MovieChat Forums > Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero (1998) Discussion > Two Criticisms

Two Criticisms

posted 16 years ago by sbmcmanus
9 replies | jump to latest

Watched this movie last night. It's not bad, but it's not particularly good either. Two things really drag this movie down compared to, for example, Mask of the Phantasm which was a very good movie.

1. There is almost no character development. This movie plays as an extended series episode. The characters are are all completely unchanged throughout the movie, with the exception of Mr. Freeze who, I guess, is changed by achieving his goal. The central "good guys" are completely unchanged by the events in the film.

2. As a result of the comment above, the only character that we are left to care about is Mr. Freeze (since nobody else appears to be impacted by the events in the film). But the ending does not make sense. There is no explanation for why he is still plodding around the artic while his wife is revived in Gotham. Why doesn't he return? What does she think? How the heck did she get revived anyway whent he "leading authority" on cryogenics got whacked by a falling helicopter pad? This movie could have been MUCH more interesting if Freeze's wife was revived at the midway point and the second half was about the impact of that. Instead, we are left with a basic kidnap-n-rescue story and a 2 minute throwaway at the end ("Oh, by the way, his wife was actually revived and now he can cry. The end.").

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] ndvak 16 years ago

His body slowly degrades due to the chemical mixture he was originally exposed to. His head is all that remains.

This is an ok Batman movie. Better then batman and robin (live action).

However, the lines for freis werent quite up to the level they were in Heart of Ice - for that matter, neither were his lines in Deep Freeze.
The voice acting was done well IMO, but it didnt have the right 'feel'

Example:
about 39 minute into the movie, Freeze goes on small diatribe about how he was treated, Nora, etc..

"care" should not be a word he uses - to emotional. This whole bit was rumbled IMHO, almost passionate. Freeze (in Heart of Ice) is driven and emotional, but controlled. He looses that cool in this scene (and a few other scenes)

Average person saying this is fine, but Freeze?

Freis (movie): "its the way they've always treated me. Nora was the only good thing in my life, and they took her from me. I dont care what I have to do to get her back"

wouldnt this sound better: ?

Freis (ndvak): "it is the way they treated me. Nora was the only positive thing in my life, and they took her from me. It does not matter what I must do to get her back"

Same concept conveyed, but with a cold demeanor and understanding that he would be unrelenting in its pursuit.

[–] GodOfPlague 16 years ago

The second line definitely sounds more like freeze

My invisible wife says it's okay to see digital people:)

[–] KongKongAGAIN 13 years ago

I agree. This film isn't bad (though saying it's superior to "Batman & Robin" is saying Pizza Hut tastes better than a bag of nails...), but it's somewhat flat, overall. Freeze seems to exist for nothing but driving the plot — there's hardly a moment in which he says or does something that makes me care for him.

I will say, I appreciate the restrained animation of this film, as opposed to the rather more impossible stylization of "Under the Red Hood" (which, altogether, however, is stronger).

Overall, I'd say this picture deserves about a 7/10.

[–] stingingtail 13 years ago

The movie is meant to be the conclusion to the Mr Freeze storyline. It's not supposed to develop Batman or Robin. Just Mr Freeze. So if you only cared about Mr Freeze then they did their job right.

[–] TheSolarSailor 13 years ago

The movie is meant to be the conclusion to the Mr Freeze storyline. It's not supposed to develop Batman or Robin. Just Mr Freeze. So if you only cared about Mr Freeze then they did their job right. >>> That's a cop out statement if I have ever heard one. Being the resolution of the Freeze story does not mean that everything else must fall flat and be underdeveloped. The simple fact is that Subzero was a bit underdeveloped and uninteresting because of it. It's a by the numbers plot that doesn't really leave an impression when all is said and done. What a shame, considering the potential.

- - - - - - -
Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] tommy-almighty 10 years ago

While Batman remains pretty unaffected by the events of the film, I have to disagree and say that the relationship between Barbara Gordon and Dick Grayson is solidified by the conclusion... in a way, it's more Robin's story than it is Batman's. We get to see the character in a state of desperation - what was merely flirtatious banter in the Animated Series, becomes a serious love affair in Subzero. Robin is clearly no longer a kid, and certain scenes (particularly the motorbike chase) depict a man ready to take control of his own destiny, and leave Batman's shadow.

[–] michaelward15 9 years ago

I also think the film depends on you sympathizing with Freeze which I can't do because he's such beep in this movie. I think the filmmakers want us the cheer when Dr. Belson dies, but he's no worse than Freeze whose survival I feel like we are supposed to root for.