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Rating:  -
I love this version of the Batman story. It truly captures the internal struggle between the two personalities that Bruce Wayne faces. All the charcters were well-acted (voiced)especially Mark Hamill as the Joker. I think Kevin Conroy could have done a great job as Batman in the live action films. Even though it is an animated production, the characters are well developed and the story flows easily throughout. I never felt like this film, or the animated series itself was a "kid's cartoon." This movie is great for any Batman or superhero fan, young or old.
Rating: -
Batman - Mask of the Phantasm is one of the best productions to come from producers Paul Dini and Bruce Timm, following the first season of Batman - The Animated Series. The animation here is solid, the voice acting is some of the best around, and of course the story is enough to keep any fan of the series concentrated. This may be a cartoon, but in no ways is it a film generated specifically for the entertainment of children (mature themes are given, though not directly).
Batman finds himself in a web of love, murder, and ghosts of his past as a vigilante known as the Phantasm kills the city's mob bosses, and due to this being's tattered black cape The Dark Knight finds himself bearing the blame of the ghoulish figure's actions. On the run from the law, Bruce Wayne also has a blast from the past comes to further complicate his already challenging social life. Andrea Beaumont had almost been the force preventing Bruce from pulling on the cowl as the love of his life, and was set to marry, except Andrea ran out on him at the last minute, and now she has returned, rekindling past flames, causing him to question himself yet again.
Switching back and forth between the main story, and flashbacks to the caped crusader's beginnings, Batman tries desperately to prove his innocence and expose the Phantasm. Along the way a desperate mob leader, Chuckie Sol, scared that "Batman" will "crucify" him crosses the line, bring our hero's arch rival, the insane Joker, into the mix of things, which can only spell trouble for all of Gotham City. This leads to a spectacular fight between Batman and his manic foe in the ruins of the Gotham World's Fair, and Batman's ultimate revelation of the importance of Batman to the people, and why he has always been meant to lead a life alone.
The animation in this picture is fantastic; it's traditional animation at its very best. The scenery, the settings, everything in here is visually captivating. The way Batman slinks, and moves through the shadows, and the way Joker seems to move like an overinflated cartoon character helps capture the characters even more than the dialogue, and that's why I love this animation team. They know how to put a character on the screen, and they know how to make everything they do in this picture WORK. If this was a silent cartoon you could easily tell the nature of the characters simply by expressions and movements. In fact I HAVE watched this film on mute, and can instantly recognize the quirks and style of the characters. Movements alone, you can tell Batman is a troubled, and wants to be alone, that Bruce Wayne is in a constant state of grief from his parents' murder, and The Joker you can instantly recognize a deranged lunatic who doesn't have a care in the world.
This brings us to voice-acting, and Kevin Conroy shows us why he has been titled the definitive voice of the character for over a decade. Every single voice here is well done, the only shaky one probably lying in the voice of City Councilmen Arthur Reeves. Voice acting is often under minded, but in Batman - The Animated Series they did their best without even hiring a superstar.
Of course, there's still one that needs to be listed above all others, and that is Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) as the Joker. Like Heath Ledger in 2008's `The Dark Knight' Mark Hamill is someone who totally loses himself in the role, providing the most iconic portrayal of the character in Batman history (He's been the voice for over ten years, and still has upcoming projects). When he plays this character he pours all his energy into it, providing a voice that many viewers will not forget (Hamill's voice is always the one I hear when reading The Joker). You can tell Hamill is someone who loves comics, and loves this character to death.
This film is worth a view by any fan of Batman, and is probably a great follow-up to the animated series if you want to expose a child to the dark nature of the series (I recommend Batman - The Animated Series for kids 8 and up and this movie for when they hit 10). This is a great film for adults, though not as violent as the live-action films, the emotional level of the story is spectacular.
A solid 9/10 stars for an all around pleasing film
Rating: -
I think it's just a wonderful piece of work done by Bruce Timm and the other creators of this series.
Rating: -
This is one of the finest adaptations of Batman I've ever seen. It ranks along with Burton's and Nolan's Batman as the best Batman films.
Here, Batman is being blamed for the deaths of crime bosses, all of whom are actually the works of the mysterious Phantasm. So the Dark Knight must find out who is wearing the mask of the Phantasm, while dealing with an old flame named Andrea (who seems to be connected with these recently-deceased crime bosses). Add the Joker (voiced by the excellent Mark Hamill) and you've got a suspenseful story and intense action throughout the movie.
Animation won't disappoint. Voice acting and dialogue are a plus (Joker's one-liners are as memorable as Jack Nicholson's from Batman '89). Shirley Walker's music is spectacular (may she Rest In Peace). And finally, let's not forget the beautiful, but crime-infested city: Gotham City. The dark art direction in this animated film is so compelling and so lovely to look at.
This gets an A+ from me.
Rating: -
I have always been a fan of "Batman: The Animated Series." I think I was one of the few people who managed to see this movie spin-off in theatres, and I remember watching the VHS (remember those?) quite a lot as a kid. I always enjoyed this movie, but hadn't seen it for years until recently. Rewatching it as an adult, I'm blown away by how well done it is. Although animated, this movie is in no way a "cartoon." It is a serious, thoughtful, and emotionally rich exploration of the Dark Knight mythos, and a beautifully executed one.
The script deserves a large amount of the praise. It is a tightly paced narrative that juxataposes the investigation into a series of gangster murders by a being called the Phantasm (and for which Batman is blamed) with an untold tale of a love interest from Bruce Wayne's past, a woman named Andrea Beaumont. The script deals with some very adult and complex interpersonal relationships, and if you closed your eyes and just listened you would never guess this movie is animated.
The voice cast is also stellar. I've said before and will say again, Kevin Conroy IS Batman. He expertly portrays the dual nature of Bruce Wayne and Batman, finding the subtle distinctions in how each expresses emotions and yet always showing that Bruce and Batman are one and the same. Dana Delaney gives a mature, nuanced performance as Andrea, and quite frankly is the most believable and interesting romantic foil Batman has been paired with on film. And although he doesn't show up until halfway through the film, Mark Hamill shines as the Joker.
Visually, the increase in budget from the TV series is noticable, but the animation isn't groundbreaking. The score is good, but because composer Shirley Walker's work on the TV series is so stunning that the film score is less impressive by comparison. The TV episodes are scored like films, so there isn't a real jump in quality as far as the music is concerned.
The movie is darker than the televison series, and has more adult content. Although the gangsters die offscreen and words like "dead" and "murder" carefully avoided, its very clear that they met unpleasant ends. There is some mild sexual innuendo, and implied sex between Bruce and Andrea. If you have very young children this might be a concern, but by age 7 they should be able to handle it (and will probably be blissfully ignorant of the sexual content, if my own experience as a child is any indication).
The movie isn't perfect. Characters make some rather convenient intuitive leaps, and while I applaud the filmmakers for not spelling everything out a couple of plot points could use some slight clarification. Once the Joker appears, he hijacks the movie and turns it into something very different from what it was. But overall, this film is very well done, and predates the psychologically dark Nolan films by about a decade. A must for any Batman fan.
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