By Alec Meer on August 15th, 2011 at 4:19 pm.
I have nothing but sympathy for poor old Mr Freeze and the comics writer who created him, Ian Cold. From Batman’s already ludicrous rogue’s gallery (Man-Bat! Calendar Man!), his star is surely the most fallen, thanks to the governor of California’s chilling portrayal in the most nippletastic of all the Batman movies. How to make this pun-spewing pastiche remotely fearsome again? Well, give him a massive helmet, Terminator-esque body language, all manner of complicated-looking technology including some natty robot goggles and the sum total of zero one-liners: that’s the Arkham City approach.
Victor Fries in his Rocksteady incarnation is clearly being pitched as an entirely serious character, and as this trailer suggests he’s got Batman performing tasks for him, not as an out-and-out villain but as a dangerous psychopath obsessed with his frozen wife. And who wears a really, really big helmet.
Yeah, sorry Victor. You’re still a bit silly, even if you do have a scary robot voice now. You do look like you could cause our Brucie a whole lot of problems though, I’ll give you that.
Now say “You’re not sending ME to the COOLER!”
15/08/2011 at 16:20 Bhazor says:
“What killed the dinosaurs? The Ice Age!”
What makes that line work is that I can’t shake the feeling the whole museum sequence at the start was designed for that line.
15/08/2011 at 16:31 President Weasel says:
It’s an especially funny line as the general consensus is “the impact of a massive bolide, probably combined with a period of extreme vulcanism that already had ecosystems under severe stress”.
15/08/2011 at 21:27 outoffeelinsobad says:
Yeah, but meteors and volcanoes are terrible hard to make puns with.
16/08/2011 at 02:15 yurusei says:
Indeed, volcanic puns tend to blow up in your face, and meteor puns can’t help but come crashing down.
16/08/2011 at 03:02 Scorpi says:
Surely we can come up with meteor jokes than that, rite?
15/08/2011 at 16:30 msarge says:
I almost forgot how bad that movie was.
15/08/2011 at 16:31 jon_hill987 says:
To be fair Swarchenegger was the best thing in that film.
Though clearly that is not saying much.
15/08/2011 at 17:39 Zogtee says:
Both Arnold and Uma Thurman were overacting wildly in the film. They seemed to have a good time.
15/08/2011 at 18:02 Rinox says:
Isn’t overacting Schwarzenegger’s only acting style?
15/08/2011 at 18:13 Nick says:
No, usually its underacting.
15/08/2011 at 19:51 The Colonel says:
I thought his arcting was pretty good. He was probably piste most of the time though to be fair[enheit].
15/08/2011 at 19:59 Kaira- says:
Obligatory.
15/08/2011 at 16:31 Anthile says:
Cool trailer.
15/08/2011 at 16:36 Unaco says:
I agree. I thought it was pretty Ice.
15/08/2011 at 16:42 NathaI3 says:
to be honest, it left me cold.
15/08/2011 at 16:45 Will Tomas says:
Seeing clips from it again gave me the chills.
15/08/2011 at 16:45 Bhazor says:
Don’t undraestimate the game.
15/08/2011 at 16:54 Kdansky says:
Gice, stop that.
15/08/2011 at 16:59 Thule says:
I’m snow glad I’m not the only one who likes puns.
15/08/2011 at 17:24 Coccyx says:
It’s chilling to see this many puns, though mines quite ice.
15/08/2011 at 17:45 Drake Sigar says:
Hey Ant, ice to see you.
15/08/2011 at 17:57 Kaira- says:
It’s a blizzard of puns.
15/08/2011 at 18:21 Outright Villainy says:
Icy a lot of puns here.
15/08/2011 at 19:11 Daiv says:
Give up the puns, you flakes.
15/08/2011 at 23:03 Stupoider says:
Absolute Zero of these puns made me laugh.
16/08/2011 at 05:35 Thiefsie says:
Snow joke.
15/08/2011 at 16:39 MrThingy says:
Wheeee, ring modulation.
(I actually like his voice with the helmet on. Kinda creepy, but not 100% Dalek)
15/08/2011 at 16:42 diebroken says:
FROSTY!
(I knew that ‘line’ would have to be in there somewhere)
15/08/2011 at 16:47 RYNOBIG says:
“Chill out Batman” How could that one be left out?
15/08/2011 at 16:51 8-bit says:
anyone who thinks Mr. Freeze is silly clearly hasn’t seen the animated show, he wasn’t in it a lot but he got some of the best episodes of the whole run. its a shame the live action version is the one people remember most rather than that. and they don’t seem to be going for the same kind of character as the cartoon either, which is disappointing given how much they took from that show in the first game.
