EJ

Toys!

Before smart tech took away imagination (a subject that Toy Story 5 addresses), the toy business was an amazingly thriving industry in the 80s and 90s. You had many franchises and properties that released their own merchandise. You had toy franchises like G.I. Joe and Barbie. You had Legos. There were amazing accessory toys and game toys. Whole TV shows were created just to sell the toys. Movie tie-ins were also very lucrative merchandising practices. Blockbuster films like Batman, Jurassic Park, Star Wars and more got to capitalize on the very versatile angles that could be taken to explore their worlds through action figures, vehicles, playsets, accessories, etc.

If a movie is fantastical enough, the toy companies wouldn’t shy away from the property, even if it featured graphic violence. Today, we take a look at 5 toy lines that are based on R-rated movies.

Robocop

• Release Year: 1987
• Director: Paul Verhoeven
• MPAA Rating: R
• Toy Company: Kenner
• Toy Line Released: 1988
• Notable Toys: RoboCop action figures, ED-209 figure, vehicles, weapons, and accessories
• Why It’s Surprising: RoboCop was a violent sci-fi satire about corporate greed, police brutality, and the loss of humanity, yet it became a children’s action figure line. Kenner transformed the character into a kid-friendly hero and even produced an ED-209 toy based on one of the movie’s most infamous killing machines.

Now, to be fair, some R-rated properties got to get away with having toy lines because they would have cartoons based on them, which watered them down to kid-friendly content. However, it’s crazy in its own right that some violent, R-rated movies had children’s cartoons spawn from them in the first place.

RoboCop is one of those shows. The toys didn’t straight-up adapt the characters from the Paul Verhoeven corporate satire, but you get the big two: RoboCop and ED-209. The notion of kids playing with a giant killing machine that notoriously blasted a poor corporate stooge to pieces is amazing. But there were also accessories where kids got to play as RoboCop himself — the corporate android who lost his humanity and his family after getting blown to pieces as well. The only thing missing is an actual Nukem game.

Rambo: First Blood Part II

• Release Year: 1985
• Director: George P. Cosmatos
• MPAA Rating: R
• Toy Company: Coleco
• Toy Line Released: 1985
• Notable Toys: John Rambo action figures, weapons, vehicles, survival gear, and accessories
• Why It’s Surprising: Rambo: First Blood Part II turned a traumatized Vietnam War veteran into a children’s action hero. The toy line capitalized on the movie’s military imagery, giving kids miniature versions of Rambo’s massive arsenal, including machine guns, launchers, and combat equipment.

Rambo is kind of in the same camp as Robocop, where it got to get away with toys from having a cartoon adaptation, but would you believe that there’s another series of toys that capitalized on Rambo: First Blood Part II? That’s right, the action-packed sequel to the David Morrell Vietnam vet character with PTSD had a collection of badass guns that could make you feel like John Rambo. The series included his signature knife, an Uzi, a Waterhawk Machine Gun, an M-60 Machine Gun, complete with a bullet chain, and even a rocket launcher! I would love to be a parent watching my kids playing Rambo!

Demolition Man

• Release Year: 1993
• Director: Marco Brambilla
• MPAA Rating: R
• Toy Company: Mattel
• Toy Line Released: 1993
• Notable Toys: John Spartan figures, Simon Phoenix figures, futuristic vehicles, and accessories
• Why It’s Surprising: Unlike many action franchises built around superheroes or monsters, Demolition Man was a satirical sci-fi action movie about authoritarian society, cryogenic imprisonment, and a violent criminal from the past. Turning Sylvester Stallone’s John Spartan and Wesley Snipes’ Simon Phoenix into children’s toys showed how far companies were willing to go to capitalize on futuristic action properties.

There are action movies like Last Action Hero that are high-concept, but can easily lend themselves to toys with their outlandish concept, but comparably, Demolition Man is fairly straightforward. The Sylvester Stallone/Wesley Snipes film is beloved by action and sci-fi fans for its take on an oppressive future society, but kids could also play along. Batman and Robocop characters are versatile enough that they could vary up their action figures, but for characters like John Spartan and Simon Phoenix, it’s interesting to see what kind of iterations that Mattel could come up with. They would also create custom vehicles and accessories to capitalize on the “future” aspect, but I would’ve loved to get a pretend ticket dispenser for bad language or three seashells.

Aliens vs Predator

• Release Years: 1979 (Alien), 1987 (Predator), 1990s (Alien vs. Predator merchandise expansion)
• Original Films’ MPAA Ratings: R
• Toy Company: Kenner
• Toy Lines Released: 1990s
• Notable Toys: Xenomorph figures, Predator figures, Colonial Marines, Ripley figures, vehicles, and expanded-universe characters
• Why It’s Surprising: The Alien and Predator franchises featured some of the most violent creatures in science fiction, yet they became successful action figure lines. Kenner expanded beyond the movies by creating new aliens, predators, and characters that blended horror, science fiction, and toy-friendly action.

