Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero is Still Worth Watching 25 Years Later

Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero is Still Worth Watching 25 Years Later

In a world where Batman: The Animated Series brought fans so many incredible stories in its first couple of seasons, it is often easy to forget about the many good adventures that came later. Many were turned off by the change in art, the restructuring of the show, or simply fell out of watching for other reasons when the series became The New Batman Adventures. There were also fans that felt that the theatrical outing with Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was simply the peak, showing what this creative team and performers could do at the top of their game....

In a world where Batman: The Animated Series brought fans so many incredible stories in its first couple of seasons, it is often easy to forget about the many good adventures that came later. Many were turned off by the change in art, the restructuring of the show, or simply fell out of watching for other reasons when the series became The New Batman Adventures. There were also fans that felt that the theatrical outing with Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was simply the peak, showing what this creative team and performers could do at the top of their game. Even then, they proved that their creative vision was still strong with each additional show. One of the great animated Batman movies that seems to have slipped past many viewers was the first to go direct-to-video film — Batman Mr. Freeze: SubZero. SubZero is another solid chapter in the tragic story of Dr. Victor Fries. The movie continues his tale after the first two episodes he starred in and acts as the crescendo for one of the show’s most memorable villains. It was a simpler narrative compared to the previous motion picture, as we see Freeze making a life for himself amongst the ice with his new ward, Koonak, their two polar bears, and his frozen wife, Nora. A submarine disturbs all of this, however, breaking Mrs. Fries open from her cryogenic tube, leading her husband to return to Gotham to get help to save her life. For this, she’ll need new blood and organs, however, and it turns out that one Barbara Gordon — also known as Batgirl — is the perfect match. With the Commissioner’s daughtered kidnapped and soon to be harvested, Barbara attempts to escape while the GCPD, Batman, and her boyfriend, Robin, hurry to find her. It’s a solid story, one that doesn’t focus as much on Batman and allows other characters more time. This is really about Mr. Freeze being unable to let Nora die and being willing to do whatever it takes, up until the very end when it seems the humanity he was desperately searching for away from Gotham finally returns. Koonak attempting to help save Barbara seems to be the catalyst for this. His accomplice in this desperate attempt to save Nora is Dr. Gregory Belson, who has his own crushing problems that make him act impetuously. In the beginning, it’s Freeze who is more willing to be ruthless and savage while Belson is unsure. As the story progresses, though, it’s as if the two switch alignments a bit and show their true selves. It gives Belson’s death at the end more weight. The B-plot is about Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon’s relationship. In some ways, it is doomed to fail, but we get to see Robin being pushed into pursuing her more romantically and then literally pursuing her when she’s taken. Some complain we don’t get to see Batgirl in the suit as much here, but she isn’t simply a damsel in distress or an object to be rescued. Barbara attempts to escape twice, tries to find out more about why this is happening, and is active during the final confrontation. We are given a bit more time with these two members of the Bat-Family and it’s somewhat comforting to see them like this. The action in the film is exciting. We are shown a wonderful title sequence with the bat symbol freezing over and Mr. Freeze swimming in shorts with his two guard polar bears — instant engagement. Those two animals contribute to the fights a good bit, plus there’s an exciting motorcycle chase and the final showdown is on an abandoned oil derrick — a perfect set piece for a Batman thriller. Actually, everyone’s entrances here are excellent and feel classic for the characters. I know that at 66 minutes, some people complain that SubZero feels like it has a few pacing issues and filler scenes, but I believe that’s just giving some scenes time to breathe, which makes the acting stand out even more. A few of the fights and chases are mapped out b...