If Mask of the Phantasm compliments the first 70 episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, Subzero compliments the 15 episodes that comprise the Adventures of Batman and Robin. Mr. Freeze is one of my top favorite villains in this show thanks to Michael Ansara's magnificent portrayal of a tortured man, who although dead to emotions is more determined than ever to save the life of his dying wife Nora. I love this movie better than Mask of the Phantasm because being a Batman and Robin fan, I was thrilled that Robin was included in this Direct to Video Release. Kevin Conroy and Loren Lester are once again, superb in their roles as Batman and Robin. Regarding Batgirl, I was not exactly happy that she was in costume only briefly, but as Barbara Gordon, she was great as a damsel in distress, but still able to take care of herself, just like in the Heart of Steel 2 part episode. We even see a potential romance develop between Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon. Dick's wild motorcycle ride after Freeze's van is definitely worth seeing. The animation quality is even better than ever, partially due to CGI, but hey! I'm not complaining.
It's interesting to note two voice overs in this movie, George Dzunda (Scarface and the Ventriloquist and Perry White on Superman) is the voice of Dr. Gregory Belson and Dean Jones (Disney's Herbie the Love Bug movies) is the voice of Belson's Stockbroker.
My biggest gripe about this movie was the fact that WB decided to wait an entire year before releasing it. I felt they should have gone ahead and released it in the summer of 1997 so people could have enjoyed a better "Batman and Robin" movie than the abomination that Schumacher made. By airing the WB episodes first and then releasing this movie in 1998 was a mistake I felt. Why? Because if you saw the WB episode "Cold Comfort" you would already know the upcoming fate of Nora Fries, so WB's decision to bump the release spoiled the surprise of this delightful movie for everyone.
Of all the three animated Batman movies, I felt that Subzero is by far, the best of the three. It's also the last time we see the Batman characters in the Fox style before their revamps on the WB network, plus, with the exception of the "Old Wounds" episode, it's Dick Grayson's last adventure as Robin. And my hats off to the late Mary Kay Bergman, who voiced over Barbara Gordon/Batgirl in this movie. Like Mask of the Phantasm, I highly recommend Subzero for purchase or rental.
It's interesting to note two voice overs in this movie, George Dzunda (Scarface and the Ventriloquist and Perry White on Superman) is the voice of Dr. Gregory Belson and Dean Jones (Disney's Herbie the Love Bug movies) is the voice of Belson's Stockbroker.
My biggest gripe about this movie was the fact that WB decided to wait an entire year before releasing it. I felt they should have gone ahead and released it in the summer of 1997 so people could have enjoyed a better "Batman and Robin" movie than the abomination that Schumacher made. By airing the WB episodes first and then releasing this movie in 1998 was a mistake I felt. Why? Because if you saw the WB episode "Cold Comfort" you would already know the upcoming fate of Nora Fries, so WB's decision to bump the release spoiled the surprise of this delightful movie for everyone.
Of all the three animated Batman movies, I felt that Subzero is by far, the best of the three. It's also the last time we see the Batman characters in the Fox style before their revamps on the WB network, plus, with the exception of the "Old Wounds" episode, it's Dick Grayson's last adventure as Robin. And my hats off to the late Mary Kay Bergman, who voiced over Barbara Gordon/Batgirl in this movie. Like Mask of the Phantasm, I highly recommend Subzero for purchase or rental.