• Tag Archives Mr. Freeze
  • Canister X Movie Review #81: Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2009)

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    Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2009)
    Written by Stan Berkowitz
    Directed by Sam Liu
    Runtime 67 min.
    4.5 out of 5

    The Man of Steel has been framed for the murder of Metallo.

    Now on the public’s radar as a wanted man, Superman must team up with his greatest ally—and closest friend—Batman, to clear his name and show the public what really happened the night Metallo died. But before he can do that, he must survive an onslaught of superheroes and supervillains alike, all of whom have come to cash in on the bounty for his capture.

    Meanwhile, a giant kryptonite meteor is on a collision course for Earth, making things even worse for the Man of Steel who has no way to stop it, especially since the President of the United States, Lex Luthor, wants to destroy it himself with nuclear missiles.

    Will the Earth survive and will Superman restore his good name?

     

    This movie, based on the graphic novel by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, is a comic book fan’s dream come true. Not only does it feature all of comicdom’s two most popular icons, but also a super supporting cast consisting of Power Girl, Captain Atom, Major Force, Black Lightning, Starfire, Katana and a host of other familiar faces, including, but not limited to, Captain Cold, Mr. Freeze, Bane, Lady Shiva and a ton of others.

    The story is solid, simple, but enough to really showcase each character: Superman as the one who doesn’t kill; Batman as the disgruntled detective; Lex Luthor as the glory-seeking, power-mad President—it totally works. The pacing was bang on and not once was I bored. Even the humor was in-step with the rest of the movie and didn’t come across like jokes from left field. Case in point, the giant robot in the end would’ve come across as goofy had not an explanation been given for the way it looked.

    There was a good give-and-take between Batman and Superman in this flick, too, both in their banter with one another, their approach to doing things, and also in saving each other’s bacon. Sometimes it seems that whenever the two team up, it’s always Batman that saves Superman. It was awesome a balance was finally struck between who helps who and when.

    I’m a huge fan of Ed McGuinness’s rendition of Superman and to see that they mimicked that art style in this feature made this fanboy happy. His Superman is big and strong and powerful. His Batman is top notch, too, same with the other characters.

    Of course, having Superman voiced by Tim Daly and Batman voiced by Kevin Conroy only adds to it as these guys were the voice talent behind these characters on their respective animated series. I really wish they would’ve been used for all the animated movies, but sadly that’s not the case and, of course, there’re different behind-the-scenes reasons as to why that is. Regardless, each actor captures each character perfectly, their tone, inflections and presentation reflecting the hero they’re supposed to portray.

    Superman/Batman: Public Enemies was one of the early feature-length DC animated movies and still holds up to this day as a classic.

    Highly Recommended.


  • Canister X Movie Review #7: Batman and Mr. Freeze: SubZero (1998)

    Batman and Mr. Freeze: SubZero (1998)

    Batman and Mr. Freeze: Subzero
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    Batman and Mr. Freeze: SubZero (1998)
    Written by Boyd Kirkland and Randy Rogel
    Directed by Boyd Kirkland
    Runtime 70 min.
    4 out of 5

    In an effort to save his dying wife, Nora, Victor Fries (aka Mr. Freeze) kidnaps Barbara Gordon, Commissioner Gordon’s daughter because his wife needs an organ transplant and Barbara possesses the same rare blood type as his ailing wife. Batman and Robin are quickly hot on his tail and soon it’s a game of cat and mouse between the Dynamic Duo and Mr. Freeze as our heroes seek to find Barbara before it’s too late and she falls victim to Mr. Freeze’s evil plan.

    After the amazing thrill that was Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, and when I heard they were making another Batman animated movie, I was pumped. Mask of the Phantasm was insanely good and since SubZero was to be done in the same style by the same people, my expectations were high. While not as good as Phantasm, SubZero is still a solid flick. What makes it cool is it’s a team-up movie because Batman’s joined by Robin, something Phantasm didn’t have. You also get to briefly see Batgirl in costume in this one as well.

    Mr. Freeze is a tricky bad guy because while powerful, you take away his freeze gun and he’s got nothing and it’s easy to turn him into a one-trick-pony that way and diminish the complicated character that he is. Not in SubZero. You get to see Mr. Freeze for who he is under that armor and, well, he’s just a heartbroken guy who’s doing what he believes is the right thing. So distraught over his wife’s fatal illness but brilliant enough to figure out a cure, he’s willing to stop at nothing to save the woman he loves, even if that means killing an innocent person in the process. For those who have gone through immense heartbreak, you know how easy it is for unclear thinking to reign and how nothing but emotion takes over.

    This flick also showed how Batman and Robin feed off each other and work together, and not in that “Way to go, chum” way that was the staple of the 1960s Batman series. You see two professional crime fighters playing off each other’s strengths, giving each other ideas, each keeping the other encouraged and balanced as they fight the good fight.

    There was also some 3D animation in this movie, back when 3D was a new thing. While the 3D parts didn’t blend against the 2D as seamlessly as they do nowadays, it did add a “wow” factor to the flick—for its time—and kept Batman on the cutting edge of animation.

    I’m really pleased with this movie and it gets better with each viewing, and with an ending that is both sad but satisfying, Batman and Mr. Freeze: SubZero is a Bat-movie that should be part of any Bat-fan’s collection.


  • Canister X Movie Review #6: Batman & Robin (1997)

    Batman & Robin (1997)

    Batman & Robin
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    Batman & Robin (1997)
    Written by Akiva Goldsman
    Directed by Joel Schumacher
    Runtime 125 min.
    2 out of 5

    A freeze is coming.

    Gotham is under siege, this time by not one but three supervillains: Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger), Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman) and Bane (Jeep Swenson).

    The Dynamic Duo (George Clooney and Chris O’Donnell) is called to the rescue despite the tension growing between them. Complicating things, Barbara Pennyworth (Alicia Silverstone), Alfred’s niece, has come to Wayne Manor to liberate her ailing uncle from a life of servitude. She also has a secret: a wild side that needs to be tamed.

    When an all-out assault is declared on Gotham by Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy, the caped crusaders rise to the occasion, and this time they have a little help.

    If you took the cheesy, camp-filled ’60’s Batman series and shot it with a huge budget, tons of effects and modern day equipment, Batman & Robin is what you’d get (and is what we got).

    Clearly this was the film that killed the Batman franchise. It took eight years for Warner Brothers to recover from the disaster that was this movie.

    The story—the “what it’s about”—though farfetched, is bearable. It’s the dialogue and stupid jokes that catapult this Bat-flick a zillion miles into the campy canyon.

    On the plus side, if you watch this movie solely for the bright colors, glitter and action, you’ll have a good time.

    If you’re looking for substance, go back to the beginning, namely Burton’s ’89 triumph.