Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

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Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Directed by
Produced by
Screenplay by
Story byAlan Burnett
Based on
Starring
Music byShirley Walker
Edited byAl Breitenbach
Production
company
Distributed byWarner Bros.[1]
Release date
  • December 25, 1993 (1993-12-25)
Running time
76 minutes
CountryUnited States[1]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$6 million
Box office$5.8 million[2]

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a 1993 American animated superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman. It was directed by Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm and written by Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Martin Pasko, and Michael Reaves. The film is based on Batman: The Animated Series (1992–1995) and is part of the DC Animated Universe. It was the first film in the DC Animated Universe and the only one in the franchise to receive a wide theatrical release.

Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Bob Hastings, and Robert Costanzo reprise their voice roles from Batman: The Animated Series. They are joined by Dana Delany, Hart Bochner, Stacy Keach, Abe Vigoda, Dick Miller, and John P. Ryan.

The film takes place between the first and second seasons of the television series. It follows Bruce Wayne as he meets his former lover, Andrea Beaumont, while a mysterious vigilante known as the Phantasm begins killing crime bosses in Gotham City. Batman investigates the killings while also trying to discover the Phantasm's identity.

The story is partly based on Mike W. Barr's Batman: Year Two comic book story arc. The Reaper, a character from that story, was one of the inspirations for the Phantasm. The film also includes elements from Batman: Year One, particularly its depiction of Bruce Wayne's early attempts to become Batman and fight crime.

Mask of the Phantasm was originally planned as a direct-to-video film. Warner Bros. Pictures later decided to release it in theaters, giving the production about eight months to complete the film. It was the first theatrical feature film produced by Warner Bros. Animation. The film was released by Warner Bros. Family Entertainment on December 25, 1993.[1]

The film received generally positive reviews from critics. Reviewers praised its animation, voice acting, story, and music. However, its late decision to receive a theatrical release gave the film little time for promotion, and it earned about $5.8 million at the box office, below its $6 million budget.[2] It later became more successful through home media releases.

Until the limited theatrical release of Batman: The Killing Joke in 2016, Mask of the Phantasm was the only animated Batman film to receive a theatrical release. It remained the only Batman animated film to receive a wide theatrical release until The Lego Batman Movie was released in 2017.

Plot

The film uses a nonlinear narrative. The following is a chronological summary of the story.

Years before the main events of the film, a young Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham City after years of training abroad. He promises to fight crime in memory of his murdered parents. At first, he tries to stop criminals without using a disguise, but he finds that criminals are not afraid of him. He decides that he needs a more intimidating identity.

Bruce meets Andrea Beaumont at Gotham Cemetery while she is visiting her mother's grave. They begin a relationship, and Bruce eventually proposes to her. Bruce is unsure whether to keep his promise to his parents or build a life with Andrea. Andrea and her father, businessman Carl Beaumont, suddenly leave Gotham, however. Andrea sends Bruce a Dear John letter, ending their relationship. Bruce is deeply affected by her departure and eventually becomes Batman. He converts a cave beneath Wayne Manor into the Batcave and begins fighting crime as a masked vigilante.

In the present, Batman interrupts mobster Chuckie Sol and his associates while they are planning to launder counterfeit money. Sol escapes but crashes his car while being pursued by the Phantasm, a mysterious masked vigilante whose appearance resembles the Grim Reaper. Sol dies in the crash. Witnesses believe Batman is responsible for his death, and Councilman Arthur Reeves announces that he intends to have Batman arrested.

Mobster Buzz Bronski visits Sol's grave at Gotham Cemetery. The Phantasm appears and kills Bronski. Bronski's bodyguards mistake the Phantasm for Batman. While investigating the murder, Batman visits his parents' grave and encounters Andrea. She realizes that Bruce is Batman.

Batman discovers that Sol, Bronski, and another mobster, Salvatore Valestra, were connected to Carl Beaumont. Batman questions Andrea, but she says that she does not know where her father is. Valestra, who is elderly and seriously ill, becomes afraid that Batman will kill him next. He asks Reeves for help, but Reeves refuses.

Valestra then contacts the Joker and offers him $5 million to kill Batman. The Phantasm also goes to Valestra's penthouse, but finds that the Joker has already killed him. The Joker has attached a camera to Valestra's body so that he can see the Phantasm's identity. He then detonates explosives in the building. The Phantasm escapes, while Batman arrives and is pursued by the police. Andrea helps Batman escape.

Andrea later explains to Bruce that her father had worked for Valestra and had taken money from the mob. When Carl could not repay the money, he and Andrea fled to Europe. Carl later became wealthy and offered to repay the mob, but the mob refused to cancel the contract on his life. Andrea returned to Gotham to stop her father from killing his former associates.

Bruce and Andrea consider restarting their relationship. Bruce later studies an old photograph of Valestra and the other mobsters and realizes that Valestra's former enforcer was the Joker before his disfigurement.[c]

The Joker confronts Reeves and accuses him of helping the mob. A telephone call from Andrea causes the Joker to suspect that she is the Phantasm. The Joker poisons Reeves with his toxin, and Reeves is taken to a hospital. Batman forces Reeves to admit that he was once the Beaumonts' lawyer and helped them hide from the mob. Reeves had asked Carl to support his first election campaign, but Carl refused. Reeves then revealed the Beaumonts' location to Valestra in exchange for the mob's support.

Batman visits Andrea's apartment while she is away and finds a message from the Joker. The message suggests that the Joker knows Andrea is the Phantasm. Batman survives an explosion that destroys the apartment. He concludes that the Joker, the last surviving member of Valestra's former group, killed Carl Beaumont as part of the mob's plan. Batman realizes that Andrea has gone after the Joker.

Andrea confronts the Joker at the abandoned Gotham World's Fair. The Joker attempts to trap and kill her, but Batman arrives and saves her. Batman asks Andrea to stop seeking revenge, but she refuses. The Joker tries to escape, but Batman stops him. Andrea then takes the Joker with her as the fairgrounds explode.[d]

Bruce survives the explosion and returns to the Batcave. Alfred comforts him and tells him that he could not have stopped Andrea from seeking revenge. Bruce then finds Andrea's locket, which contains an old photograph of Bruce and Andrea together.

Andrea leaves Gotham aboard an ocean liner. Batman returns to watching over the city.

Voice cast

Main page: List of Batman: The Animated Series characters

Production

It was going to be a direct-to-VHS movie but it was released in theaters at the last minute.

Reception

It didn't do well at theaters but gained a lot of money on home video. It is considered the best animated Batman movie of all time.



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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Batman: Mask of the PhantasmAmerican Film Institute. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993). Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
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