Thursday, October 24, 2024

Action Figure Review: The Riddler (Batman Forever) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 


   The last three months have been crazy for DC Multiverse, especially for fans of Batman and his related allies and villains. I've actually had the Batman Forever set of figures since the middle of August but I've been so busy writing reviews for 31 Days of Toy Terror that I've had to put a lot of stuff on the backburner. I'm not planning on reviewing all of the figures in this set but I have a few that definitely hit some nostalgia buttons for me. First up, I'm going to check out the Riddler. Back when Batman Forever was released in 1995 I was in love with this movie. I liked Batman Returns at the time, too, but I appreciated the brighter palette of Batman Forever. That summer I wore my baseball cap with the Batman and Riddler's question mark logo on it all the time, carried the coin from Kenner's Two-Face coin in my pocket, read the comic adaptation quite frequently, and ate more than my share of McDonald's Super Hero meals. Batman Forever was a big deal and, being just out of fifth grade, I was digging the ride of it being huge all that summer. I've seen the film a couple times over the past decade or two and I have to say that it doesn't hold up for me. If you would have asked me a year or two ago which Batman film was the worst I would have said Batman & Robin, and there would have been a time when I wouldn't have even spoken that film's name. Ask me now, though, and I'll tell you that Forever is easily the worst of the Batman films. I'm not going to get into a movie review here, but the movie takes it's greatest strengths, Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones, and just wastes them. There's no menace; just goofiness and cackling. Still, nostalgia. I remember how excited I was to find the original Kenner Riddler figure from the film at a Target that summer of 1995 and this guy gives me a bit of the same feel. Ready to check out the Riddler? Then join me after the break...
 


The Facts:

Height: 7 1/8ths inches

Articulation: Hinged toes, double swivel hinged ankles, double hinged knees, swivel thighs, swivel/hinge hips, balljointed waist, balljointed mid torso, swivel/hinge shoulders w/ ballsockets, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, double swivel/ hinge wrists, and a barbell jointed head.
 
Accessories: Collector card, display stand, cane, bat bomb, four swappable hands, and the body of the Nightmare Bat Collect-to-Build figure.
 
Non-Scalper Price: $25 dollars






The Positives:


* The Riddler has a few different looks in Batman Forever and this one piece spandex jumpsuit is the simplest of them all. It was used in a lot of promotional material, too, and in the film it shows up both like this and with a green suit jacket worn over the bodysuit and partnered with a derby hat. The figure itself is quite flat with the question marks painted on, but that does look accurate to the movie suit. It's very classic and old school and really stands out due to how bright the green is. 








* How's the portrait? It's not bad. It really does look like Jim Carrey with his funky Riddler hair and a crazy, gleeful expression on his face. Sometimes McFarlane nails actor likenesses and other times they completely miss; this one definitely comes closer to nailing it. There's no doubt who this is. The teeth look a little too large, but the more promotional shots of Jim Carrey in this costume I see, the more I'm convinced it's accurate. The domino mask and eyes are a separate piece and look pretty solid, too.





* The question mark prints go all around the costume. There have definitely been some McFarlane figures that left details like this off the back of the figure but not here. The Riddler wouldn't stand for it.




* Since he's a slender figure without any kind of extraneous stuff on the costume you can really pose him quite freely. Jim Carrey was an absolute ball of manic energy during this time period and you can achieve most of the crazy poses from the film and from the promotional images scattered around everywhere in the summer of 1995. 







* The Riddler comes with four swappable hands that change out easily to give him some variety in expression. You get a pair of standard grips for holding his cane, a gesturing right hand good for holding and throwing his bat bomb, and a left handed fist for punching (and hurting himself). 










* His cool question mark shaped cane is also included. It is a bit rubbery, like many/ most McFarlane accessories these days, but mine wasn't misshapen or anything. In fact, it's quite easy to pose him with it even in two handed poses. 










* The little bat bomb that the Riddler uses to destroy the Batcave is pretty nifty. It's quite small but fits in the Riddler's hand well. It even has a little question mark on it. Definitely a neat movie related extra and one that goes with this figure's particular costume.





* Like almost always you get a disc stand with the DC logo and a collectible card with an image of the Riddler from the movie poster. 









* These Batman movie based sets have included build-a-figures and Batman Forever's is definitely the strangest. The Dark Knight Trilogy series got Bane, the Batman & Robin series got Mr. Freeze, and this series gets... the Nightmare Bat? Yup. From a deleted scene where Val Kilmer's Bruce encounters a giant bat vision. It's a cool deleted scene and would have added some needed depth to the film, but the figure is a weird BAF. I would have rather had Bane from Batman & Robin, or Dr. Chase Meridian, or Sugar, or Spice. Riddler comes with the torso and feet. It's a huge piece!



   While I overall don't care for Batman Forever anymore, I do like Jim Carrey as the Riddler. And this? This is a really good figure of that take on the character. The movie is far too silly, sure, but darn if there aren't a couple things it does right and the Riddler's riddles, outfits, and some of his mannerisms are pretty solid. This guy really hits my nostalgia button for some reason and I like how he turned out. Good accessories, too. The Nightmare Build-a-Figure Bat is both incredible cool and yet really leaves me cold, but the Riddler figure itself it a Great and a 1/2 addition to the DC Multiverse Batman movie collection. 



   If you're looking for more of the Riddler I've also reviewed the DC Multiverse The Riddler (Arkham City) and The Riddler (DC Classic), the Kenner Legends of Batman Riddler, the DC Collectibles Greg Capullo styled Riddler, Mattel's Classic TV Series Riddler, the Tiny Mights The Riddler, the Nano Metalfigs DC63 Riddler, and the Lego Riddler Chase building set.

For more DC Multiverse reviews check out the following:
Harley Quinn (The Suicide Squad)
Impulse (Flash War)
The Joker- Bank Robber (The Dark Knight)
The Joker (The Dark Knight Rises) Jokerized
The Joker (Infinite Frontier)
The Joker- Sonar Vision (The Dark Knight)
Justice Buster (Batman: Endgame)
Kalibak (The Darkseid War)
Man-Bat (DC Rebirth)
Mister Freeze (Victor Fries)






5 comments:

  1. Kinda wish that bat was sold separate cos I'd quite like that and have no real interest in the actual figures

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    Replies
    1. See, I'm trying to sell the bat but wanted the figures. The bat is cool, don't get me wrong, but I just don't have any interest in it.

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  2. I picked up a Sonic 3 Robotnik a few days after this figure, and while I don't think Riddler has a bad headsculpt like some people were saying, I do think the $10 Jakks figure has a better likeness to Carrey.
    Also torn on the nightmare bat, I kind of hate it as the BAF. I 100% agree with your suggestion it should have been B&R Bane, when else are we ever getting that figure? Maybe as a deluxe with a coat and hat, that'd be great. But I love it as a Halloween decorations.

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    Replies
    1. I looked at that Dr. Robotonik last night and while he does look like Robotonik from the film, he's very stylized and animated looking. The giant mustache also helps to give him something to latch onto for the sculpt that makes him more recognizable. Not bad at all, though. Jakks is doing a very nice job with both their Sonic and Mario lines.

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  3. I really liked this movie. I thought Jim Carey as the Riddler and Tommy Lee Jones as Two Face were well cast. Remember seeing this at the midnight premiere.

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