SubZero (1998) (V)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Boyd Kirkland

Writers:

Bob Kane (creator: Batman)
Boyd Kirkland (written by)

Release Date:

17 March 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Animation | Crime | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Plot:

When a desperate Mr. Freeze, to save his dying wife, kidnaps Barbara (Batgirl) Gordan as an involuntary organ donor, Batman and Robin must find her before the operation can begin.

Plot Keywords:

Submarine | Batman | Ice | Chase | Desperation

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Kevin Conroy	...	Bruce Wayne / Batman (voice)
Michael Ansara	...	Dr. Victor Fries / Mr. Freeze (voice)
Loren Lester	...	Richard 'Dick' Grayson / Robin (voice)
Efrem Zimbalist Jr.	...	Alfred Pennyworth (voice)
George Dzundza	...	Dr. Gregory Belson (voice)
Robert Costanzo	...	Detective Harvey Bullock (voice)
Bob Hastings	...	Commissioner James 'Jim' Gordon (voice)
Mary Kay Bergman	...	Barbara Gordon / Batgirl (voice)
Marilu Henner	...	Veronica Vreeland (voice)
Dean Jones	...	Dean Arbagast (voice)
Jane Alan	...	WGBS Reporter Summer Gleeson (voice) (as Mari Devon)
Liane Schirmer	...	Lieutenant Renee Montoya (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rahi Azizi	...	Koonak (voice)
Townsend Coleman	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Brian George	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Ed Gilbert	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Carl Lumbly	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Tress MacNeille	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Neil Ross	...	Police Officers / TV Announcer / Sub Crewmember / Radio Weatherman / Additional Voices (voice)
Randy Thompson	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Lauren Tom	...	Mariko (voice)

Also Known As:

Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero (USA) (promotional title)
Batman Animated Movie II: The Iceman's Cometh (USA) (working title)
Subzero (USA)

Runtime:

70 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Brazil:Livre | Australia:PG | Finland:K-8 (video premiere) | Germany:12 | UK:PG | USA:Unrated

Company:

Warner Bros. Animation

Trivia:

The phone numbers and ZIP codes shown all belong to New York City, the inspiration for fictional Gotham City.

Goofs:

Plot holes: The climax takes place in an "abandoned oil derrick". Yet the rig is spilling oil like crazy. Makes for a nice explosion, but not a lot of sense. Why would they abandon an oil-rich facility?

Quotes:

Commissioner James 'Jim' Gordon: Come on, people! A guy in a wierd suit with two polar bears can't be too hard to spot!

Movie Connections:

Followed by Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000) (V)

Soundtrack:

I Only Have Eyes for You

this is what "batman and robin" should have been

-Great story and amazing voice work

-Mr. Frieze lives peacefully in Antarctica with a small Inuit boy. He stays there because it's the only place his body can survive without his clunky suit. He spends his time fishing then looks for a way to cure his wife who lives in a frozen state. One day a group of scientist accidentally destroys his home and his wife's protective chamber, they figured no one would be crazy enough to live in such cold condition. However, they figure wrong and trigger Mr. Frieze to go back to his old menacing ways by dawning on his suit and going to Gotham to find an old friend to help bring his wife back to good health. Meanwhile back in Gotham Batman and Robin are busy protecting the city whiles their alter egos maintain a normal life of parties and work. Frieze eventually finds his friend and he tells him that his wife needs a transplant, they find an unwilling donor and she happens to be batgirl's alter ego. Batman and robin find out and soon have to go and rescue her from Mr. Frieze.

-Unlike its live action movie counter part, this is a well made movie with intelligent characters. Mr. Frieze isn't a cliché bad guy that wants to take over the world or destroy Gotham for that matter. He just wants to find a cure for his wife and is willing to do whatever it takes to cure her. Batman is a smart detective that uses fear to get what he wants and Robin is techno savvy sidekick that does more than deliver lame punch lines. The only thing this movie shares with the live action version might be that they both have excellent scores. Shirley Walker used Elfman's theme in this one and used it well, she also created her own themes and did a great job of not letting the music get too loud but rather score the emotions that the characters are feeling.

-This is a great movie and what Warner brothers should have made instead of that dog crap called "Batman and Robin". If you can forgive its short length then you'll really enjoy this movie

Kevin Conroy has the coolest voice ever