Batman Movie Promotional Drinking Cups/Mugs

Though obviously not action figures these promotional Movie cups and mugs from the first four Batman movies are still very cool tie-in collectables and here I will explore some of the best on offer...

BATMAN (Taco Bell)

The first Batman movie created a merchandising blitz like nothing seen before with the famed Batman emblem turning up on everything from mugs to hats to pin badges to bath mats and more

but some of my favourite collectables from that original 1989 blockbuster are these Taco Bell refill cups. With four styles to collect each cup had a unique Batman graphic image in varying poses and a brief bio on the back covering the man Himself, Gotham City, the Batmobile and the Batwing!

BATMAN RETURNS (McDONALDS)

Batman Returns was hotly anticipated on it release in 1992 after the phenomenally successful first movie with merchandise being even more varied than before. This time McDonalds had dabs on the fast food merchandising front producing collectors cups along with their Adult meals (kiddies got a choice of four different Batman vehicle toys) there were six cups in total to collect all of which I have managed to collect! each depicts a different scene or character from the movie with stunning graphic artwork :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BATMAN FOREVER (McDONALDS)

Departing from the more adult tones of the first two films Batman Forever opted for a more family friendly approach. It was McDonalds once again who had the fast food market cornered for Batman Forever's release and continuing on from their current trend instead of plastic cups this time we got Batman glass mugs, four in total, depicting Batman, Robin, Two-face and The Riddler etched onto these impressive and beautiful mugs:

 

 

 

 

 

BATMAN & ROBIN (QUICK)

By the time Batman was due to make his fourth big screen adventure (sixth if you count the Batman 1966 movie released in Europe and 1993's Mask of the phantasm Animated series spin off) Batman movie merchandise had  established some tried and true methods of promotion including the obligatory Fast food drinking Cup giveaway, actually there were several restaurant chains offering promotions for 1997's Batman & Robin  (the USA had Taco Bell back on board) In Europe relatively small fast food chain Quick had on offer three different drinking cups free with kids meals. Each cup had a character lid with various functions (Batman being a money bank) here are two of the three cups that were available:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Batman & Robin KENNER 1997



Batman & Robin has often been ridiculed amongst Batman fans citing its hammy performances overly bright tone a beyond ridiculous plot and far too many "ice" related puns from Terminator turned refrigerator Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr Freeze. All perfectly reasonable arguments but before Batman & Robin hit cinemas back in 1997 the Burton/Schumacher directed series was still going strong and the buzz for the new Batman flick was mounting when Kenner put out their new Movie tie-in toy line and the while the Movie itself may have disappointed the figures did not!

Here we look at some of those figures in detail:







 



Hover attack Batman features  the nearest to movie accurate Batman of this series boasting a really good George Clooney likeness and (most important) is devoid of any "Bat-Nipples)



 



Batman with his complete accessories taking loose inspiration from one pretty ridiculous but fun action sequence form the movie!



  





Robin (on Ice board) Again taking its cue from the movie and featuring a screen accurate rendition of the robin costume with brilliant Chris O'Donell Likeness



 

Ice Terror Mr Freeze as this figure is known doesn't resemble the screen character much at all but given that these figures were put into production before the costume deigns were finalized its no surprise, eventually a screen accurate Freeze was produced but this early deluxe figure is  better detailed and would have been a better alternative to the actual suit used in the movie! despite that it is a good Schwarzenegger face likeness and the vehicle he comes with (a sleeker version of the freeze mobile in the movie) is very nice indeed!

 

The second figure released based on the Movie Batgirl is quite a departure from the version seen on screen with a Robocop-esque feel to her suit and complete with a really cool looking cycle that has panels that extend for riding on ice!







Also included in the line were a range of 12" possible action figures/dolls one for each of the main characters minus Bane. Features a really good Clooney likeness and accurately recreates the movie Batsuit (minus Bat-nipples!)

