Is it possible for ANY Batman film to not be toyetic?

[Azrael]

This was aimed at someone else and was OT to the thread's title (the topic is about toyetic Batmovies, not games) yet johnnygobbs felt compelled to reply less than 30 minutes after my post, with a reply showing enmity.

[johnnygobbs]

This was aimed at someone else and was OT to the thread's title (the topic is about toyetic Batmovies, not games) yet johnnygobbs felt compelled to reply less than 30 minutes after my post, with a reply showing enmity.

I'm sorry Azrael.  I wasn't trying to show you enmity, and I'm sorry if it came across that way.

In fact I was trying to build bonds with thecolorsblend, because he and I haven't always gotten along in the past, and I was partly demonstrating some common ground on this occasion.  It wasn't my intention to throw you under the bus in the process.

Anyway, I hope you accept my apology.  I wasn't trying to suggest anything you said was wrong (it wasn't) but that I simply share some of colors' sentiments when it comes to video games (albeit not the 'unemployed slob' stereotype he used).

[Azrael]

Well, it's the nature of forums - typed dialogue between strangers - to blame.

[Wayne49]

I think whatever vice gets you into a Batman movie ultimately caters to how you perceive the film. For me I like different interpretations, but I don't need a nonstop psychoanalysis of why a man dresses up like a bat. I think that tends to betray the fantasy of the subject matter and wander into unintended camp. Batman will always be a hero that fights with plenty of style points for presentation. That translates into lots of merchandise for kids of all ages.   

[thecolorsblend]

I'm coming back to this.

I always thought "toyetic" meant a product designed to create multitudes of toys. In BF, Batman gets a new suit and then pulls the Batwing and Batboat out of nowhere. Riddler wears several different outfits through the movie. Most of the production sets could probably have had toy playsets built from them.

In B&R, all the heroes get new suits and then cruise around in sparkly snow mobiles. Poison Ivy has several different costumes as well. Same thing applies for the production sets.

Whatever their artistic merits, both are rather toy-friendly.

As the eventual Toy Biz line showed, B89 had less toy potential to it. You had Batman and the Joker. And that's basically it. BR was probably slightly more toy-friendly, though not by much. Kenner's BR toy line only really got as big as it did when the toy designers began making stuff up as they went along and developed Batman figures that had nothing to do with the movie. The "Deep Dive Batman" figure comes to mind.

Yes, those same things can be said of the Schumacher toy lines. But the difference is that the films which inspired (to whatever degree) those toy lines already lent themselves to characters wearing different outfits, driving different vehicles, running around all different types of environments and so forth. A toyline featuring a Batman wearing a suit he never wore in the movie is more of a piece with Batman & Robin than it is BR.

That's the difference.

And the Nolan movies weren't all that great for toys either as has been said (by me if nobody else). The villains mostly wear business suits of some kind. Batman gets a new outfit in TDK but a case can be made it was Nolan who instigated that for various reasons. It's telling that he kept the same basic suit more or less in TDKRises.

There's a reason Tony Stark's armor is always different in each new movie. It isn't an artistic or creative decision. The studio wants to sell toys so he needs the Mark 1 Billion Armor With Hulk Smash Action.

[The Laughing Fish]

I found this news report about B&R's toyline reaching to retail outlets before the film came out. It must've been a sure bet in terms of profit. The enthusiasm was high back then.

[thecolorsblend]

I found this news report about B&R's toyline reaching to retail outlets before the film came out. It must've been a sure bet in terms of profit. The enthusiasm was high back then.

The licensees were a lot more excited about B&R than the core audience and the wide audience were. For a lot of people, the writing was on the wall when the first trailer hit.

[The Dark Knight]

It's smart business. But that said, I'm probably a bigger collector these days compared to when I was younger. Which is funny. I actually reached a stage in my life where I felt a little embarrassment in having Batman stuff around the place. But I grew out of that mentality and embraced the character more than I ever had done.

[thecolorsblend]

It's smart business. But that said, I'm probably a bigger collector these days compared to when I was younger. Which is funny. I actually reached a stage in my life where I felt a little embarrassment in having Batman stuff around the place. But I grew out of that mentality and embraced the character more than I ever had done.

Weird how that works, huh? The stuff of childhood becomes embarrassing for a while but then you grow into your "I don't give a crap what anybody else thinks" mentality.

[The Dark Knight]

And I think that goes for greater society as well. I don't go a day without seeing someone, both old and young, wearing a Batman, Superman, Spider-Man or Captain America tshirt. These people are broadcasting their fandom to the world. It's definitely not an embarrassing or childish hobby these days. It's a full blown movement. People are basically saying 'this is what I like, and this is who I identify with'. I think that's very cool, personally. Comics have become more mainstream than ever.