisiting some of those old promises next year... depending on the tariff war.

 

[jespernicolaj]

I still have faith that we will see these. I am somehow surprised that they didn't tease a Arnold Terminator. He seems to be big in Asia. But the sad truth is, Marvel is ruling this company now. Star Wars is still alive (thank God) but DC is dead in the water

 

[ZE_501]

[...] depending on the tariff war.

A trade dispute -- what could possibly go wrong?

 

[Khev]

Okay there are few threads on the internet where I probably won't get shredded for saying this but here goes anyway, lol.

I just watched BF from beginning to end on the new 4K disc that came out this year and holy crap is that a gorgeous film. I won't get into comparisons with current films but you guys probably know where I could easily go. Cinematography is becoming a lost art for many blockbusters and BF really highlights that fact.

As for the movie itself, um, yeah I really like, lol. It's weird just how different this one is than B&R. All the characters actually talk like normal human beings for the most part. Bruce and Chase even have dare I say "cute" and natural banter with one another as opposed to just spouting one-liners. Okay the rooftop scene with the black rubber/try a fireman exchange was very one-liner-y and gave us the famous "it's the car right, chicks dig the car" which then dominated *every* line in B&R but other than that one rooftop exchange the dialogue is otherwise pretty natural throughout.

Jim Carrey's physical performance is still as entertaining as ever and kind of mind-blowing just how the guy moves his whole body. Sure we still see the Bale's and the Phoenix's greatly increasing or decreasing their weight, Hanks and Maguire did the same last decade, but freaking nobody glides around a set like Carrey did. It gives BF a level of (as the Riddler himself put it) "showmanship" that just isn't matched in any possibly any other cbm. The car chases and Batman acrobatics/fights are pretty cool too.

BF is loud and bright and many would say garish (not that they'd be wrong) but I just can't right it off as a bad movie. Seeing the jaw dropping 4K even helped remind me of why I easily ranked it above the Burton films when it first came out.

And yeah I know this post will be a lot to take for people even in this thread so roast away, lol.

 

[ZE_501]

[...]

When I take the film for what it is, without unrealistic standards, I find it at least fun. I've seen it twice I think? Once fairly recently. Maybe I'll take another look tonight.