Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) Review

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

Directors: Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski

Starring: Kevin Conroy, Dana Delaney, and Mark Hamill

Rated PG         Runtime 1hr 16 min

    Well, it’s official. As of 2019 Batman is 80 years old, being created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger in the late 1930s. So, the challenge this momentous occasion set before me was how to celebrate it. I could have created a clickbait top 10 list of the best Batman comics, films or even video games. But all of these have been done to death already, and Batman deserved something better. Eventually, I stumbled on to the idea of reviewing the Bat flick that first sparked what would become a burgeoning passion for this character and his world. No, it’s not Tim Burton’s first Batman movie, or even any of the Christopher Nolan movies (although I love them all and will talk about each of them in time.) It’s actually an underrated animated classic called Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, which I argue is the best Batman movie ever made. I know its sacrilegious to some, but hear me out. This movie is a tie in to the very good and thoroughly recommended Batman the Animated Series, but while it adds more to the universe of the show you don’t need to have any prior knowledge to jump right in. The basic plot is that a mysterious figure called the Phantasm is going around Gotham City killing mobsters, and because no one survives the encounter (and the similar appearance to Batman), people believe that Batman is the killer. At the same time an old ex of Bruce Wayne’s, Andrea Beaumont comes back into town. As if things weren’t complicated enough an aging mobster (voiced wonderfully by Abe Vigoda) fearing that he will be Batman’s next victim calls in the Joker to kill Batman first. So, where to start? I mentioned earlier that in my opinion this is the best Batman movie ever made. The reason I say this is technical and pretty nitpicky, but to me it’s the best because this is a movie that has the best portrayal of Batman. This is the only Batman movie to make its sole goal the exploration of its tortured main character. While the Dark Knight is (I might concede) the best made film that technically has Batman in it, but it has more to do with the joker than Batman (he has all the memorable scenes). This movie also has a key part of Batman’s character that all other such films forget. Batman is a detective. I mean he is called the world’s greatest detective for a reason. Every other Batman movie is just Batman reacting to the chaos the villains create. Mask of the Phantasm is a mystery, and since it is an original story, one that longtime fans can’t figure out right away. This is also the best portrayal of Gotham City, a nightmarish art deco paradoxical city stuck somewhere between the 1940s and the 1990s. All the cars are from the 40s and every thug carries a pistol or a tommy gun. This congealing of disparate styles and old school hand drawn animation makes everything look classic and timeless. I suppose now is a good time to address some of the reactions I’ve seen online or in person to the revelation that this is my favorite. The biggest one is that “that doesn’t count that one’s animated.” To this all I can say is that animation really suits Batman better than live action. Keep in my mind that Batman was created on the comic book page. For a comic all you need to make a superhero work is a cool drawing. Animation is a step further, adding in realistic movement and physics. But still keeping the cool drawing and costume that could be a nightmare to bring to life practically. With animation you can play with impossible lighting, shadows, and camera movements, which are all used creatively here. Lastly, this movie is pretty dark thematically too. Just a few themes have to deal with fate, a doomed tragic love, and the cost of revenge. All things that the average viewer may miss, I sure did. When I first saw this at maybe 9 or 10, I only saw a cool Batman movie. Only upon re watching it did I find so much more. I also would be remiss not to mention the excellent voice cast and score. Kevin Conroy and Dana Delaney have great chemistry. Oh, did I say that Mark Hamill is the voice of Joker in a performance that is worth the price of admission alone. Shirley Walker had more freedom so for the movie she brought in a full choir to accompany the orchestra. This gives the movie the gravitas it so needed. So as biased as I am, I have to say, this is the most complete Batman experience money can buy, and along with the Batman Arkham video games, my favorite portrayal of the character outside the comics. This movie is also only an hour and 15 minutes, so the fact that it manages to balance all of these elements without feeling bloated or rushed for time is a feat and a half. So, all in all a great movie that deserves to watched, appreciated and analyzed again and again.