After “Batman Forever” was released in 1995, Warner Bros. (WB for short) green-lit “Batman And Robin” with George Clooney taking over Val Kilmer’s role as The Caped Crusader and a standalone animated sequel to “Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm” titled, “Batman And Mr. Freeze: Subzero.” Originally slated for 1997 release as part of a tie-in to Batman And Robin, Subzero was pushed back for a year, due to the former earning overwhelming negative reception from critics and fans alike. In 1998, (same year Mulan came out) Subzero was officially released on home video earning good reception from critics, fans and families alike.
There are a variety of reasons why I wanted to share my thoughts on Subzero. Number One, Robert Pattinson’s take on Batman will be released on March 4th, 2022. Number Two, Michael Keaton will reprise his role as Tim Burton’s Batman crossing paths with “The Flash” set in the DC Extended Universe or DCEU for short. Number Three, Leslie Grace will play “Batgirl” in a solo movie alongside Brendan Fraser as Firefly and Michael Keaton making another grand return.
It doesn’t matter if SPOILERS are listed. Many of us kids who grew up in The 90s and early 2000s watched the cartoon. Keep in mind, the review is a pretty short one. It’s not a big movie like “The Dark Knight Trilogy.” Just a 66-minute animated movie.
Warm & Cold Aspects
Warm: Kevin Conroy & Lorne Lester reprise their roles as The Dynamic Duo. They both did an excellent job for their respective voiceover performances.
Animation retains the show’s hand drawn format allowing the animators more time to polish final tweaks bringing character models, fluid animation and environmental locations to life.
Action Sequences are solid. A bike chase with Robin reminded me of the anime classic, “Akira.”
Unlike Arnold Schwarzenegger’s cringeworthy portrayal, the late Michael Ansara delivers a dignified voiceover performance of Mr. Freeze as a tragic villain. Thank goodness, No unfunny ice puns were involved.
The Tone matches the Emmy winning episode, “Heart Of Ice.” Played for Drama.
Chemistry between Batman And Robin is legit. Pretend Chris O’Donnell’s whiny performance never happened.
After a submarine emerges causing Nora’s pod to collapse, Mr. Freeze seeks an organ donor to prevent Nora from dying. He tracks down Barbara as a potential donor. It’s up to Batman And Robin to rescue her before time runs out.
Seeing Batman squaring off with Mr. Freeze, makes me wanna replay “Batman: Arkham City.”
One scene plays the song, “Am I Blue?” I’m not making this up, Batman sings the song on an episode of “Justice League Unlimited.” Don’t believe me? Look up Batman singing Am I Blue?”
Pacing is normal for a 66-minute animated movie.
Even without the batsuit, Barbara is capable defending herself. Alicia Silverstone’s version is nothing compared to the real Batgirl.
The Ending is a happy one. The Dynamic Duo rescue Barbara. Batman uses his resources to cure Nora for a proper organ donor. Mr. Freeze finally achieves his goal living in peace upon learning his wife is healthy.
Cold: I couldn’t anything wrong. I’m giving The Cast And Crew an Extra Point for making a flawless animated film as possible.
The Final Verdict: A, FOR APEX!
Unlike Batman And Robin, Batman And Mr. Freeze: Subzero is one-hundred times better than the bat-credit card George Clooney carried. Rumor has it, Matt Reeves is open to include Mr. Freeze as the main antagonist in a sequel to Robert Pattinson’s Batman. If this happens, I’m definitely onboard. Mr. Freeze deserves respect in live action format. If you’re on the hype train to see the highly anticipated Batman movie, introduce your kids to Subzero.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 