Batman ReTURNS 20!

Can you believe that Batman Returns was released June 19th 1992?!?!

Incredible! And to think, I haven't aged a day!

Hopefully I can get together a few toys and ephemera from that era and we can have a semi-regular 20th anniversary look at Batman Returns as the year goes by. No promises though, I'm a busy guy!

Anyways, one of the coolest moments of Batman Returns has to be when Batman narrowly escapes police pursuit by transforming the Batmobile into the Batmissile:

Completely ridiculous and highly impractical, but COME ON that scene was pure cinema gold!

Batman approaches a narrow alley and casually flips a switch on the Batmobile's dashboard. Nothing happens as the alley approaches at breakneck speed.

Batman flips the switch a few more times. Confounded, he utters under his breath 'Okay, now I'm worried' before giving the switch one last hard flip and VOILA!

Fenders and panels fly free, wheels re-align, and Batman zips through the alley just in time while the police are helpless to stop him, or themselves, as they careen into a massive pile-up!

This Batmissile is from Mattel/Hot Wheels' 1:24 scale Bat vehicle line-up from a couple years back. It seems to be the peg warmer of the line and every store I go into has about ten of them. I got this one for my birthday last year and it is really a fun toy to have lying around. I still have the Ertl version in 1:64 scale which was released in 1992, but this larger version has rubber wheels and an opening cockpit (which reveals only one seat, which means in addition to all the external re-fabrication the damn thing also ejected a whole seat!) 

I like to imagine the cops climbing out of their wrecked heaps and running over to the debris field, gathering up souvenirs to hang above their mantels and tell their grandkids about. "Grandpa, tell me about that fender again." "Well, Jimmy, one dark and stormy night, as we pursued the legendary Batmobile..."