Review of Mr. Freeze - Batman the Animated Series
Sixth Scale Action Figure

Introduction

As regular readers know, I love all things Batman, but my all time favorite incarnation is Batman: The Animated Series.  I've always been a 'collector' of things, but it was the action figure line for the show that really sucked me in and cemented my love for the little plastic icons.

Mondo announced their line of high end, sixth scale action figures several years ago.  It's been one a slow burn, that's for sure. We got the Batman almost exactly a year ago, and the Mr. Freeze started shipping at the end of 2019. They've also been shipping a Batman variant, which I'll be reviewing very soon.

Mr. Freeze came in two versions - the regular, which was $130 direct from Mondo, or the deluxe version (extra accessories!) which cost $145. I'm reviewing the deluxe tonight, and I'll point out the differences as we go.

Packaging - ***1/2
I like sturdy packaging - I don't want something that falls apart if you have to store the figure for any extended time. This is a great example, with thick cardboard used for the exterior box that will last a long time under normal handling. Add in some terrific graphics - I love the cover art - and you have a winner. Inside, the plastic trays keep everything safe and sound, yet it's all completely collector friendly. Some instructions would have been nice, but you'll figure it all out easily enough.

Sculpting - ****
They've captured the sharp lines and animated style beautifully on all three portraits. Yep, the deluxe version has three, while the regular release has two.

Both come with the standard expression, slightly pissed with a frown and knitted eyebrows. It's a good look for a variety of poses, and the detail matches the animated design.

The second head is really pissed, with gritted teeth and deeper wrinkles. These swap pretty easily, and fit neatly inside the plastic dome(s).

The deluxe version includes a third 'mourning' face, without the goggles. He's missing his wife, the loss he has never recovered from. It's a nice extra, and goes well with a couple of the other accessories.

He stands about 12" tall, fitting in pretty well with the Batman they produced.  The hand sculpts could work better with the accessories - more on that later - but overall the detail work is in alignment with the style of the show.

It's worth noting that it's not all just plastic. The 'Michelin man rings' at the shoulders, elbows, wrists, and calves are actually rubber, allowing the joints much more freedom of movement. On a real suit, these rings allow for joint movement while maintaining an airtight seal. Going with the softer material was a smart move, and really enhances the figure overall.

Paint - ***
The paint work on these hasn't been quite what I'd hoped, but it's not terrible.

I do love the shading technique, designed to look very much like a comic book 2-D representation. It works well, particularly on the faces, and adds some nice visual pop to what could have been a rather plain appearance.

But there's some clumpy areas on the google lens, and there's a bit of slop along some of the edges and cut lines. Certain colors cover wide areas, and there is some inconsistency to the coverage at times.

Still, it's decent work, just not something that will blow you away. I think it's worth noting that the foggy interior of the helmet is clearly intentional. It's done on two sides more than the other two, creating a frosty appearance. You can turn the helmet dome so the clearest side faces forward, as I did above, and the effect works quite well.

Articulation - ***
The overall articulation is quite good, considering the difficult design they had to work with.

The ball jointed neck does lean and tilt a bit, and the helmet doesn't cause too many problems. The rotating hinge shoulders, elbows, and wrists all work well, although you can only get limited movement across the body and the elbows are restricted from bending too tightly.

The hips are somewhat restricted by the design and sculpt of the pelvis, but you can get medium depth stances. The double joint knees work great, but the ankles don't have much rocker and only limited forward and backward movement.

The waist is much more posable than I assumed it would be, with good lean, tilt, and turn movement. The emblem at his waist is on a post with a ball, so you can move it a bit forward, back, and side to side, getting it out of the way of the torso a bit.

Accessories - ****
He's got a ton, particularly the deluxe release.

There's those three heads I discussed earlier, and they swap relatively easily. You know me - I love getting extra portraits.

There's also seven extra hands to go with the fists he comes wearing. There's a set of very tight grips (which can hold the frozen batarang), a set of wide grips, a set of medium grips, and a gun grip right. Swapping them can be a bit dicey, but I didn't have any real issues.  The plastic they use for these figures is VERY hard, and the hands can be difficult to work with. Getting the accessories in place takes some patience, and not every one has a great fit. I wish we'd gotten a hand to work with the snow globe, for example.

And yes, there's the snow globe, a reminder of his wife. I mentioned the frozen batarang as well, a souvenir of sorts. He also has a tank that fits in a post hole on his back, as well as his freeze ray gun.  There's also a large, translucent blue 'ice' ray that can attach to the barrel of the freeze gun.

He has a removable plastic dome, with two swappable pieces for it. One is a collar of broken glass, as though the dome has been shattered. This extra broken collar is unique to the deluxe release. The other is a 'steam' effect, as though the dome has been broken/removed and the sudden release of cold air is creating a mist around his head. Both pop in place easily, and create interesting looks.

The third and final extra that comes only with the deluxe is the large headstone for Nora Fries, his wife. It's a great sculpt, with snow on the top and around the base. The scale is good as well, and it's a perfect backdrop item.

The last accessory overall is his display base, with a crotch support. Nothing super exciting about it, but useful for those in earthquake prone areas. Or if you have a cat.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
Lots of accessories doesn't always mean lots of additional posing potential, but here they do. Great portraits that change up the intent of a pose, along with cool extras that add to the scene, means you can create plenty of different looks on the shelf. Add in Batman, and you've got a great display.

Value - **1/2
At $130, I think the regular release is an average value. This deluxe version gives you an extra head sculpt, the large tombstone, and the broken helmet collar, easily worth the additional $15.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not much. It can be difficult getting the accessories into the hands, but a little patience will pay off. Also, some heat on the hands themselves can make swapping easier.

It also might be worth taking some care when working with the waist joint. And while I didn't have any trouble with the emblem, the post it's attached to is quite thin, and I wouldn't want to snap it.

Overall - ***1/2
I'm biased, no doubt about it. I love all things BTAS, but Mondo is doing a particularly nice job with these figures. Some folks won't like them because they are 'big action figures', and not the same thing as a high end Hot Toys release, for example. But they shouldn't be. This is an animated show, and these have to maintain that style.

Still, the overall quality is worth the bucks. I do hope they look at the paint a bit more, but otherwise I'm completely happy. My only other complaint? They have no one else announced at this point. We have to get a great Joker at least!

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ***
Articulation - ***
Accessories - ****
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Value - **
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
I picked up mine through Mondo where the deluxe was $145, but it is sold out. The regular is $130 there. Online options include these site sponsors:

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I covered their Batman last year, and I'll be reviewing their variant Batman very soon.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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