Gotham City faces its coolest threat yet as the sinister Mr. Freeze plans to turn the metropolis into a frozen wasteland. He is joined by the seductive Poison Ivy, whose deadly toxins drive a wedge between Batman and Robin, threatening to tear the dynamic duo apart. With Alfred suffering from a mysterious illness and the city on the brink of icy destruction, the heroes must put aside their differences and welcome a new ally, Batgirl, to stop the villains before Gotham is put on ice forever.
Information |
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Language |
English |
Country |
United States United Kingdom |
Premiere date |
June 20, 1997 |
Running time |
125 minutes |
Genre |
Action Adventure Sci-Fi Superhero Universe |
Budget |
$125,000,000 |
Box Office |
$238,207,122 |
Crew |
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Directed by |
Joel Schumacher |
Produced by |
Peter MacGregor-Scott |
Written by |
Akiva Goldsman |
Music by |
Elliot Goldenthal |
Cinematography |
Stephen Goldblatt |
Edited by |
Dennis Virkler Mark Stevens |
Production Co. |
Warner Bros. Pictures PolyGram Filmed Entertainment |
Distributed by |
Warner Bros. Pictures |
Top Cast |
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Official Trailer |
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Movie Collection |
Movie Order: #04 in Batman Collection
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The Plot
A Chilling Debut at the Gotham Museum
The dark skies of Gotham City are pierced by the Bat-Signal as a new icy terror descends upon the Gotham Museum. Dr. Victor Fries, now known as the formidable Mr. Freeze, breaches the facility equipped with a specialized life-sustaining cryogenic suit and a devastating freeze gun. His mission is cold and calculated: to steal a priceless diamond. As security forces open fire, Freeze heartlessly encases them in solid ice, while his minions assist in terrorizing the staff. The situation seems dire until Batman and Robin arrive on the scene to challenge the sub-zero villain.
In a surreal display of acrobatics and gadgets, the Dynamic Duo’s boots transform into ice skates, leading to a high-stakes game of "ice hockey" against Freeze’s thugs. Despite their efforts, Mr. Freeze manages to secure the diamond, using his freeze cannon to shatter a massive dinosaur sculpture to create a diversion. He escapes via a specialized rocket, with Robin clinging to the exterior using suction cups. To ensure his getaway, Freeze traps Batman in ice and ejects from the craft. Though Robin manages to rescue Batman using a laser before the rocket explodes, Freeze successfully retreats, leaving a section of Gotham frozen in a localized blizzard. During the final pursuit through a series of vault doors, Freeze manages to freeze Robin solid, forcing Batman to prioritize his partner’s life over the villain's capture. By the time Batman thaws Robin out, the diamond and the doctor are gone.
The Birth of Poison Ivy and Bane
Far from the frozen streets of Gotham, in a laboratory in South America, Dr. Pamela Isley works under the unethical Dr. Jason Woodrue. Isley is horrified to witness Woodrue’s "Venom" experiments, where he transforms Antonio Diego, a diminutive convict, into a massive, mindless hulking monstrosity dubbed "Bane." When Isley threatens to expose these crimes, Woodrue attempts to murder her by shoving her into a shelf of concentrated toxins, pheromones, and experimental steroids. Instead of dying, the earth seems to reclaim her; she rises from the chemical wreckage transformed into the seductive and lethal Poison Ivy.
With a single poisonous kiss, Ivy executes Woodrue and discovers that his research was secretly funded by Wayne Enterprises. Seeking revenge and a way to fund her botanical world-domination plans, she travels to Gotham City, bringing the towering Bane along as her personal muscle. Meanwhile, a different kind of newcomer arrives at Wayne Manor: Barbara Wilson, the niece of Bruce Wayne’s loyal butler, Alfred Pennyworth. Barbara seeks refuge with Bruce, hiding the fact that she has her own rebellious streak, while Alfred secretly struggles with a deteriorating health condition.
