Batman: The Mask of the Phantasm
 (1993)
review by Head Cheeze

Which actor best embodies Batman? Is it the campy veteran Adam West or the comedically miscast Michael Keaton? How about the surly and spoiled Val Kilmer or the sabotaged George Clooney? No, for my money none of these major stars have captured the essence of the character as well as Kevin Conroy, the voice of Batman from the long running Warner Brothers cartoon series.

Paul Dini and Bruce Timm's animated series hit the big screen back in 1993, and while it didn't make much of a box office dent, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is easily the best big screen representation of the comic icon to date.

When mafia bosses begin dying at the hands of a caped assassin, fingers point to Batman (Conroy) as the culprit. As the city he fights for turns against him, Batman must fight to protect his sworn enemies and stop the mysterious vigilante before he kills again. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne's long lost love, Andrea Beaumont (Delany) re-enters his world, triggering a crisis of consciounce within the man behind the bat.

Mask of the Phantasm is a very entertaining film and essential viewing for Batman fans. Told in segments of flashbacks and current events, we see Bruce Wayne's rise from ski-masked back alley avenger to the feared dark knight, and how love almost cost Gotham City it's savior.
While the Phantasm itself is a less than compelling character (actually, it seems like something out of Scooby Doo), the titular figure is more or less a peripheral story element, leaving the bulk of the tale to Batman and Andrea's relationship and the dark secret that ties her to the fallen mafioso and the Phantasm's final target, none other than the Joker (Hamill) himself.

The animation in Mask of the Phantasm is a slightly dressed up version of it's already impressive television self, with that retro cool vibe that harkens back to the old Max Fleischer Superman cartoons of the 1940's while incorporating conventional technology like car phones and computers. It's a wonderful combination, and suits the Batman mythos well.

The DVD release is, unfortunately, lacking by way of extras, with only a trailer for the film. There is the option of viewing the film in wide and fullscreen formats, but that's it, which is a shame, considering that there was a documentary on the making of the film that aired upon it's cinematic release that would have nicely rounded out the package.

Lack of extras aside, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is must see material for fans of comic books, animation, and just good films in general. No other film has come as close to capturing the dark and brooding nature of Batman as this.