15/08/2011 at 17:15 Baf says:
The irony is that the animated show is responsible for the use of him in the movie. Before Batman: The Animated Series came along, he was just another long-forgotten gimmick villain. But the B:TAS team decided that there was some potential for drama in him, and so they invented a backstory that made his cold-heartedness into an outgrowth of his despair, and as a result he suddenly became popular with the Batman fans again. And once he was popular with the Batman fans, Warner Brothers had to go and write him into the next Batman flick, didn’t they?
15/08/2011 at 17:18 infinite_walrus says:
Gotta agree, the Animated Series version of Mr. Freeze was awesome. It’s the one that comes into mind when somebody mentions Mr. Freeze. Truthfully, for me that goes for all Batman characters since the animated series was incredible. I’m surprised that they didn’t use his voice actor from Batman: TAS, as far as I can tell anyway (It didn’t sound like him). I think this voice is a little overdone.
Edit: Crap, was gonna recommend the animated movie Subzero. Looks, like someone beat me to it. Still, no harm in another person mentioning it since it’s great.
15/08/2011 at 17:19 ResonanceCascade says:
“This is how I shall always remember you: surrounded by winter, forever young, forever beautiful. Rest well, my love. The monster who took you from me will soon learn that revenge is a dish… best served COLD. ”
He had all the best lines in that show.
“I surprised that they didn’t use his voice actor from Batman: TAS, as far as I can tell anyway (It didn’t sound like him).”
Apparently the actor who played him in the show is almost 90 years old, so I’m guessing he’s retired.
15/08/2011 at 17:24 Maelig says:
This. Mr Freeze was one of my favorite villains in Batman TAS. I’d also highly recommend the direct-to-video Subzero movie, which is probably its best appearance on screen, period.
15/08/2011 at 17:33 Zephro says:
This. But every villain attained perfection in Batman the Animated Series. Except maybe the Christopher Nolan films…
15/08/2011 at 17:51 Moleman says:
Yeah, it’s too bad Michael Ansara can’t reprise his role, but he’s unlikely to be in good enough shape for this- looking at his IMDB page, he’s currently 89, and his last credit was V/O work ten years ago, last on-camera acting gig was 2-4 years prior to that, given production lead times (He was already in his mid forties when he did Star Trek- the original Star Trek. He’s almost certainly been acting longer than anyone in this thread has been alive). I think even Mark Hamill has said that this’ll be his last outing as the Joker, and then he’ll be mostly retired.
15/08/2011 at 18:29 KingCathcart says:
If you’re gonna have anyone replace Michael Ansara, it might as well be Pinky from Pinky and the Brain.
15/08/2011 at 18:34 LionsPhil says:
Another +1 to the TAS/Subzero interpretation of Freeze. One of the best-executed sympathetic villains in fiction.
15/08/2011 at 18:37 Harvey says:
You mean The Brain from “Pinky and the Brain”. Not to mention Destro from GI Joe and freaking Egon from Ghostbusters:)
Maurice Lamarche, a voice from so many of my much-loved childhood shows, seems to be channeling Michael Ansara in that clip.
That, and the fact they are using TAS’ backstory for Mr. Freeze and their obvious love of that series commands me to purchase it on day one.
(edited for WOT)
15/08/2011 at 20:53 Christian O. says:
It warms my heart to hear so many people speak out in favor of the Animated series.
16/08/2011 at 02:55 Solidstate89 says:
I was hoping somebody would post this before I did. Batman: TAS is quite literally the greatest representation of all of Batman’s foes. The Mr. Fries episode where it was revealed what happened to his wife has gone down in history as one of the greatest moments of Animated TV history. He had incredible characterization. He is always the Freeze I think of. Same goes for The Joker. Who’s laugh do you hear whenever you think of The Joker? It sure as hell better be Mark Hamill or you suck.
And let’s not forget they did such an incredible job that when they introduced Harley Quinin, she was actually brought into the comics as a Canon character. I really can’t speak enough good will about that show. I miss shows like that terribly too.
15/08/2011 at 17:10 Renfield says:
YOU OR in MOE WuRLD now, Batman.
Victor ‘Vocoder’ Fries. Great that he’s in, though! And I’m not surprised to see him played with a straight face: it’s what makes Rocksteady’s Batman games work so well, as Batman games (vs. ‘generic excellent 3rd-person combat/exploration/stealth’).
15/08/2011 at 18:47 LionsPhil says:
…also corny dialogue like that?
15/08/2011 at 17:25 drhazard says:
I would have accepted a single one-liner:
“There may be some… momentary discomfort.”
15/08/2011 at 17:36 Jams O'Donnell says:
Please do not call him “Brucie.” Mental images of Bruce Forsyth in the batsuit are terrible.
15/08/2011 at 18:46 LionsPhil says:
Nice to see you; to see you…
…ice.
15/08/2011 at 17:51 Inigo says:
It would have been quicker if you’d said “Use the Animated Series incarnation”.
15/08/2011 at 18:42 Harvey says:
except TAS’ Mr. Freeze did love him some puns.
