Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Action Figure Review: Mister Freeze (Victor Fries) from DC Multiverse by McFarlane Toys

 


   Mr. Freeze started as a joke villain (Mr. Zero) in 1959 but he gained popularity due to his appearances in the 1966 Batman TV series and some serious depth and motivation due to his revised backstory in Batman: The Animated Series. Dr. Victor Fries isn't just one of Batman's deepest and most tragic adversaries but he's also ends up with some of the best action figures out there. I love Mr. Freeze toys and this is a great one. There's just something about the guy with his big armored suits, goggles, glass domes, and robotic aesthetic that makes him perfect for translating into plastic. This version of Mr. Freeze/ Mister Freeze doesn't really seem to be sourced from anywhere in particular; he's just a solid, standard comic version of the character. There was a Platinum version based on Freeze's Super Powers look released randomly through the McFarlane online store but that one was pretty much impossible to get. This one is still really nice, though, so let's check him out after the break...






The Facts:

Height: 7 1/8ths inches

Articulation: Hinged toes, double swivel hinged ankles, boot swivels, double hinged knees, swivel thighs, swivel/hinge hips, balljointed waist, balljointed mid torso, swivel/hinge shoulders w/ ballsockets, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, double swivel/ hinge wrists, and a barbell jointed neck.
 
Accessories: Dome, freeze ray, collector card, and display stand.
 
Non-Scalper Price: $20 dollars






The Positives:

* This is a fantastic version of Mr. Freeze that seems to draw from a variety of different sources to create a very standard and recognizable look for the character in the McFarlane house style. The sculpt and detail are excellent, giving Dr. Fries an impressive looking suit of armor. The basic undersuit is black while the armored bits come in white, grey, and light blue. It's just a solid look for the character that ought to please most fans. Something work pointing out here is that the elbow joints are pinless, which is unusual for McFarlane. Is that just because of how this figure is built or might we see more joints like that in the future?








* Mr. Freeze just looks so cool in that dome. It's a classic dome that fits perfectly over his head and gives him plenty of room to "look around" underneath. There are also some silver tubes which connect to the tank on his back and a red panel that is probably the speaker for his voice.



* Pop that dome off and we've got one of the best Mr. Freeze portraits that I've ever seen. Is anyone else seeing a bit of Arnold in there? I'm not a fan of Batman & Robin at all but the film version of Mr. Freeze definitely had the right look. This one has the fantastic Mike Mignola inspired red goggles and a cool mottled skin tone. I love it.




* The armor is just so well done and is covered with detail like panels, gauges, and other greeblies. There's some cool dials and such on Freeze's wrist armor, too. 




* Flip Mr. Freeze around and you can see the large backpack of tanks containing the freezing compounds for his cryogenic suit and for his freeze ray. 




* Mr. Freeze might be wearing a bulky suit but he moves almost as well as any other figure. He's got all the same joints as your standard DC Multiverse figure and they all work just fine. He's sturdy, durable, and has a great range of motion. 

* Mr. Freeze does come with his signature freeze ray, which is a relief. Previously it seemed like Warner Bros. was so dead set against allowing licensees producing merchandise to include guns that even various items like this were banned. They seem to at least be relaxing with stuff like this, though, as Captain Cold and Heatwave came with their signature weapons. The sculpt is excellent and the design matches the style of the armor. 



* There's even a spray of ice spurting from the barrel. It's even given a nice paint job to make it appear extra frosty!











* I'm always glad that McFarlane includes a stand with each of their releases these days. It's just a simple disc stand with the DC logo on it but it works well and keeps the figure standing upright in most poses.










* Mister Freeze comes with the standard collectible card with a character bio on the back. Oddly enough, the image used for the card is from Mr. Freeze's New 52 appearance which was a rather different look for the character. In the New 52 Freeze had a fairly different back story and the first look I can remember where his bare, blue flesh was exposed outside of a suit. That's not what the figure represents, so I have no idea why this image was chosen. 









The Negatives:

* The ice blast on the end of the freeze ray is really nifty but I do wish it were removable. I've heard that some folks have heated it up and were able to remove the freeze blast but I haven't been brave enough to try it. I wish it were a separate piece that plugged in the barrel. 

   This is a stellar Mr. Freeze figure and easily one of my favorite DC Multiverse figures of the year so far. Almost everything about this guy is just right on the money. I'd really love to see more Batman villains done like this: Just standard, handbook or "house style" villains. It'd be really cool to have an entire rogues gallery of Batman's foes done like this. Little details like the removable dome and the details on the armor, along with the more noticeable elements of the figure like the superb headsculpt and the very cool freeze ray really make this a winner. Mister Freeze (Victor Fries) is an Epic figure.



  Looking for more of Mister Freeze/ Mr. Freeze, AKA Dr. Victor Fries? Then check out my reviews of the DC Primal Age Mister Freeze and Ice Mode Mister Freeze, the 1/18th scale Mattel Multiverse Mr. Freeze from Arkham City, the Greg Capullo inspired Mr. Freeze from DC Collectibles, the DC23 Mr. Freeze from the Nano Metalfigs line, and the Gotham Mr. Freeze from Diamond Select Toys.

For more DC Multiverse reviews check out the following:
Harley Quinn (The Suicide Squad)
The Joker (Infinite Frontier)
Kalibak (The Darkseid War)
Man-Bat (DC Rebirth)
Nekron (Blackest Night)
The Riddler (Arkham City)
Scarecrow (The Dark Knight Trilogy)
Two-Face (The Dark Knight Trilogy)


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