AMT 1/25 Batskiboat

First started by Bob Kane and Bill Finger for DC Comics back in 1939, the “Cape Crusader” tells the story of one Bruce Wayne, millionaire (now billionaire) who resides in Gotham City. When Bruce parents was killed in front of him by a petty thug (Bloody unlikely as one sarcastic strip showed…..The likely hood of Bruce the elder and his wife going out alone with their only kid is highly unlikely, especially in such a crime ridden city. As the comic strip showed, the instant that petty thug appeared, he got pasted by 20 guns fired from 20 bodyguards while Bruce the elder just quip, “like we travel alone!), Bruce made a vow and dedicated his life to fighting crime and spent his entire life training to build up his body, skills and mind to be the perfect fighting machine. The discovery of a cave complex, riddle with bats served two purposes, 1. It created the perfect hide out for the soon to be vigilante justice hunter and 2. The bats gave Bruce the idea that soon would strike fear into the hearts of all criminals and Batman was born!

In order to travel to the city and back and forth, Bruce, now Batman needs a vehicle to transport him and soon some of his friends and helpers. At first, the vehicle is just a generic bat faced car. Soon this evolved into a heavily armored machine loaded with gadgetry. Over the years, the car kept on evolving into various different machines to suit the crime fighter’s needs in order to combat deadlier and deadlier foes such as the Croc, the Penguin, the Riddler, sometimes foe, sometimes lover Catwoman, and the always infamous Joker. By 1985 or so, Warner Bros. was set to release a new Batman movie well away from the campy and cheesy Adam West tv series (AHHH…I will always have a place in my heart for that series! The third tv show I ever saw when I arrived here as a 9 year old in 1985 was 1. Transformers cartoon, 2. The ToS Star Trek, and 3. Batman, Batman, Batman, Batman, Bata-lalalalalaaaaaaaaaa Batman!!!!!). The movie will feature a far more serious tone with none of the “ZAM! ZAP! POW! YEOW!!!! KAPOW!!!! that characterized the tv show and far far darker. Tim Burton was hired as the director and created a far more gothic, bleak Gotham City with Michael Keaton in the leading role as Bruce/Batman. As well as Gotham, Anton Furst was hired to design the myriad of gadgets and vehicles including the batarang, batgrapple, the Batwing and ultimately, a new Batmobile as the main ride for the titular hero. The main design of the vehicle was done by conceptual illustrator Julian Caldow, main construction was done by prop builder John Evans, with final body sculpting by Keith Short. The vehicle was originally supposed to be based on either the Jaguar or the Ford Mustang. When both failed, they took a Chevy Impala and modified that instead.

The vehicle features a large turbine engine up front and an afterburner in the back. Gadgets eventually included two browning .30 cal machine guns, two side mounted disc throwers loaded with 15 discs each, belly mounted “shin breakers”, and two side mounted grappling hooks that can be ejected out to grab onto an object and allow the vehicle to make otherwise, impossible to turn tight turns (That was later proven to be impossible to do by the Mythbusters). The vehicle also features an impressive shielding system that can be activated with voice command “shields”. When activated, a fold out retractable metal shield system will cover the vehicle from head to toe. Once shielded, four small deployable bombs can be dropped to ward off any intruders.

When released in 1989, the film quickly became popular and became a huge success, earning over 400 million for Warners and despite initial reluctance from fans that Michael Keaton isn’t really cut out for Batman (says who?!?!?? LOL) and he wasn’t wearing tights and spandex, but rather a threatening ominous all black vinyl plastic (we’re man in tights, hey! We’re MEN IN TIGHTS), it quickly wore quickly and made even ardent fan agree that colorful tights and spandex were no place on the big screen. The batmobile itself soon cut a huge shadow also. It’s sinister, all black no-nonsense appearance and jacked up firepower is a far far away from the 60’s campy tv car based on the Futura and quickly garnered many fans. Too bad after Batman Returns, the film soon fell out of favor when Michael Schumacher took over!

For the sequel Batman Returns, several new vehicles were also introduced. During the climax of the movie, as Batman hunts down the Penguin into his underground sewer lair, he drives a waterborn vehicle called a Batskiboat. A brutish large vehicle, with an afterburner back and powered by two small turbines and with four fins that lift the entire boat out of the water, the vehicle is designed for water born fights and Batman used it to destroy Penguin’s “Ducki-mobile” when he tried to escape after Batman used the Batskiboat’s onboard homing tracking device to trace and track the signal Penguin used to guide his penguins to its source, his lair.

This is Round 2 AMT redux of the 1992 Batman Return Batskiboat called simply a “Batboat”, which is incorrect as this boat rides on four skis, hence the real name, “Batskiboar”. It’s a “new” kit but yeah…As can be imagined, this is just the redux of the 1993 AMT/Ertl release. It’s the EXACT same kit. I should know because I finally built that kit back in 1996 but eventually have to give it up to a friend who is a HUGE Batman fan, especially the Tim Burton films….He kept my original Batmissile and the Batskiboat….He was desperately trying to pawn the Batmobile off of me too but I didn’t bite…Much to his disappointment! I bought this along with the Batwing off of Amazon for like $30 to completeTim Burton Batman Quadfecta. This version also has a paper mache backdrop that you can display behind the completed vehicle. 

Construction is easy. Not much to say. It’s just the cockpit with the steering column, a generic throttle, a bucket seat. I did dry brush the instrument panel with silver but…That’s about it. This originally was a snap kit so everything still snaps. But I cemented the parts all on. Again, the chrome plated parts are not welcome. I sprayed the entire cockpit black with green radar scope etc., the turbine face with Tamiya grey primer so I can repaint them and tone them down.

After that, the cockpit is cemented onto its location pegs and the top and bottom are cemented together. The vehicle basic shape is already complete. Just insert the two front massive fin and skis and tail fin. That was it, vehicle complete. I left off the two turbine face and the after burner can for later. Some pass with the red spot putty glazing was necessary to fill the seam between the top and bottom hull. Other than that though, a total of only an hour of construction time was needed to bring everything up to speed.

There are no markings. I simply sprayed the whole boat as gloss black, using NATO black to tone the color down here and there. The skiboat appeared only once in Batman Return and it looked very clean so I kept it that way. I also sprayed the windscreen when it’s on the boat, with tape taped from the inside. Other than that, two sprays later, done deal!

After the paint is dry, I cemented on both the two small turbine faces and the afterburner can. The tape was ripped off windscreen and the clear part was inserted in and cemented on. Again, the clear piece is single whole piece, meaning I can use glue on the very top of the canopy and then squeeze the clear part in without worrying about damaging it! Good one on AMT! Other than that, I did use jet black to weather the rear end a little and then call it a day….Model DONE!

Done done and more done! Less than 6 hours after this project was started, it was done! Well, discounting the sanding and waiting for paint dry. There just aren't a lot of parts and the assembly is so easy, even without the instructions, you can easily figure out where is where and what is what. This should please all Batman fans and kids who are trying out their first glue kits in general. Yes, it says on the box, “Glue together unassembled model kit”. But it can also be snapped together but of course, glue together is the best. For kids, it’s easy, not a whole lot of parts and should keep them happy for their first glue kit without leaving them frustrated. Highly Recommended

18 May 2020

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