This one is kind of a two-fer. Actually, it’s really a three-fer, because it takes the opportunity to merchandise the Venn diagram of the Aliens franchise, the Predator franchise and the Aliens vs Predator franchise. Long before the 2004 Paul W.S. Anderson film, Alien vs Predator, came out, Dark Horse produced a series of comics that pit these two famous movie monsters against each other. Comic books, toys and video games were derived from these two properties. The Aliens side would even sell Space Marines characters, including Ripley and Hicks. Kenner got to have a ball with the many iterations of Xenomorphs and Predators. All that’s missing is the Predator commandos.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

• Release Year: 1991
• Director: James Cameron
• MPAA Rating: R
• Toy Company: Kenner
• Toy Line Released: 1991–1992
• Notable Toys: T-800 Terminator figures, battle-damaged Terminator figures, T-1000 figures, Endoskeleton figures, vehicles, and playsets
• Why It’s Surprising: Terminator 2 was one of the most violent and technologically ambitious action movies of its era, but its futuristic machines made it perfect for toys. Kenner created multiple versions of the Terminator, allowing kids to recreate battles between the T-800, T-1000, and Skynet’s army of machines.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day is hailed as one of the greatest action movies of all time. Who wouldn’t want to play with toys from it? While The Terminator set the stage for this world, the original Arnold Schwarzenegger character was more like a slasher villain — hunting down Sarah Connors, one by one, and hurting/killing whoever gets in its way. But T2 took the action up a notch by having two future machines go head-to-head. The possibilities for various items in the toy line are there. We get the T-800 normal or battle-damaged. We get the T-1000 in different forms. We get the endoskeleton Terminators and even John Connor. There was even a playset that let you mold the human skin over an endoskeleton and then it could peel off when battle-damaged.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did R-rated movies really get children’s toy lines?

Yes. During the 1980s and 1990s, several R-rated movies received toy lines because studios and toy companies recognized the merchandising potential of memorable characters, futuristic technology, monsters, and action vehicles. Many of these properties were also adapted into cartoons or expanded universes that made them more appealing to younger audiences.

Why did companies make toys based on violent R-rated movies?

Toy companies focused on the fantasy elements of these movies rather than their adult themes. A cyborg police officer, futuristic soldier, alien creature, or robotic villain could be transformed into an action figure even if the original movie contained violence and mature subject matter.

What was the first R-rated movie to get a toy line?

There is no single definitive answer, but horror and science-fiction properties such as Alien helped establish the idea that adult-oriented movies could become successful toy franchises. The trend became especially noticeable during the 1980s when action figures became a major part of movie merchandising.

Were Rambo toys really made for children?

Yes. The Rambo: First Blood Part II toy line was released in the 1980s and turned John Rambo into a cartoon-style action hero. The character was also adapted into the animated series Rambo: The Force of Freedom, which further separated the toy line from the darker themes of the original movies.

Did RoboCop really have a toy line?

Yes. Kenner released a RoboCop toy line in 1988 featuring action figures, vehicles, and accessories. The line transformed a violent R-rated satire into a traditional good-versus-evil action toy franchise.

What other R-rated movies had toys?

Other R-rated movies and franchises that received toy lines or action figures include The Terminator, Predator, Alien, Total Recall, Starship Troopers, and Universal Soldier.

Why were R-rated movie toys common in the 1980s and 1990s?

The toy industry was heavily driven by licensed properties during that era. Companies looked for characters with strong visual designs, recognizable weapons, vehicles, and worlds that could translate into action figures, playsets, and collectibles.

What was the strangest R-rated movie toy?

Among the strangest R-rated movie toys were the ones based on properties that seemed completely unsuitable for children at first glance. The ED-209 figure from RoboCop stands out because the character was a deadly corporate combat machine in the original film, yet it became part of a children’s action figure line. Other unusual examples include Rambo: First Blood Part II toys, which turned a traumatized Vietnam veteran into a kid-friendly action hero, and Alien figures, which brought one of cinema’s most terrifying creatures into toy collections.

Did horror movies ever get children’s toys?

Yes. Horror and science-fiction movies also became sources for children’s toys, especially during the 1980s and 1990s. While many horror properties were considered too mature for younger audiences, toy companies often focused on the creatures, monsters, and fantasy elements rather than the darker themes. The Alien franchise, for example, received action figures featuring Xenomorphs and expanded-universe creatures, while other horror-inspired properties found new audiences through comics, cartoons, and collectible merchandise.

Did you have any of these? Let us know in the comments!