Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero

I have nothing but respect for the 1990's Batman cartoon series. It's dark, action packed, the animation is superb and the storylines very interesting indeed.

My favourite Batman villain would probably be the Joker but in the cartoon series I think Mr Freeze is probably the best.

There have been Batman cartoon series before this in the 60's and 70's. Mr Freeze did make appearances in both series but he was portrayed as an evil villain. In actual fact, Mr Freeze is not an evil villain. He has a good heart deep down and this movie portrays that wonderfully. Rather than making him into some sinister villain who wishes to freeze everything in sight the producers portrayed him as a tragic man who became a villain through little fault of his own. This is what makes this a good cartoon-it's very thought provoking.

Besides all that, it's an action packed movie with great action scenes in it. Check it out.

This isn't the live action Batman, but much like Mask of the Phantasm, is an amazing animated Batman! So amazing in fact, that they should've made it Batman and Robin! It is so much what the last Batmovie Batman and Robin should have been. Totally amazing.

Batman & Mr. Freeze tells a fun tale of Batman and Robin chasing down yet another looney from Gotham and using their detective work to race against the clock. The movie makes Mr. Freeze not only a sympathetic villain but in the end almost redeemable. The only real problem with the movie is a few minor hiccups in the animation here in there, particular in the 3d scenes, and some of the clues Batman finds being a little bit deus ex machina. Other than that it's a solid animated Batman adventure.

For me, "SubZero" is mostly about context. This is a Mr. Freeze story by the people behind "Batman: TAS", so you know it's top-shelf. And, coming a year after "Batman and Robin" was like a salve for Schwarzenegger's portrayal. Context also applies to the CGI use. Back in '98, it looked pretty good (at the very least, expensive). Despite its aging, it was good for the time.

The only real complaint I have is the the abbreviated running time. Shorter even than "Mask of the Phantasm", the clipped pacing doesn't allow for much in the way of character development. But the animation is strong, and so is the action; particularly the submarine opening and Dick's chase with Freeze. There's great imagery in this movie and I love that Freeze has polar bear henchmen. It's a little touch, but man, does it work.

7/10

Michael Ansara's voice is perfect for Mr. Freeze, and of all the villains on the Batman cartoon, he was the most sympathetic. He has a plan to save his wife's life only it will cost Barbara Gordon hers. Excellent film.