 

If there is one consistency in The Batman movies produced through out the 90's its Kenner's tie-in action figures, I've loved these ever since the company took the licence over from Toy Biz and 1997's Batman & Robin is no exception, In fact Kenner managed to out do themselves in some regards on this line though I would say maybe they produced too many figures in the line (check out the entire list bellow) add to the fact certain characters aren't exactly screen accurate in appearance (not a exactly rarity amongst toys lines in the 90's) but overall its a nice set of figures for Batman fans and figure collectors generally!

 

Figures available in the series:

 

series 1:

-Batman (hover attack)

-Batman (heat scan)

-Batman/Bruce Wayne (battle gear)

-Robin (Ice Board)

-Robin (Razor skate)

-Batgirl

-Bane

-Poison Ivy (Jungle venom)

-Mr Freeze (Ice Blast)

 

series 2

-Batman (Ambush attack)

-Batman (Ice Blade)

-Batman (Neon Armor)

-Batman (Snowtracker)

-Batman (Wing Blast)

-Robin (Blade Blast)

-Mr Freeze (Cryonic Blast Bazooka)

-Frostbite

 

series 3

-Batman (battle Board)

-Batman (Ice Blade)

-Batman (Neon Armour)

-Batman (Laser cape)

-Batman (Rotorblade)

-Batman (sky assault)

-Batman (thermal shield)

-Batman (wing blast)

-Robin (Talon strike)

-Robin (Triple strike)

-Robin (attack wing)

-Mr Freeze (ultimate armor)

-Mr Freeze (jet wing)

 

2-packs

-Brain vs Braun

-A cold night in Gotham

-Guardians of Gotham city

-Challengers of the night

-Night hunter Robin vs Evil entrapment poison Ivy

 

Deluxe figures

-Batman (Aerial combat)

-Batman (rooftop persuit)

-Batman (Blast wing)

-Robin (Aerial defender)

-Robin (Wing Blast)

-Robin (Glacier battle)

-Robin's redbird cycle

-Mr freeze (Ice terror)

-Batgirl (with Icestrike Cycle) 

 

12"  figures

-Batman

-Robin

-Mr Freeze

-Batgirl

-Batman vs Poison  Ivy

-Ice battle Batman

 

Ultimate figures

-Batman

-Robin

 

Vehicles/Play sets

-Batmobile

Remote control Batmobile

-Ice fortress

-Bathammer Jet blade

-Wayne manor/Batcave

-Cryo-Freeze chamber

 

 





 

 

 

 

 

TERMINATOR 2 KENNER 1991



A follow up to 1984's the Terminator  was inevitable but no one imagined that James Cameron's Terminator 2: Judgement day would exceed its predecessor in almost everyway becoming one of the most popular and profitable movie sequels of all time bosting amazing special effects, breath-taking stunts and a killer Terminator so scary that I actually believed for some time (having seen this movie far too young an age) that my mother had been replicated by it and will soon terminate me!

Long before seeing the movies  I had a couple of Kenner Terminator 2 figures lying about in my action figure filled toy box and would create cyborg battles, pitting Arnie's bad-Ass robot warrior  against various superheroes, with the superiorly buff Arnie emerging triumphant. Here we look in detail at what I think are the best figures Kenner had to offer from the series:









The T-1000 Terminator is sleeker and more efficient than the original Terminator with the ability to morph into anyone he touches! (decimates) here the character is in the middle of transforming to the police officer he impersonates throughout the movie and the effect perfectly captures the capability's of the on screen character ! 



In typical Kenner fashion this figure has an "exploding" action feature which is authentic to a particularly memorable action sequence from the movie itself!

Secret Weapon Terminator has a distinctly futuristic look that hints at what Arnie may look like during his future battles! boasting a good overall Schwarzenegger likeness and great intricate detailing (look at the veins on those arms!) 

ENDO-surprise! when a lever is pressed on the figures back the front portion of his body opens to reveal his cyborg skull!



A second press on the button fires a concealed missile!

TERMINATOR artillery! No Terminator could be complete without some heavy duty fire arms!

