BATMAN: MASK OF THE
PHANTASM: 25TH ANNIVERSARY:
STILL JUST AS EXCITING
AS IT WAS 25 YEARS AGO!
By Nico
Beland
Movie
Review: *** out of 4
Batman’s
first theatrical outing in animated form returns in the 25th
Anniversary of Batman: Mask of the
Phantasm
Bending the rules on this one, the
Caped Crusader’s most underrated adventure returns to the screen for one day
only to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. Originally released in December 1993,
this was one of two animated films from Warner
Bros. that gained critical acclaim but were financial failures and later
gained a cult following thanks to home video sales, the other being 1999’s The Iron Giant.
The film was released during the popularity
of Batman: The Animated Series with
most of the voice cast from the series returning such as Kevin Conroy as
Batman, Mark Hamill (Star Wars
franchise, Metalocalypse, Regular Show) as the Joker, Efrem
Zimbalist Jr. as Alfred, and Bob Hastings as Commissioner Gordon. It makes
perfect sense to bring animated Batman to the big-screen after the success of
the animated series and the Dark Knight had already boosted box-office profits
with the two live-action Batman films
by Tim Burton from 1989 and 1992.
However, the film was originally intended
to be a direct-to-video release, but Warner
Bros. pushed it into theaters at the last minute for the holiday season. Despite
the film earning positive reviews at the time, due to a poor marketing campaign,
Mask of the Phantasm bombed but was
later resurrected as a cult classic thanks to video rentals and sales.
In fact, the movie left such a big
impression that Siskel and Ebert went out of their way to do a special episode
of their show talking about the movie to bring more attention to it on video around
the same time as the theatrical release of Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever. Even after all the
reboots and re-imaginings of Batman
that came afterwards, critics and fans declare this movie to be the best
representation of Batman of all time.
Much like what Warner Bros. did with The
Iron Giant and Space Jam, they
have partnered with Fathom Events and
re-released the film back on the big-screen for one day only to celebrate its
25th anniversary. It’s just as exciting and nostalgic today as it
was back then and a great throwback to when traditional hand-drawn animation roamed
American cinema.
The film follows Bruce Wayne/Batman
preserving justice in the crime ridden streets of Gotham City as a new foe
emerges known as the Phantasm, with the power to appear and disappear through a
puff of smoke. After the Phantasm kills a crime lord and making it look like
Batman did it, the public and the Gotham police force turn their backs on the
Caped Crusader, thinking he’s a killer.
Suddenly, Bruce flashes back to his
pre-Batman days and when he almost found happiness when an old flame arrives
named Andrea (voiced by Dana Delany-China
Beach, Superman: The Animated Series,
Tombstone) who was once engaged to
the billionaire playboy. Batman continues investigating the mystery behind the
Phantasm and discovers a link between Andrea and the Phantasm.
Meanwhile, believing that Batman is
killing his men, Gotham crime boss, Salvatore Valestra (voiced by Abe Vigoda-The Godfather 1 and 2, Barney Miller, Fish) enlists the help of the Joker to take him out. However, the
Clown Prince of Crime has his own agendas as anarchy and chaos ensue until the
shocking reveal of the Phantasm’s identity.
The film also features the voices of
Hart Bochner (Die Hard, War and Remembrance, Carrie (2013)) as City Councilman Arthur
Reeves, Stacy Keach (Cheech & Chong’s
Up in Smoke/Nice Dreams, Prison Break, American Greed) as Carl Beaumont, Robert Costanzo (City Slickers, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Hercules (TV series)) reprising his role
from Batman: The Animated Series as
Detective Harvey Bullock, Dick Miller (Gremlins,
The Little Shop of Horrors, The Terminator) as Chuckie Sol, and John
P. Ryan (Runaway Train, Death Wish 4: The Crackdown, Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection)
as Buzz Bronski.
Overall, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm remains a fan favorite 25 years later
and definitely something every comic book enthusiast needs to check out at some
point. Like the series, the noir-style animation is gorgeous and done on a
cinematic level, so it doesn’t just look like an extended episode of the show
with a larger budget.
We’ve seen Batman’s origin story
several times before in Batman
(1989), briefly in Batman Forever, Batman Begins, and most recently in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, but
something this animated Batman movie tackles that none of the live-action films
cover is the idea of Bruce Wayne finding happiness. After all the tragic events
that have occurred in his past, it’s interesting to see happy moments in Bruce
Wayne’s life before he donned the cowl.
The film’s subject matter is executed
in an intelligent and mature way, in fact a lot of people were shocked that the
Batman movie for kids treated them more like adults than Batman Forever and Batman
& Robin, the “grown-up” Batman
movies made at the time. Themes of loss, love, revenge, and even the dangers of
the mafia are tackled in this kids’ movie without taking the PG-13 route.
This is what a PG rated animated
movie looks like, darker tone, mature subject matter, and intensity. Unlike Frozen or Inside Out where it’s rated PG for a suggestive reference or a curse
word, Mask of the Phantasm earns its rating with intense fight sequences, killing,
and even some bloody imagery…and this movie begins with Bugs Bunny eating a
carrot, God I miss the 90s rating system.
We’ll still have our Avengers, Justice League, and live-action Batman
movies, but it’s nice to be watching a superhero movie that not a whole lot of
people talk about, it makes it feel more special. Granted, I consider Batman (1989) and The Dark Knight to be stronger movies and they both took a lot of
risks, but in terms of capturing the spirit of the character and understanding Batman, I have to go with Batman: Mask of the Phantasm as the most
faithful film based on the superhero.
Whether a Batman, DC Comics, or
animation in general fan, Batman: Mask of
the Phantasm is an underrated classic that should be watched and
appreciated. It was awesome back in 1993 and it still is in 2018 with more
people young and old discovering it every year.
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