SubZero (1998) (V)

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:

Batman | Submarine | Desperation | Ice | Chase

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) (alternative title)

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 numerous addresses shown within the film place Gotham City withing the state of New York, and all phone-number area codes and ZIP codes correspond to New York City. New York City was one of the original inspirations for Gotham City.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Bruce uses the computer in the hospital to search the blood donors, in a wide-shot he clicks "send email" with the mouse. In the next close-up, the cursor is back to the original point, and he then moves the mouse, but now to click "search organ donors".

Quotes:

Richard 'Dick' Grayson: Thank you, Alfred. I don't know what we would do without you.
Alfred Pennyworth: Frankly, neither do I.

Movie Connections:

Follows Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

Soundtrack:

I Only Have Eyes for You

Ehh....it's alright.

The animation, no doubt, is top-notch. That's a given, though, when you're dealing with this particular series. As for the plot, it's simple enough. Kinda spooky, though, for me given that I share that blood type. (Thankfully I don't fit the demographic.) Anyway, Mr. Freeze comes off as he should: a tragic display of a man who's fighting to hold onto his life as he knew it. Mr. Freeze is not a villain by nature, but by default. To achieve his goal of restoring his wife, he's forced by circumstance into lawbreaking. Outside of that, Mr. Freeze is no more menacing a person than you or I. Unfortunately, Mr. Freeze is the only one with development in "Sub Zero." Bruce/Batman appears more or less in a cameo this time, the lack of screen time not letting him really display any characterization. Dick/Robin has enough going on that he shows off some, sure, and there's some tension for him, but that's really as far as it went. Barbara/Batgirl got to showcase herself better than the Dynamic Duo, most likely to show us why she got to sign on permanently with Batman in the new series. But for all she does in this one, we don't really walk away feeling we know anything new about her, either. Oh, sure, we know her blood type. But aside from that, she basically just got more lines than the guys. Would I recommend "Sub Zero?" Definitely. After all, where this creative team is concerned, even their "Just OK" material is usually superior to most anyway.