Batman : Mask Of The Phantasm | REVIEW

I've loved comics and superheroes ever since I was a lil' kid. No doubt it was Sesame Street and Sing Along Songs in the first 2-3 years, but at age 5 I had my first glimpse of superheroes in the form of Thundercats! I still love that uber-fantastic sword! Needless to say, I got myself engrossed in things like X-Men : The Animated Series and Captain Planet, collecting everything from VHS tapes to the latest action figures of Wolverine and Cyclops. But to date, I'd say my all-time favorite animated series has got to be Batman : The Animated Series. And I've been counting down the days to The Dark Knight ever since Batman Begins ended. So when Warner decided to put an animated film on the big screen way back in 1993 that derived from Batman : TAS, I was overjoyed! The only thing I hate about Batman though, is that pesky sidekick of his, Robin! What's with the tight spandex miniskirt and the ball-crunching, butt-hugging shorts? What's with the ultradork voice and the nerdy hairdo? What's with the f*ckin' name?! "Holy cow, Batman, I look like a fruitcake!". Anyway.....

...Batman : Mask Of The Phantasm was the only Batman animated feature to have had a theatrical release. The movie is incredible. And I'm not saying this because I'm a Bat-fan, but because it really surpasses all expectations from an animated presentation. If you've watched the animated TV series, then you know how dark and gloomy it can get, drawing inspiration directly from Tim Burton's Batman. In fact, some critics have stated that Mask Of The Phantasm has a better storyline than Batman and Batman Returns put together! Speaking of storylines, here's what you need to know...

Batman : Mask Of The Phantasm dwells deep into the mind of billionaire Bruce Wayne and his alter ego, Batman. During a conference of crime bosses held in a Gotham City skyscraper, gangster Chuckie Sol is killed when a mysterious cloaked figure bursts in on the meeting. Batman is blamed for the death. The 'dark detective' must now seek the one responsible, and by doing so, will uncover truths that he may find too hard to handle.

Although The Joker and the titular 'phantasm' are important points in the movie, the makers suggest that Bruce Wayne's past is the pivotal theme that acts like an engine to Mask Of The Phantasm. For the first time, fans get to see (from an animated point of view), Bruce Wayne's past and how he embraces an abnormal life as Gotham's silent savior. Kevin Conroy lends his voice as Batman, as he does most of the time, while Mark Hamill delivers another stunning voiceover for The Joker; a voice we've all grown accustomed to as the Joker voice.

The soundtrack to this flick is beautiful. It isn't by Danny Elfman who composed the original Batman theme, instead it's by Shirley Walker, who says that her compositions for Mask Of The Phantasm are her favorite so far. The music emphasizes the turmoil in Gotham City and the troubles the film's main characters have to undergo. The soundtrack helps the film's darkish thematic value. It's the basic Batman animated series theme with some modifications and enhancements here and there.

What's awesome about this animated movie is that it's not a kids-exclusive thing. It's arguably one of the darkest animated features ever marketed based on a kid-friendly superhero, much like The Dark Knight isn't marketed towards children below 12 due to disturbing instances with The Joker. I watched Mask Of The Phantasm way back in 1993 and remember craving the VHS ever since. I never found it, but almost a decade later I watched it again on Cartoon Network, and still loved it the same...not for the nostalgic value, but because it really is a kickass movie. It has a heavy storyline that integrates emotional conflicts, the thirst for revenge, justice, and making sacrifices. Fans get to see the pain and internal crisis that Bruce Wayne has to go through in order to become the Batman; something you don't see in regular cartoons. Plus (and how cool is this), there's actually Film Noir in Mask Of The Phantasm! And it's not even film, baby! These guys had effin' lighting techniques in a film that didn't even use real lights! They had artsy film-esque lighting in a cartoon!

Mask Of The Phantasm didn't make much at the box-office and the filmmakers blamed Warner Bros. for poor marketing. The movie was only promoted a couple of months before the theatrical release, failing to set awareness among the public. It didn't rake in heaps of cash, but it did surpass its budget of USD6million. The homevideo release (VHS, VCD, DVD), on the other hand, managed to bring in the money and settle for the film's failure on the big screen. Quality-wise, though, the film did very well and was nominated for an Annie Award for Best Animated Feature alongside The Lion King and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Unfortunately for the Bat, Simba bagged the gold instead. Batman : Mask Of The Phantasm is a timeless classic that probably tells the story of Batman how it's meant to be told. Some may argue that's it's too gloomy and heavy for an animated story, but that's exactly how I like it. The film was followed by Batman & Mr.Freeze : SubZero, which made it straight-to-DVD.
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Wrap : Mask Of The Phantasm gets a whopping 4.6 out of 5.0. It's a must-see for any Batman enthusiast. Actually, Batman enthusiasts would have probably seen it already. It's a good animated feature for anyone who doesn't mind dark and heavy storytelling. It isn't too gory ala Spawn The Animated Series, but it's also not too light either. If you've missed this, please pick it up on DVD. It's worth the time and money, plus it features a very kickass protagonist...the Batman. Now, put a smile on that face, and we're off to The Dark Knight in less than a effin' month!