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| This looks more like Christian Bale than Christian Bale does. |
Join me after the jump for a metric Bat-ton of images as we unbox Batman and I share some of my thoughts. Do it now, or you and I are done professionally!
First of all the packaging. It's a pretty menacing box. Daunting even. It says, "I am going to take a long time to open. I am expensive. You are going to screw this up."
It's kind of like the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey. It makes me feel like a clueless ape. The details are pretty classy, though it's all a bit scuffed up from its journey to Australia....
Enough box-talk! Let's open it up! Look! IT'S BATMAN!... no, wait... It's the credits:
This box is so epic that it even has credits. This is the most cinematic box in the world. I could watch it for hours. But if we peel that back, then IT'S BATMAN! Sort of...
He's trapped in a dense plastic shell. But that's ok, folks. I'll just peel that back and IT'S BA- Oh....
More plastic... but we can at least see him better now. And look at all those little accessories he's packed with. He has five extra hands, two heads, two extra mouths, batarangs, two belts, a grapnel gun, a Jedi training ball. All sorts of sweet stuff...
But that's all extraneous! Let's free him of his plastic and see the part you came here to see...
I'm BATMANG!
It really is an amazingly accurate and instantly recognisable sculpt of Christian Bale - so much so that I don't even think the photos do it justice. In person it's even better and you can see every pore lovingly painted on his head. It's the best work that I think Hot Toys has done.
Christian Bale is famously (infamously?) strict about approving his likeness (the Terminator Salvation figures did not make the cut and as a result all of the John Connors were wearing hats, sunglasses and bandit masks). This is a Christian Bale that has Christian Bale's full screaming endorsement so it really should be no surprise that it's an excellent portrayal.
This version of the suit has a simpler belt without gadgets, and every buckle and clasp on the harness is real and functional. He also has a black balaclava to hide his identity but I have photographed that. It seems like a waste to cover the head sculpt and I can't imagine anyone choosing to display him like that.
But, of course, you may also choose to display him like this...
Full Batman version has an alternate belt and head, and you have to attach the cape (I thought for a while that my cape was missing, but realised after much searching that it was discreetly packed in a plastic shell under the main tray).
Although you have the choice between Bruce and Batman, I don't think you'll want to change between them too often. My one caution about this figure is that it does feel fragile in parts. The head and cape aren't easy to attach (I was concerned I'd break the tabs on the cape while trying to plug them into his shoulders) and the range of alternate hands are impressive but are difficult to peg into his wrists (spare wrist pegs are included so I guess these have a history of snapping). One of the spikes on his wrist guard keeps falling off as it is and I'll probably have to glue it before I lose it (literally and figuratively).
Far easier though are the alternate mouth-pieces. These are magnetically attached and can be switched out easily, so you can have him neutral, or frowning, or hoarsely yelling at a crook or lighting guy.
And as you'd expect all of the various details have been carefully considered...
Even down to the boots...
He poses reasonably well, but the rubber suit - while flexible - kind of gets in the way. And it really is a rubber suit - it's a coating that completely encases the hard plastic body underneath (so all the articulation is hidden). It does bunch up a bit at the joints though and looks like it could erode with heavy wear.
You won't get a lot of movement out of his head either as the cowl design prevents him from turning his head. This, of course, was a problem in the movie too, which led to the helmet-style design in the sequel. In fact, looking at this I'm surprised he can function.
And finally, here he is in the batsuit but with the Bale head...
And that's the real dilemma here. How do I display him? The full Batman version is the most obvious but then you miss out on seeing the Christian Bale sculpt! This is my first world problem. I should have bought two of them. Well played Hot Toys!
If you missed the announcement at New York Comic Con, then Hot Toys also confirmed that they have the license to make figures for next year's Dark Knight Rises (and Avengers), so assuming that, at some point, Nolan gets the costume right, then I imagine there'll soon be an Anne Hathaway Catwoman on my shelf to join him.
No regrets! For me this is the quintessential Batman piece.
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