Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero / Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

• Twice the fight: 2 feature-length Dark Knight adventures!Cold-blooded crime comes to Gotham City: Archvillain Mr. Freeze kidnaps Batgirl, and the Dark Knight and Robin scramble to rescue her before she?s forever iced in the animated chiller-thriller movie Batman and Mr. Freeze Subzero. Ultra-cool style and excitement continue in the theatrical feature Batman Mask of the Phantasm, where we meet a h

Twice the fight: 2 feature-length Dark Knight adventures! Cold-blooded crime comes to Gotham City: Archvillain Mr. Freeze kidnaps Batgirl, and the Dark Knight and Robin scramble to rescue her before she’s forever iced in the animated chiller-thriller movie Batman and Mr. Freeze Subzero. Ultra-cool style and excitement continue in the theatrical feature Batman Mask of the Phantasm, where we meet a hunted criminal named…Batman. Accused of murders carried out by a sinister masked figure, Batman is ! determined to clear his name. And that sets in motion a menacing, multi-layered tale filled with surprising revelations about our caped hero’s past. Expect the unexpected in "a mystery that is genuinely absorbing, suspenseful and moving" (Cincinnati Enquirer).

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Dr. Dolittle 2

• TESTED

Superstar Eddie Murphy is back as Dolittle, the beloved doctor with the up-ROAR-ious critter-communicating talents. This time around Dolittle plays Cupid to bumbling circus bear to help a group of forest creatures save their habitat. With the aid of his mangy, madcap animal friends, Dolittle must teach this overgrown teddy the ways of true romance in time to save his species and his home!It's only a marginal improvement, but Dr. Dolittle 2 defies the odds by rising above its popular 1998 predecessor (and once again, let's not confuse these movies with the earlier Rex Harrison musical). Eddie Murphy cakewalks through his title role with the confident professionalism of a comedian who knows when to share the spotlight--especially when he's being upstaged by a bunch of animals who steal all the punch lines. And once again the movie's aimed at a preteen audience, so many of those pu! nch lines involve flatulence, bodily functions, and frequent use of the word butt.

The difference this time: Dr. Dolittle has settled into his talk-to-the-animals routine; his 16-year-old daughter (Raven-Symone) is getting to be a feisty handful (it turns out she's coping with a hereditary gift); and his lawyer wife (Kristen Wilson) is representing him in a trial against corporate villains who want to clear-cut a local forest. Naturally, the local critter mafia (their Don is a beaver... fugeddaboutit!) want Dolittle to fight for their cause, and this involves the successful mating of an endangered bear and a domesticated circus bear who's forgotten all the bear necessities of life in the wild. The bears are voiced by Lisa Kudrow and Steve Zahn, and they almost steal the show, but the whole menagerie (with digitally animated "talking") is equally amusing. Adults might wish that the filmmakers had tried harder to make a truly memorable sequel, but this is a movie ! for kids, and they're going to love it without quibbling. -! -Jeff Sh annon

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