While audiences have seen the comic book character Mr. Freeze make multiple appearances in film starting in the 1960s, his small film features have left people wanting more. With the premiere of Matt Reeves’ The Batman, we begin the next generation of the vigilante superhero. The latest iteration shows some beloved classic villains and a new fan-favorite version of Catwoman played by Zoe Kravitz. The reintroduction of these characters, who are often overshadowed by others like the Joker, shows that there’s hope for other underrated DC characters to get a chance in the spotlight.
Mr. Freeze is a character that is known for having a warm heart despite his cold exterior. He’s a character devoted to his work and loving to his wife, and the losses he experiences throughout his story-arc make him into a tortured villain. Each version of him in cinema has its variations, but his humanity stays the same – as a character, he is grounded, relatable, sympathetic, and distinctly human. His personality and story make him a perfect complement to Robert Pattinson’s Batman.
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Personality and Motivations
Warner Bros. Pictures
Mr. Freeze’s ideals of justice and his motivations for seeking it revolve around his loved ones. He became a villain in the process of trying to find a cure for saving his terminally ill wife and experimenting with cryogenics. While he was able to preserve her to buy time to find a cure, he could not survive at temperatures above freezing. Ultimately he became Mr. Freeze all in an attempt to save the one person that mattered most to him.
On the other hand, Batman became a vigilante because he was unable to save the people that mattered most to him. Their motivations are centered around their loved ones and doing anything they can to ensure that their histories are not repeated. Both of them want justice but go about it in different ways. Batman is labeled a hero and Mr. Freeze a villain, but they aren’t so different. The blurring of the lines between what makes someone good and evil would be an enticing watch, forcing the audience to question ideals of morality and wonder what they would do for the sake of their loved ones.
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During Reeve’s film, audiences saw Batman go through an arc of realization that vengeance and violence aren’t the only answer. At the end of the film, he states, “I have to be more.” This development could continue to develop in the next movie if he were to be battling against Mr. Freeze, as he would have the opportunity to try to lead his opponent in the same direction of growth. As they face off during the film, Batman would be forced to reckon with the idea that maybe he is, as the Joker says, just one bad day away from being a villain. He would be able to see an aspect of himself in the desperation and desire of Mr. Freeze, which would motivate him to try to bring the bad guy over to the side of justice. It would continue his arc of being more than a thuggish vigilante and highlight the blurred line between good and evil and begin to make it a bit more distinct. In this way, the audience gets to ponder these ideas alongside their beloved hero.
Cinematography and Design
DC Comics
In addition to great writing and excellent character choice in this latest film, we also saw gorgeous cinematography by Greig Fraser. The Batman showed the true grittiness of Gotham and created an atmosphere perfect for a crime hub. The architecture was gothic, the sky grey, the hideouts of the bad guys were full of shadows, all of it was a gorgeously curated grey-scale that added up to a prime setting for the latest iteration of the Dark Knight. The cool and gritty tones of Gotham would also make an ideal home for the aesthetic of Mr. Freeze. The villain is always seen in a mechanical suit, making him a dark and intimidating figure to behold. While it seems a bit more of a futuristic look as opposed to Batman, the technology they possess easily rival one another and would make for intense showdowns. Mr. Freeze, as a partially mechanized villain, would also help advance this version of Gotham and further develop this new generation of the Batman story.
But besides just fitting into the overall aesthetic, Mr. Freeze’s appearance and design would also make a beautiful addition to light themes and motifs. Throughout the entire movie, Batman is not only accompanied by darkness but by fiery red tones. Whether it’s the flames or gunfire of an action scene illuminating him or the red light from the city’s sunrise, he is always surrounded by the colour red. If he were to face off against Mr. Freeze, this villain’s blue and icy colour scheme would be the perfect compliment. This use of colour would not only be stunning to see in the cinematography but would also add to the moral quandaries of the characters. The stark difference between them would subtly continue to develop the ideas of good vs. evil and where those lines blur.
This latest reincarnation of Batman left audiences itching for the next movie. The buzz from the film has created hope and excitement for all that might come next. It’s too early to say which characters might make a return and which might make a debut, but the classic villain of Mr. Freeze has the potential to be the next big Batman villain.
