Kevin Conroy, Dana Delany, Mark Hamill

Batman is wrongly implicated in a series of murders of mob bosses actually done by a new vigilante assassin.

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73% liked it

58,346 ratings

Critics

87% liked it

23 critics

PG, 76 min.

Directed by: Eric Radomski, Bruce W. Timm

Release Date: December 24, 1993

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DVD Release Date: December 21, 1999

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Flixster Reviews (2,188)


  • March 22, 2009
    Batman was one of my heroes in my youth.
  • February 17, 2009
    Superhero fans of my generation had tons of great cartoons to watch while we we're growing up, and Batman: The Animated Series was right up there among the best. It combined action with a cool art style and serious plots that made the show just as appealing to adults as it was to...( read more) kids. Mask of the Phantasm is a side-story of that amazing show, so it's no surprise that I still love it all these years later.

    Phantasm works so well because it pairs the usual themes of the show with an extremely bittersweet love story and tons of the detective elements that are always present in Batman's best tales. Equal time is spent with the present day mystery of the Phantasm, and Bruce's early experiments with vigilante justice.

    It's great to see Bruce Wayne get equal focus in the story, and in many ways the scenes with him out of costume are the most interesting and pivotal to the story. The Joker plays a crucial part in the plot, and a woman is introduced who had a powerful influence on Bruce's decision to become Batman. What more could the true Batman fan ask for? Mask of the Phantasm is worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as The Dark Knight and Batman Returns. There's a classic story within its animated trappings.
  • January 3, 2009
    Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is the best movie you've either never bothered watching or never really considered a movie. Before Dark Knight and Batman Begins, the best representation of the Batman character and mythos was this animated feature from the early 90's, by the creator...( read more)s of the brilliant animated Batman television show (honestly, buy the DVD's. It really is one of the greatest shows ever made). Its incredibly well written, voiced well, great old-school animation, and has a mysterious storyline that has actually managed to remain both suspenseful and surprising to myself and a few other adults who I've forced to watch it (and every time, they have to admit how right I was about this flick). You'll be surprised how operatic and deadly serious Mask of Phantasm is.

    It was easy to forget about the film, in terms of audiences both then and now. It didn't make a whole lot of money at the box office, mostly because, I suspect, no one wanted to see a Batman movie without Michael Keaton in it. It's incredibly serious, dramatic, and operatic - couple that with some surprisingly intense themes and frightening scenes, and it was one of the few cartoons I can think of that got a PG rating with no mild swears or sexually suggestive material. I remember it scaring me as a child, and I also remember being antsy in the many scenes of something called "character development" and "plot revelations", when really all I used to want to see was stuff blow up. How wrong we all were.

    The story is rather ingenious in the way it slips around through time and manages to hide most of its mysteries adeptly, using a bunch of red herrings to throw the viewers off. It even keeps its most famous villain hidden from the film until the halfway mark - how often has THAT happened? The action scenes, when they do arrive, are really quite awesome, and although you may find it difficult watching an animated feature with no computer generated imagery, I found nothing flat or two-dimensional about this flick at all. The artwork is beautiful, in its own kinda way, and works in the universe of the film. The plot juggles a slight re-telling of Batman's origins, beginning as a man with a ski mask trying to scare villains, to the stunning reveal of the actual Batman character himself. Surprisingly, this plotline ties into the one set in the present as well, where a terrifying new guy called Phantasm is killing off mob leaders and blaming it on Batman. The dialogue may surprise you by being so intelligent, sophisticated, and often quite poetic - sure, we're used to that now with Heath Ledger's proclamations of chaos in Dark Knight, but back then, this was pretty new stuff to see in a Bats flick. The music also deserves a special mention; it opens the movie not with a quick and action-packed flurry of heroics, but dark and troubled choir, and at one point near the end the operatic chorus is so violent and dramatic, that you'll think you're watching the latest Ridley Scott historical epic.

