Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

• Directed by Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm
• December 25, 1993
• Based on Batman: The Animated Series. Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger

Voice Cast

• Bruce Wayne/Batman-Kevin Conroy
• The Joker-Mark Hamill
• Andrea ‘Andi’ Beaumont-Dana Delany
• City Councilman Arthur Reeves-Hart Bochner
• Carl Beaumont, The Phantasm-Stacy Keach
• Alfred Pennyworth-Efrem Zimbalist Jr.
• Salvatore ‘The Wheezer’ Valestra-Abe Vigoda
• Charles ‘Chuckie’ Sol-Dick Miller
• Buzz Bronski-John P. Ryan
• Commissioner James ‘Jim’ Gordon-Bob Hastings
• Detective Harvey Bullock-Robert Costanzo
• Announcer-Pat Musick
• Party Guest-Vernee Watson-Johnson
• Doctor, Police Dispatch, Jake, Dougan-Ed Gilbert
• Burton Earny, Helicopter Cop #1, Police Officer, Laughing Biker Thug, Passenger on Ship-Jeff Bennett
• Helicopter Cop #2, Thug-Charles Howerton
• Veronica Vreeland-Marilu Henner
• Biker Thug-Neil Ross
• Mrs. Bambi-Arleen Sorkin
• World of the Future Fair Announcer-Judi M. Durand
• Additional Voices-Jane Downs, Peter Renaday, Thom Pinto, Dan Castellaneta, Tress MacNeille

A love from Bruce’s past returns to Gotham as a mysterious vigilante begins killing the city’s crime bosses.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a movie that I skipped when it first came out. I did not even partake of it until it became a five dollar DVD at Walmart. Don’t get me wrong. I loved the show and watched it faithfully and still count it among the greatest serious animated shows of all time. I just wasn’t going to pay a movie theater price for it even though it eventually made it to the dollar venue not far from my house. Popcorn and soda really upped the cost there.

The first thing that sells me on this is the romance at the emotional center of the story is not the reflexive Batman/Catwoman one. Phantasm adds Andrea Beaumont to the list of Bruce Wayne/Batman past loves and here perhaps one in hindsight per this story that is more impactful than any other since she ultimately offered him a normal life of peace devoid of prowling the night for criminals.

It switches between the present story of the actions of the mysterious Phantasm and what happened between Bruce and Andrea from their first meeting until her ultimate rejection of his marriage proposal that perhaps scarred him enough to take out that anger along with that of the death of his parents on the criminal underworld.

There is definite chemistry between the characters to the point that she knows exactly what to say to hurt him as well as pull him in his place. That chemistry would not have existed if it were not for the talent of the legendary Kevin Conroy and Dana Delaney who would go on to Superman: TAS and give a dynamic performance there as Lois Lane who she would perform regularly for some 17 years.

The romance story of the present was not helped by the intended romantic triangle involving the duplicitous City Councilman Arthur Reeves. His true purpose is to explain a few things in the story/make some stuff happen. The character lacked Bruce’s charm and was an obvious slimeball from the start. He needed to be at least plausible in one scene.

One thing I’ve griped about a lot of this blog is live action actors doing the work of voice actors rather than strictly hiring voice actors. There was a time, largely with DC, where they knew how to hire actors that could create deep and complex characters that enhanced the animation with their voice. Kevin Conroy, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Abe Vigoda, and Dana Delany all give depth and complexity while bringing to life their characters in a way that many professional actors have difficulty if they can do it at all. 

‘Coinciding’ with Andrea’s return is the appearance of The Phantasm whose motivations for offing random crime lords is a mystery. The assumption by the survivors who understand what the connection is and the police (other than Gordon) is that Batman has finally decided to become an executioner making it about stopping a killer and clearing his name.

What’s a Batman story from TAS without The Joker? He was the easy one to write about (something those doing the show admitted) though that could be due to the amazing work of Mark Hamill. I think he sucked it as the live action Trickster, but he nailed it as the animated Joker. The secrets that come to the surface all have the involvement of The Joker before he became The Joker which raises all sorts of questions I don’t think were ever answered in the show. That’s excellent storytelling making the character so much more engaging than he already was. Due to his connection, once The Joker sees The Phantasm when expecting Batman, he pieces it all together. Nice way to mix things up by beating the World’s Greatest Detective to the punch.

I just wish Batman: Mask of the Phantasm hadn’t used The Joker. At least not as prominently as they did. I think the story needed to focus more on the relationship between Andrea Beaumont and Bruce Wayne by delving more into their chemistry and dynamic to make the climax so much more tragic. The only way to do that was to get rid of The Joker and have more Phantasm and Andrea.

The animation is pretty much what you got in your general episode of TAS. There is a bit of early computer assistance for panning or just generally more dynamic shots but it’s nothing more significant than that. Given this was tied into the series I’m not sure what else to expect. Maybe just something a little smoother and less rough. Chop this up into 30-minute blocks and it would not seem that out of place in quality for TAS which was running 5 days a week then.

That’s not only why I didn’t go see it then but I’m guessing the majority of other people didn’t as well. I think if it aired on television, it would have been an instant TV hit and been regarded almost immediately as a classic television movie. Instead, despite its distinct quality and greater depth than most anything with the Batman name on it in live action it took a while to become truly appreciated.

With an emotional story punctuated by superheroics, you feel bad for all the characters involved. The what-could-have-been aspect genuinely resonates because that path would have offered a better life for characters new and old that those who came up with the story and screenplay did an excellent job of getting you to care about. They are now stuck on a path difficult to get off from.

While not too special in comparison to the TV show Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is one of the more dramatic and human stories of the of the Batman film world and shows animation can be more than silly.