After escaping Gotham City, Mr. Freeze now lives a life of solitude in the Arctic together with his wife Nora, who's still in cryogenic stasis encased in a water filled tube. A submarine emerges through the ice and shatters the glass which causes her life threatening disease to circulate once again. Seeking for a way to save her, Freeze kidnaps an old colleague by the name of Gregory Belson. Belson informs him that Nora needs a complete organ transfusion, and with no deceased donors to match her blood type, they decide to go after a live one who does match... Barbara Gordon aka Batgirl. -summary

Batman and Robin directed by Joel Shumacher was no doubt an atrocious movie that was rightfully universally panned. It was so damn bad that it actually delayed the release of this straight to video movie, because it featured most of the characters from the live action version. Batman & Mr. Freeze: Subzero directed by Boyd Kirkland and released in 1998 was a welcomed addition to the Batman mythos, it salvaged the reputation of the Dark Knight as well as his most sympathetic foe Mr. Freeze.

I will admit right now that the movie does require a bit of backstory in regards to the condition of Mr. Freeze's wife. However, casual fans will still be able to get into the story due to other aspects. In fact, I know of the movie to be far more enjoyable to non fans than die-hards. The story isn't complex at all and the plot is by the numbers.

I have to note the character development immediately, since I believe that to be the strongest point of the film in regards to the villains only. Mr. Freeze's character is well intact from the animated series, as a man who will use any means necessary to preserve the life of his wife. He doesn't care in the least bit that his victim is indeed going to die in order for his wife to live. Belson is also an easy character to understand, as money is the only thing on his mind, since he needs a great deal to keep from going bankrupt. The budding relationship between Dick Grayson aka Robin and Barbara receives some attention, but I just had a hard time understanding the importance of it. One segment shows Robin doing everything he can to take down Freeze to save her. But I just have to believe that he would've done that anyway even if they weren't dating.

I can imagine a casual fan finding enjoyment in Batman and Robin's detective work. However, as a serious fan of the series in both animated and comic form. I just couldn't help notice how easy everything looked for the dynamic duo. All the elements they needed to piece together the puzzle felt too convenient. One thing is for sure, the writing has its problems.

The animation is hit and miss at times due to the average meshing of CG with 2D animation. On some occasions it really didn't look right, and the chase scene somewhere in the beginning stood out to me. It gave off a stiff and robotic look that just had a funny feel to it.  On the other hand, the regular animation has some really good moments and was very fluid. The soundtrack also boasted a jazz like BGM in the beginning which was shooting for the different feel letting viewers know this is something different. Unfortunately, it didn't achieve that desired effect with me. The voice acting was on point, and I felt Michael Ansara delivered a menacing performance as Mr. Freeze.

Although the movie made an attempt for a different feel from the animated series in regards to the use of CG, it still felt like an extended episode. There was no real risk taken here to set it apart like there was in Mask of the Phantasm. In any case, Batman & Mr. Freeze: Subzero is an average and entertaining movie. It's very far from being bad, and it would make a good rental. The movie has a 67 minute run time.

Pros:
-Characterization, good animation at times

Cons:
-Meshing of CG, too simple and by the numbers for a feature