One Thing I loved about Kenner is that this toy company never seemed bothered about advertising a R rated movie to kids via their action figures, thinking that  my pre-pubescent little brain was safe from harm watching Terminator movies  because after all how bad can a movie be if they are selling toys to kids based on it? well I've turned out OK I think but at 11 years old I was not prepared for the kinds of violence and horror that the first two movies had to offer, However I wasn't deterred from my love of the figures themselves which I still count amongst my favourite Movie tie-in toys.
Fun and inventive action features great likenesses and  a wide range of figures to choose from!




figure series includes:



Series 1
-Battle damage Terminator
-Damage repair Terminator
-Power-arm terminator
-Secret weapon terminator
-Meltdown Terminator
-John Connor
-Exploding T-1000 
-Blaster T-1000
-White Hot T-1000
-Cyber Grip Villain
-Techno Punch Endoskeleton
-Endo-glow  Terminator

Future War
-3-Strike Terminator
-Hidden Power Terminator
-Battle ready terminator
-Rapid Repair Terminator
-Hot-Blast Terminator
-Metal Mash Terminator
-Cyber-grip Villain
-Kromium

T2 3-D
-Battle ready terminator
-Power-arm terminator
-Hot-Blast Terminator
-Exploding T-1000 
-John Connor
-Techno Punch Endoskeleton

Vehicles/Play sets
-Bio Flesh regenerator
-Heavy Metal Cycle
-Mobile assault vehicle

-12" Talking Ultimate Terminator  

 

 

Beetlejuice KENNER 1988

Tim Burton's  1988 supernatural comedy secured his job as the future director of the Batman motion picture and gave Burton the inspiration to Cast Michael Keaton in the tittle role. But the pairing of the quirky director and comedic actor is still better appreciated in  Beetlejuice, where Keaton plays a poltergeist who moonlights as a human exorcist after being hired by a recently deceased couple who are trapped in their home but are invaded by an new family! what ensues is plenty of ghostly fun  in this still immensely popular  80's classic!

 

The Kenner action figure toy line cashing in on the surprise success of the movie is also highly regarded as one of the companies best tie-ins capturing the spirit (no pun intended) of the Ghost with the most with great sculpts and fun features here we look in detail at the original three figures from the first series of the line:

 

 

Shish kebab Beetlejuice came later in the series and boasts some great detail especially in the spike accessories that you can place about his hole laden body!  

Beetlejuice eye surprise! like the earlier figures in the series this Beetlejuice has a removable head that conceals and giant eyeball!




these Spike accessories  all have different impaled items from skulls to a sausage! all in gory detail!

 

 

Spinhead Beetlejuice is based on the characters later scenes where he attempts to wed Goth teenager Lydia in tremendously gruesome fashion! This figure has the most "standard" Looking Betteljuice head featuring a really good likeness of  actor Michael Keaton

 

The shrunken head concealed beneath again echoes a hilarious movie event where Beetlejuice has his head shrunken by a voodoo witch doctor!

spinning mechanism close up

 

 

 

 

 

Showtime Beetlejuice features the iconic stripped suit look the character sports in almost all of the main promotional material for the movie and a hand full of scenes in the actual movie itself, include is the "carousel" that Beetlejuice had placed on his head in one very memorable scene and again features a really good Keaton likeness

 

Again the removable head features a hidden surprise in this case a snake like face that extends via a lever on the figures back!

Lever mechanism up close









Kenner's decision to bring out a series of action figures based on the very adult Beetlejuice was possibly quite a risky one but the company counted on young boys fascination with the ghoulish and gruesome as proved by the massive sales of their Ghostbusters toy line and the risk paid off! Though eventually sales dwindled and a planned third wave was scrapped...

Figures in the series:

1st wave
-Showtime Beetlejuice
-Spinhead Beetlejuice
-Shish Kebab Beetlejuice
-Adam Maitland
-Otho the obnoxious
-Harry the haunted hunter

2nd wave
-Exploding Beetlejuice
-Shipwreck Beetlejuice

Neighbourhood nasties
-Hungry Hog
-Old Buzzard
-Teacher Creature
-Street Rat

Vehicles/playsets
-Creepy cruiser
- Phantom Flyer
-Vanishing Vault