| “Batman Forever” was a surprise following the exit of Michael Keaton as Batman/Bruce Wayne and Tim Burton vacating the director’s chair to helm the third Batman film. Replacing Batman/Bruce Wayne was Val Kilmer, and around that time his popularity with his previous films made him a suitable replacement. But Joel Schumacher as the director for this one was quite an uncertainty in the 1990s.
The same goes for how the fans would take it as something else. With the ‘New’ Batman everything is also different, and the term ‘semi-reboot’ was not yet the catchphrase everyone was used to. Although one thing that has caught everyone’s attention is the ‘New’ Batmobile that Kilmer will be driving in this next Bat-Film. |
The trailer for ‘Batman Forever’ has the elements of rock with pomp and pageantry slowly moving away from the dark tones of Batman and Batman Returns that are also inspired by “The Batman” from the 1966 TV series. It is something for some fans to take in who have gotten used to Tim Burton’s take on the caped crusader.
There’s something edgy about “Batman Forever” and it started with the soundtrack featuring Irish Band U2 with “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me” as the main theme that propelled it as one of the highly anticipated films in the mid-1990s. The way it re-introduces Batman in this perspective in today’s terms as a variant set in another alternate universe was not yet the norm, but the new costume and the Batmobile seemed forgivable the way Val Kilmer portrayed it.
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Chicks Dig the Car
The “Batman Forever Batmobile” was different and more organically designed based on the concept of an “Organic and Animalistic” taking inspiration from H.R. Giger’s Alien concept that was inspired form for what would be Val Kilmer’s version of the Batmobile in this film. The inspiration for the concept and design of the car was well documented in the “The Batmobile Documentary” featuring the other Batmobiles.
Its look is more of a futuristic Batmobile featuring a single bat fin in the rear that splits in half by opening when it goes on a supersonic, but the diecast 1/65 scale version produced by Hot Wheels is just a static part. The same goes for the larger-scale version that was first released in 2010. This 1/64 model is introduced for 2023 mainline as part of the “HW Batman” mini collection.
Big Black Bat
Despite the limitations of the budget for its construction, the silhouette of the Batman Forever Batmobile is still captured in this 1/64 scale version. Besides not having the rear wing split and the wheels used for this casting are the standard aero wheel type that has become common with other Hot Wheels.
The Hot Wheels design team made sure to still keep the aesthetics, namely the rib cage that reveals the intricate engine underneath, and bat wings on the rear as well as the ones you find on the rear fenders. It is not entirely made of diecast, but most of the fenders are made of hard plastic while not having an actual interior with chrome windows only.
Thrilled Driven Wheels
With the limitations of the basic Hot Wheels car, the contours and details of the Batman Forever Batmobile are still there. It sits flat and smooth-looking kind of machine that evokes the film’s ‘hero car.’
The front and rear details certainly take inspiration as the jet engine chrome can be seen as part of the casting’s interior while the front gives you that solid look and black gloss metal paint that makes this car Batman drives and Robin have once stolen in his drive through Gotham City in the wee hours of the night.
Overall, the Batman Forever Batmobile is unique for the vision of Joel Schumacher that takes inspiration from H.R. Giger’s concept and design. It stands out to be more like a futuristic Batmobile compared to its previous and current counterparts. You cannot dismiss this version of the Batmobile, and it is where Val Kilmer’s Batman gives the line “It’s the car right? Chicks dig the car.”
“Batman Forever Batmobile” is numbered 2 of 5 under the HW Batman segmented sub-series and overall 55 or 250 Hot Wheels cars released in 2023, which was acquired at Toy Kingdom in SM Mall of Asia with New Pricing started this year for ₱ 129.75 Pesos (** $ 3.61 AUD | $ 2.40 USD). Hot Wheels is locally distributed by Richwell Global Inc in the Philippines.
For details about the product follow them on Social Media and LIKE Richwell Club on Facebook!
** - Currency Converter via Google.com
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