    Several scenes stand out as some of the very best animated films have ever offered (indeed, this is now one of my favourite animations of all time). When Bruce Wayne first puts on the Batman suit, and Alfred exclaims "Oh my God". When Batman is chased by the cops and doesn't escape cleanly, and instead is bruised, broken, and bloody. When the main bad guy finally appears and gruesomely kills a gangster - oh, don't worry, the death is off camera, but the body itself, with his smile twisted wide open and a musical stinger making you crap your pants, is definitely there. And the flick manages to contain one of the best scenes of any Batman flick - Bruce Wayne, having been discouraged with his attempts to scare criminals and finally finding love, confronts his parents grave and simply says "I know I made a vow to you - but I never expected to be happy". What a brilliant idea, never before shown in any superhero film. We've all seen Batman make his vow to his parents and wage a war against criminals, but think about it logically. How many times has something so deeply upset you as a child that you are still brutally angry and intense about it DECADES later? When a loved one dies, we often find ourselves moving on within a year or two, but Batman, before Mask of Phantasm, has always maintained his anger and power no matter what. Not here. He's given a humanity, allowed to rethink his mission, and can even say "It just doesn't hurt as much anymore". Absolutely fantastic.

    Long story short, this is a great movie, one of the most underrated and forgotten masterpieces of the 90?s. Its easy to find in HMV's and Wal-Marts for around 5 bucks, and yet for years I fear all of us have been glossing over it, shrugging our shoulders in thinking its just another superhero cartoon. Trust me - its not.
  • September 20, 2008
    Christian Bale, meet your worthy opponent. Kevin Conroy has long been an outstanding Batman and until Bale unleashed a fury like no other, Conroy held the title of best Batman all to himself. Now they have to share it but that's not such a bad thing. And this movie is all the pro...( read more)of you need as to why Conroy should not be looked over when talking about great Batmen.

    Mask Of The Phantasm is not just a film continuation of the brilliant animated series but it also serves as the origin story for the Batman of this franchise. Batman Begins is the only other film to go into great detail about Bruce Wayne before becoming Batman but this film does something a little different. It introduces the idea of someone making Bruce think twice about his crusade on crime. By giving Bruce Wayne a love interest, this adds a new angle to the Batman mythology. Bruce's line "I didn't count on being happy" is a powerful one and shows the level of dedication he has to this woman if he's thinking of giving up on crimefighting all together.

    One of the other different approaches the film takes is using regular gangsters as the villians with the exception of the Joker and new character, the titular Phantasm. This is a great move as the events unfolding in current day Gotham tie into the past events before the rise of Batman and serve to explain the Phantasm's reason for being in Gotham.

    Speaking of the Clown Prince Of Crime, we have another case of two actors having to share a title, in this case, Heath Ledger and Mark Hamill for greatest Joker. Mark always sounds like he has a lot of fun when doing this role and it's no different here. What I've always loved about Mark's Joker is that he can swap between charming and psychotic faster than it takes to blink an eye. My absolute favorite line in this is his line "DON'T TOUCH ME OLD MAN, I don't know where you've been!" changing between rage and humor so fast.

    A grand effort, with a truly moving song playing over the end credits. I love the show, I love this movie and I love the DCAU. Kevin and Mark may have to share their respective titles, but in the end, everybody wins. They get acclaim for memorable roles and we get excellent performances. If you could only watch one animated Batman movie, or even one animated comic book movie, make it this one (and if you get to see a second, stay within the DCAU and get Return Of The Joker.)
  • September 10, 2008
    This was excellent! Aside from Christopher Nolan's recent interpretations, this is the best Batman movie out there. It outdoes both the Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher films by a landslide, and yes, this is only a 76 minute animated feature. But the film approaches the material...( read more) very seriously. It shows characters who are tormented by their past, and who can only find solace in revenge and violence. It embraces the villains as cartoon-like characters but isn't afraid to show how evil they really are.
    For those who loved the tv show, revisit thie movie. It's nostalgia at its finest. For those who've never seen it, and there are many, seek it out! Now that The Dark Knight has made people fall in love with Batman and the Joker all over again, you will totally dig this flick. $6 at HMV. You can't go wrong!
  • November 18, 2009
    Vengeance blackens the soul, Bruce. I've always feared that you would become that which you fought against. You walk the edge of that abyss every night, but you haven't fallen in and I thank heaven for that.-Alfred



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    Director:Bruce Timm and Eric Radowski

    Cast:Kevin Conroy,Mark Hamill,Dana Delaney,Hart Bochner

    Genre:Animation

    Year of release:1993

    Running Time:75 minutes



    Plot:

    Someone is killing off some of Gotham's mob leaders in an eerie costume, vanishing and reappearing like a ghost and eyewitnesses insist that it is Batman. The dark knight is now in serious trouble with the police, accused of being dangerous and unpredictable. Hunted wherever he goes, Batman must solve the mystery of the Phantasm to stop the killing and regain his reputation. Meanwhile old wounds are opened as Andrea Beaumont (whom Bruce Wayne had had a serious love affair with in the past) returns to the city. Memories of the past are now preying on Bruce's mind, memories of a time before Batman where Bruce was drawn between happiness and the promise he made to his parents. The mystery of the Phantasm is really putting Batman's skills to the test as the police slowly draw in with no mercy. The answer to it all lies somewhere in the past of both Bruce Wayne and another deadly foe, The Joker



    Review:

    I was really forward to see Batman:The Mask of the Phantasm because i m a huge fan of Batman and i ve heard positive things about this movie created by the masterminds behind Batman:The Animated Series.If you think The Dark Knight is the best Batman ever made,think again.The Mask of the Phantasm is very superior to Tim Burton s films and on the same level of Chris Nolan s version.I loved this film and is reccomendable of the fans of the Dark Knight of Gotham and who those loved the animated series aswell.



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    Kevin Conroy is absolutely fantastic as Batman.Conroy managed to capture the spirit of the character in a huge way,even animated.Batman faces an strange enemy that is killing Gotham s crime bosses and he gets the blame and also has a travel into Bruce Wayne s past before embrace his destiny as Batman.Conroy is amazing and honestly he would be a great live action Batman instead of Michael Keaton.Mark Hamill is so hysterical as The Joker.It s kinda silly mention Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger.Mark Hamill is also the best Joker eveer.The Joker faces Batman once again and it won t be a clean fight this time.The new character of the film is the Phantasm,the masked avenger who uses the same methods as Batman but he kills the bandits while Batman doesn t do that.I was shocked when i discovered his true identity and is Andrea,Bruce s old love.



    Bruce Timm and Eric Radowski are truly the geniouses behind this amazing movie on giving a great brilliance and magic to the movie that no one has capture before.One of the best scenes of the movie is when Bruce Wayne puts the mask for the first time which is definetly one of the greatest moments of the character,thanks to Shirley Walker s amazing score.



    Batman:The Mask of the Phantasm is a masterpiece of animation and a wonderfull representation of Batman,honoring his 70 year legacy.A movie reccomendable of the Batman fans who knows really what Batman is all about and not for the idiots who think that The Dark Knight is the best of all Batman movies.Masterpiece of animation.
  • November 16, 2009
    Arguably one of the best animated films ever made and definitely the best animated Batman story. It's such a cinematic approach, it feels like a live action movie. I've never been so pleased with a script for animation. It's dark, something that rarely happens in children's carto...( read more)ons. They challenged the whole identity of Batman and what makes him who he is. They also showed you what it would take to stop him, love. The whole idea of having a woman come in and be everything that he stood against yet everything he wanted was just really great to see.
  • November 12, 2009
    dude how many batman movies are there!! i get like ten recommendations
  • October 10, 2009
    The Batman animated series was a remarkable addition to the Batman mythos. The first animated movie is far better than most of the live action films. Reason being: Story. In fact, it may be a bit too story-heavy for kids. Batman falls in love and the Joker screws things up. The "...( read more)Dark Deco" look is magnificent. I also love the fact that they aren't afraid to take the story into darker territory. Interestingly, there's also a strong female presence throughout. Bravo Bruce Timm!
  • September 30, 2009
    One of the worst Batman film. Why do people like this one so much? I'd rather watch Batman Forever.

Comments


  • paperbackwriter005
    December 3, 2007
    man! were have the days gone. 1993!
  • dexy9000
    May 18, 2007
    So much better than any of the live action movies. Should be required watching for Christopher Nolan.
  • alittletriptoheaven
    July 26, 2006
    The best Batman movie to date. Sorry Tim and Christopher.

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Batman - Mask of the Phantasm Trivia


  • What movie has the line "Mi casa nostra es su casa nostra."?   Answer »
  • Which was the only animated Batman film to appear in theaters?  Answer »
  • Who does the voice of the Joker in "Batman: mask of the Phantasm" and "Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker?"  Answer »
  • In the animated feature "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm", who does the voice of the Joker?  Answer »

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