A Duel of Hearts and Heroics
As the plot thickens, the tragic motivation behind Mr. Freeze’s crimes is revealed: his beloved wife, Nora, is suffering from the terminal "MacGregor’s Syndrome." He has placed her in cryogenic sleep and steals diamonds to power the technology needed to find a cure. In a cruel twist of fate, Alfred Pennyworth is diagnosed with the early stages of the same mysterious disease, leaving him weakened and facing an uncertain future. Bruce Wayne, unaware of Freeze’s personal tragedy but sensing a trap, hosts a lavish charity gala to lure the villain out using a set of Wayne family diamonds as bait.
The event is interrupted not only by Mr. Freeze but also by Poison Ivy, who uses her mind-altering pheromones to sow discord between Batman and Robin. The two heroes begin to bicker, both falling under the siren’s spell. While Freeze successfully crashes the party to seize the diamonds, the Caped Crusader manages to capture him this time. Freeze is hauled away to a specialized cold cell in Arkham Asylum. However, his imprisonment is short-lived; Poison Ivy and Bane break into the asylum, liberating Freeze and forming an unholy alliance to turn Gotham into a frozen wasteland where Ivy’s genetically enhanced plants can thrive.
The Fall of the Dynamic Duo
The partnership between Batman and Robin reaches a breaking point as Ivy continues to manipulate the Boy Wonder’s emotions. Using a modified Bat-Signal to lure him into a trap, Ivy attempts to kill Robin with her venomous kiss, but the intervention of Batman saves him. Amidst this domestic and heroic turmoil, Barbara Wilson discovers the Batcave and the secret identities of Bruce and Dick. Having spent her time secretly street racing and honing her skills, she takes on the mantle of Batgirl, sporting a suit designed by a digital version of Alfred’s consciousness.
The villains retreat to the Gotham Observatory, where Freeze has converted a massive new telescope into a giant freezing cannon. His plan is to freeze the entire city and hold it for ransom to fund his research. By the time the heroes arrive, the city is already encased in a thick layer of ice. Robin and Batgirl team up to take down Bane, successfully severing the tubes that pump Venom into his system, causing the giant to shrink back into his frail human form. Meanwhile, Batman engages Mr. Freeze in a final, brutal confrontation atop the observatory.
The Warmth of Forgiveness
As the battle reaches its climax, Freeze attempts to destroy the telescope platform to kill Batman, but he only succeeds in further damaging himself and his equipment. Batgirl and Robin manage to use the telescope to redirect sunlight from the other side of the planet, successfully thawing Gotham. In the wreckage of the fight, a defeated Freeze begs Batman to kill him, believing Batman killed his wife, Nora, during the chaos. Batman, however, reveals the truth: it was Poison Ivy who tried to kill Nora by unplugging her life support, a confession Batman captured on video during Ivy’s fight with Batgirl.
Showing true compassion, Batman informs Freeze that Nora is safe and has been moved to Arkham’s cryogenic labs so Freeze can continue his research legally. He reminds Freeze that "to be able to preserve life is true power." Moved by this mercy, Freeze atones for his actions by giving Batman two vials of the experimental cure he developed for the first stage of MacGregor's Syndrome. In the aftermath, Poison Ivy is shown imprisoned in a cold cell in Arkham, her beauty faded and her mind fractured, only to be terrified by the arrival of her new cellmate: Mr. Freeze, who promises to make her life a "living hell of winter" for her betrayal.
A New Era for Gotham
Back at Wayne Manor, the cure is administered to Alfred, who makes a full recovery. The bond between Bruce, Dick, and Barbara is solidified as they agree to become a permanent trio of protectors for Gotham. Alfred, ever the wit, notes that they are "going to need a bigger cave." The story concludes with the iconic image of the Bat-Signal shining over the city, as Batman, Robin, and Batgirl run side-by-side toward the camera, ready to face whatever darkness Gotham brings next.
