One of the reasons director Joel Schumacher gave for Batman and Robin not being as good a movie as it could have been was that it was designed to sell toys. Yet somehow, it never generated particularly good toys. For all that investment, the action figures at the time didn’t have great likenesses and, in some cases, were based on early art that didn’t even resemble the final film. All these years later, McFarlane Toys has begun preorders for highly detailed figures that already seem more popular than the movie itself.
“Tonight’s forecast: a FREEZE is coming!”
Following the success of their Dark Knight trilogy wave, more Bat-movie figures seemed inevitable from McFarlane. But why Batman and Robin? Perhaps the fact that Jack Nicholson still commands royalties few are willing to pay for his Joker likeness keeps a Tim Burton wave from happening. And it’s also possible Tommy Lee Jones, who famously couldn’t sanction the buffoonery of his costar Jim Carrey, wasn’t cool about going back to that well. Say what one will about Batman and Robin, but it seems as though all involved have developed a sense of humor, or at least a thick skin, about their participation.
Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s Mr. Freeze will come in pieces as the wave’s build-a-figure. George Clooney’s Batman and Chris O’ Donnell’s Robin, in full rubber nipple/buttock glory, including freeze effects. Alicia Silverstone’s Batgirl and Uma Thurman’s Poison Ivy don’t come with extra accessories, but they look better than ever. McFarlane Toys’ actor likenesses are hit and miss sometimes, but if these early images are a guide, this wave is all hits.
It’s too bad Schumacher’s no longer around to see his handiwork finally do what it was supposed to. Or enjoy that reference at the end of The Flash (we can mention that now, right?). Check out the preview images below:
