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Out of all the Batman films so far, including all the live action films, this one is still the only one to really explore the character of Bruce Wayne/Batman and examine what drove him to becoming Batman.

It has a great story that flashes back to just before Bruce took up the mantle of the bat and the woman he was involved with at the time, then skips forward to an unknown assassin killing Gotham City's mobsters, and we see how the 2 story's meet. The writing is top-notch, in no-way predictable and the voice acting by Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill as the Joker truly amazing and bone-chillingly scary.

The only complaints is that the animation could have been better at some points, but that is because it was originally meant to be a straight to video release before Warner's saw what a masterpiece they had created, and also it should have run for a little bit longer, but oh well. If you haven't yet seen it i highly recommend it.

Based on the 1990s Batman: The Animated Series, 'Batman: Mask of the Phantasm' is pure Awesomeness! A very fun ride, that's packed with twists & sharp action-sequences.

'Batman: Mask of the Phantasm' Synopsis: Batman is wrongly implicated in a series of murders of mob bosses actually done by a new vigilante assassin.

'Batman: Mask of the Phantasm' works from start to end. The main plot is extraordinary, offering an all twist in the caped crusader's legend, while the romantic-track, though slightly lethargic, has moments of emotions. And the Action-Sequences are sharp. In fact, the Animation is just top-class!

Alan Burnett, Paul Dinim, Martin Pasko & Michael Reaves's Screenplay is excellent. Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm's Direction is of high-standard. Vocal-Performances are sure to mesmerize. Kevin Conroy as Batman, gives the legend a voice with sheer restrain. Dana Delany as Andrea Beaumont, is a delight. Hart Bochner as City Councilman Arthur Reeves, is deliciously despicable. Stacy Keach as Carl Beaumont, doesn't lack conviction. Mark Hamill as Joker, however, steals the show. What a frighteningly stunning performance!

On the whole, 'Batman: Mask of the Phantasm' is a massive winner!

Superhero fans of my generation had tons of great cartoons to watch while we we're growing up, and Batman: The Animated Series was right up there among the best. It combined action with a cool art style and serious plots that made the show just as appealing to adults as it was to kids. Mask of the Phantasm is a side-story of that amazing show, so it's no surprise that I still love it all these years later.

Phantasm works so well because it pairs the usual themes of the show with an extremely bittersweet love story and tons of the detective elements that are always present in Batman's best tales. Equal time is spent with the present day mystery of the Phantasm, and Bruce's early experiments with vigilante justice.

It's great to see Bruce Wayne get equal focus in the story, and in many ways the scenes with him out of costume are the most interesting and pivotal to the story. The Joker plays a crucial part in the plot, and a woman is introduced who had a powerful influence on Bruce's decision to become Batman. What more could the true Batman fan ask for? Mask of the Phantasm is worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as The Dark Knight and Batman Returns. There's a classic story within its animated trappings.

Firstly, let me say that the 1992 Batman cartoon series was the best Batman cartoon series ever made. Just like the 1989 Batman movie it returned Batman to his dark roots and was a fantastic series.

This was a great cartoon film. I haven't seen many great cartoon films but this was one. It has an interesting storyline, an interesting villain (The Phantasm), interesting subplot for Bruce Wayne and it's even got the psychotic Joker as well.

The Phantasm is the most interesting cartoon villain in a long time and with the Joker in this movie as well it makes for an exciting movie. If you want an intelligent and thought provoking cartoon film then this is the one for you.

Not only the best animated flick but one of the greatest Batman movies ever made!

Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, and Bruce W. Timm are without doubt the best creative team of any involved in a Batman film or/television show. In this first animated film based on the animated series, the creative team does both a prequel and a sequel to the show as it introduces the characters of Andrea and Phantasm. Which both have an enormous impact on Bruce Wayne's journey to becoming Batman. And the character of Andrea helps us understand Bruce Wayne a little better. And know him a little better before becoming Batman.

Inspired by Frank Miller's "Year One" comic and Tim Burton's 1989 Batman film, Burnett/Dini/Timm create a magnificent Batman movie and a great movie as well!

4(****)out of 4(****)stars

AN ANIMATED MASTERPIECE!!!!

Here was a "cartoon" that was written for adults. It could be viewed by older kids, but it had great depths for the adults who took any time with it. Each episode (or couple of episodes) acts as its own mini-movie. The structuring of the story in each one is just so well executed. As well, the animation (for its time) was quite good, and still holds up well enough today. Another difference from other animation, is that the color palette is quite dark- which, again, only makes it more interesting. All of the great villains are here (and others you may not have heard of), but they get a very serious and, at times, philosophical explication. One of my favorite things about the series, is that every episode has its own orchestral score- meaning, the music that you hear is tailored to fit the exact moment you are watching. Shirley Walker manages to come up with so many sub-themes and variations on the main theme- and works them in so well with the happenings on screen. For those of you that have seen the series and remember it fondly, you might be interested to know that a box-set of the first 28 episodes was recently released- you can get it just about anywhere.

This is just one of the greatest animated movies of all time. No exaggeration. From the almost poetic opening sequence, accompanied by a great, great score till the very ending this movie will not disappoint. A dark story, darker than in Batman Returns, but also an excellent portrayal of Batman. The characters are nicely drawn (the female character is very attractive looking) and the voices are perfect. The origin of my favorite superhero has been overdone so many times and yet the filmmakers easily succeed to bring new insight and depth to the man that is the bat. I feel like I should write something more about it, there's definitely a lot of stuff I forgot since seeing it, but this was definitely an overlooked movie.

8/10

A masked assassin is killing off Gotham mobsters and Batman is being blamed. At the same time, an old love of Bruce Wayne's has returned to town and brings back memories of Bruce's early pre-Batman days and how close he came to never becoming the crime fighter he is today. Also, the Joker figures into the plot nicely. The best Batman animated movie to date. Not surprising since this came out as the brilliant "Batman: The Animated Series" was on television redefining awesome. If you loved that series, you will love this.

It's not perfect. The identity of the Phantasm is fairly obvious despite their red herring attempts. But it captures what made the series work so well: the appeal to both kids and adults by using simple storytelling devices and animation but still being intelligent and emotional enough to make it more than just mindless action or silliness. The main problem with most of the DCAU movies today is that they can't seem to strike that right balance anymore. They're either too dumb for adults to like or too hyper-violent and crass for kids to even be watching. Mostly they seem to settle on only appealing to teenage boys. But the '90s series had cross-generational appeal and this movie is a good appetizer for that main course.

With the critical acclaim of the syndicated cartoon, receiving awards and praise for groundbreaking animation and stories, it was only a matter of time.

With a story that rivaled Val Kilmer's turn in 'Batman Forever', this shorter and crisper version actually out does the Schumacher film.

With flashbacks and a well paced script, our animated hero faces old flames, new foes and of course, saves Gotham from the Joker.

A Joker very much based in the comic books but surprisingly more realistic than Jack's. Combine that with the retro style of the series and it transitions very well.

If your either a fan of animated films or just a Batman fan, this film will appeal to most.

Mask Of The Phantasm is a direct spinoff from the 1990's animated television show and alike the show was extremely well recieved. Though set in modern day it has that 1940's look and feel that made the Tim Burton films so memorable.

Here we have the caped crusader tackling the Joker, gangsters & a mysterious new vigilante. And you know how it works, vigilantes are only okay if its Batman if it's not then he has to take them down because reasons.

Sadly I don't see the appeal, though I don't consider Mask Of The Phantasm to be bad I don't understand why so many hold it in such high esteem.

Hamill & Conroy stand out as usual as outstanding voice actors, the animation is on point but the story simply did nothing to grab me.

Passable stuff, but underwhelming for me.

The Good:

Mark Hamill

Kevin Conroy

The Bad:

Messy plot

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Phantasm looks awesome

Phantasm is incredibly incompetent

It's so sad that Hamill will never play a live action Joker

This movie made perfect use of the BTAS theme music for Bruce Wayne/Batman several times. The best example of such use was in THE BIG CHASE. "THE BIG CHASE" is the greatest Batman Scene ever made. The story is quite tragic and doesn't have a happy ending. Batman is being blamed for a series of high-profile murders in Gotham and the police quickly turn against him. In reality, the Phantasm is the one killing the mobsters. Andrea (Bruce's former love) flies into Gotham weeks after the murders begin.She triggers several flashbacks throughout the story that show us the events that led to Bruce becoming Batman. This includes the incredibly sad movement that prompts Bruce to don the cowl. Alfred's shocked gasp of, "My God . . ." says it all.

This is a continuation of the famous BTAS (Batman the Animated Series) of the 1990's. Many fans consider it to be the definitive version of Batman. Kevin Conroy is THE voice of Batman.

"The series was widely praised for its thematic complexity, darker tone, artistic quality and modernization of its title character's crime-fighting origins. IGN listed The Animated Series as the best adaptation of Batman anywhere outside of comics, the best comic book cartoon of all time and the second best animated series of all time (after The Simpsons). Wizard magazine also ranked it #2 of the greatest animated television shows of all time (again after The Simpsons). TV Guide ranked it the seventh Greatest Cartoon of All Time (out of 60). The universal acclaim led the series to win four Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Animated Program."

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm stands on its own feet extremely well, when at least compared to some of the lessor Batman animated movies (Batman vs Dracula anyone?), and packs a good punch for fans so many years later. The original series was in its own other region- taking what more stories from the comics (if not overall style and atmosphere like Burton or Nolan)- and was able to cover some fine ground with our troubled hero the Dark Knight. This story tells of a character, not ever quite named but called here as 'Phantasm', who is killing off some of the high-rolling gangsters in town. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne meets an old love of his, Andrea, and old wounds are opened over a brief and untimely ended engagement. And then there's also Andrea's father, who... OK, not much to try and spoil here, lets just say at some point the Joker gets involved, and everything jets into a 'laughing matter'.

Even as it was meant originally for TV, the directors Radomski and Timm, through their writer collaborators, have applied a drawing style that is distinctive amongst other cartoons of its ilk from the period: very direct lines and sharp, jagged edges, lots of smoke at (specific) times, the right blend of noir when it comes to revealing the caped crusader when he enters a room in the dead of night. In a sense they're stylists as are the (good) directors of the franchise live-action films. Only here there's a catch: the running time is short (originally the filmmakers thought it would be meant for TV before WB changed their minds), so there's only so much time to dig into the dilemma Wayne is caught in in the movie, where his identity is being cross-checked all over as the killer of the gangsters, and then the personal connection with Andrea and her father. Its some fairly significant probing into the character, if not the deepest there's ever been.

But also, aside from the slightly darker impulses, Mask of the Phantasm is a lot of fun, even up to a point if you didn't watch the series much. Just seeing Hammil ham it up as the Joker is a blast, even though he doesn't appear (almost, one might think, as a lark) until halfway through the movie! But he (via the filmmakers trying their best to give fans the best of the animated basics) supplies a hugely entertaining climax, one which involves a big fight among an immense diorama of Gotham City, rigged with explosives!

At its best, "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm" is a fun, freewheeling trip down Memory Lane, rife with the three-dimensional characterizations, film noir-style design, and a refreshingly mature storyline. At its worst (in which case, it still isn't too bad), "Phantasm" serves as a reminder of how "Batman: The Animated Series" packed a better punch in 30-minute episodes that recalled the good old days of dimestore pulp. Even at an economical feature length of 77 minutes, the film's story is too basic to be so drawn-out. Still, the infusion of a new villain (the mysterious title character), a fleshing out of Batman's history, and a generous helping of Mark Hammill's Joker makes "Phantasm" a safe bet for fans of the show.

Mask of the Phantasm is one the best Batmans movies ever conceived. It gives that dark brooding look of the batman TV show, throws in an amazing original score, excellent voice acting, and a storyline that encourages us to look at the Batman story in a more human and emotional way. We have well established bad guys instead of just having a guy escape from prison, we have strong inner-conflict dilemmas and very well drawn action scenes. The only downside is that it could have been longer, although the rather short (compared to most movies) length does a good job of not making the flow feel dull or boring.

I highly suggest this movie.

This animated film of "Batman" was well done as the voices done in the film especially Hamill's "Joker" and the effects were good. Yet for some reason "Mask of the Phantasm" just didn't capture my attention or interest like most other "Batman" stuff does. The tale is simply just a little multi-layered with a theme that focuses on a past flashback. The plot is also a little off the chart with "Batman" being accused of murders that's carried out by a sinister masked figure know as "Phantasm". It's an OK mystery type for an animated film yet the biggest treat is the appearance of "The Joker" as Hamill's voice carries it well. Overall an OK animated film of the "Bat" yet nothing special.

I agree with Infofreak. People seem to have this constant delusion that Batman is all colourful backgrounds, grey and blue suits with Robin wearing and ballet costume. If some adults who read and saw the camp show really saw underneath that to find their beloved hero a dark, bitter, twisted vigilante who roams Gothem City, a dark and depressingly fantastic city, then they would see the real Batman. I first saw this film only last year but have wanted to see it for years. Finding the video was no easy task, found it, DVD just came out, sold VHS. It was worth it I love the whole evolution of Batman and his extremely dark past. I first saw the dark side of Batman when I was 5 years old on Christmas night 1990, and I saw Tim Burton's Batman. That whole image of Gotham City has been in my imagination and mind and still remains a magical place to me.Tim Burton to me is the saviour of Batman but I cannot wait to see Chris Nolan's Batman Begins to see the main Bat in town.

The thing that destroy Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm was the story, i hate the story, they are too focus on Bruce and Andrea story that at in the end Joker just came out outta nowhere to fight Phantasm and Batman, that's it, the movie was finish, they forgot about the main story, and if there any fight or action scene with a boring build up or just came out outta nowhere like that, it's still gonna be boring, and boy do i feel so long, it's literally the longest 1 hour and 16 minutes ever, Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm have an amazing animation, great voice acting, great music, i even like the first 15 minutes of the movie but the story destroy everything, at in the end, it's a waste of time.

Ever since Phantasm came to the theaters, I was hoping that WB would put another animated movie of that caliber on the big screen again. Phantasm is the essence of the true Batman. No bogus sidekicks, the Gotham PD hunting down Batman as if he were a threat, and a great interaction with Alfred. For any die hard Batman fan this is truly a must.