15/08/2011 at 18:04 Jake says:
Calendar Man is OK.
15/08/2011 at 18:23 Outright Villainy says:
Seems very reminiscent of the animated series version, only a bit darker. Which to be fair, has been their modus operandi for just about every character except penguin, who’s completely different.
I really don’t want too much more spoiled at this stage, but these bloody tempting videos are making that difficult…
16/08/2011 at 12:20 Bhazor says:
With the penguin they’ve decided to go… cockney. Which is… intimidating. You Adam and Eve it, treacle.
15/08/2011 at 18:40 wodin says:
The game trailer 9 out of 10…the film clips..tooka while before my jaw came up from the floor….love Batman, so pleased I never saw that film…infact Batman wasn’t realy made into a film until the dark Knight films…
15/08/2011 at 20:20 The Colonel says:
I’m only laughing on the outside. My smile is just skin deep. If you could see inside I’m really crying… You might join me for a weep. HAHA
15/08/2011 at 19:05 BeamSplashX says:
EDIT: Baby’s First Reply Fail. Buy it now!
15/08/2011 at 19:10 razgon says:
I remember the old 60′s show had Mr. Freeze in it – He locked Batman in a freezer (yes, he did!) but Batman survived because he planned ahead – He wore Bat-Thermo-Underwear! Brilliant show!)
15/08/2011 at 19:48 Lost says:
Oh yeah the old TV-show was amazing, I only saw a few episodes though before it got taken off air and put in cold storage.
16/08/2011 at 01:12 LionsPhil says:
If that’s the episode I’m thinking of, that version of Freeze also had a control box on him which let him make arbitrary areas of his lair cripplingly cold, to limit Batman’s movements (and create suitably habitable areas for himself, of course).
Decades later, that does kind of scream “adaptable to interesting boss-fight gameplay dynamic”.
15/08/2011 at 20:25 Teddy Leach says:
I bet you have to rip those pods out of his suit.
15/08/2011 at 20:27 UnravThreads says:
Will he be voiced by Nolan North?
15/08/2011 at 20:52 The Sentinel says:
It may actually be illegal to link to any video footage of that film online, guys. Well, if not it probably should be. The horror…
15/08/2011 at 20:56 Christian O. says:
Looking forward to this game, but even moreso to the next one. The way they’re going through villains, we’ll finally get to some of my favorite truly C-list Batman rogues like Crazy Quilt – THE MAN WHO STOLE HIS EYES.
15/08/2011 at 21:29 Baf says:
Wake me when there’s a trailer for Clock King.
15/08/2011 at 21:42 Xan says:
Am I the only one that wants to see the DESIGN of Freeze from “The Batman” animated show used again? He looked awesome.
http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100525194744/marvel_dc/images/4/4e/Mr._Freeze_%28The_Batman%29.gif
His “helm” was just hard thick ice frozen over his head.
16/08/2011 at 02:27 gwathdring says:
Never seen that one. The one I remember was this:
http://images.wikia.com/batman/images/d/d9/MrFreeze_btas.jpg
15/08/2011 at 21:55 Iskariot says:
Wow, what a great trailer.
I’m glad I will have Deus Ex in august to occupy my time.
That makes the waiting for the new Batman somewhat easier.
16/08/2011 at 01:19 Lemming says:
I see Mr. Freeze goes to the same tailor as Bioshock’s Big Daddies.
I was hoping to see someone more left-field like Firefly. You could build a whole area around him like escaping a burning building or something..
16/08/2011 at 01:22 matrices says:
What the hell is going to be left for the third game?
16/08/2011 at 05:39 Baf says:
Clock King! Clock King!
16/08/2011 at 12:08 Bhazor says:
Orca!
http://lastshortbox.blogspot.com/2008/01/whale-of-disappointment.html
Crazy Quilt!
http://batman.wikia.com/wiki/Crazy_Quilt
Fear his fashion sense!!!
16/08/2011 at 01:36 HeavyStorm says:
Who killed Batman? Joel Schumacher.
16/08/2011 at 02:27 ucfalumknight says:
And Chris Nolan resurrected him!
16/08/2011 at 02:29 gwathdring says:
Hmm. I don’t mind the outfit, though it’s a bit odd. But I love the voice which makes it all the more jarring in ROBOTRON 3000 mode. I’m not terrible fond of that. I don’t see why, if he has an intercom in the suit, he’d run it through some kind of voice modulation tech unless he was in some kind of heist situation. It takes EXTRA work to make the voice sound like that. It just doesn’t make any sense.
16/08/2011 at 02:43 Dionysus says:
Just pretend it’s unintended and strange interference and distortion from the other parts of his ice-looking suit.
16/08/2011 at 03:48 nmnmnn says:
spree shopping
http://bit.ly/n6SVQy
16/08/2011 at 13:53 ASBO says:
I’ve seen a flower die. Didn’t bother me really.