Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, a feature-length episode set inside the noirish universe of Batman: The Animated Series, is justifiably considered one of the best comic book to screen (animated or live action) adaptations of the Batman source material. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was originally intended as straight-to-video fodder, but after production executives reviewed early storyboards, Warner Brothers decided to release Batman: Mask of the Phantasmcommercially in movie theaters. Unfortunately, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm did poorly with theater audiences (and critics). Critics were correct in pointing out the variable quality of the animation (due to budget limitations), but they seem to have overlooked the strong plotting, colorful, deeply felt characters, nuanced voice work, and inventive action set pieces.
For the most part, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm unfolds as a mystery plot. A new villain, Phantasm (voiced by Stacy Keach), dressed in black cape and hood and accompanied by an ever-present fog, has targeted some of Gotham City's crime bosses. The gangsters, however, are old, infirm, and, for the most part, ineffectual. Their time has come and gone, and now, only retirement and nursing homes lie in their future. A key event from their collective past, however, has set in motion the arrival of Phantasm, ostensibly for revenge. The Phantasm is unrelenting in its pursuit of his enemies, tracking them down as they commit crimes, or in one case, at a cemetery. The Phantasm's resemblance to Batman sets in motion a typical murder-mystery plot, with Batman (Kevin Conroy) now accused of murdering the gangsters, and in the process, becoming a pariah. Batman is doubly motivated, to find the real murderer and clear his name. Per the Batman mythos, Batman may be a vigilante, but there's one line he never crosses: he captures or neutralizes criminals, but never resorts to murder. As a masked vigilante working outside the boundaries of the law, Batman's code protects him from his opponents inside Gotham City's law enforcement and political bureaucracies.
Batman, of course, is Bruce Wayne's alter ego. Wayne, a benevolent billionaire, uses his vast resources to support state-of-the-art crimefighting. The arrival of Phantasm coincides with the return of Andrea Beaumont (Dana Delaney), Wayne's first (or early) love, back to Gotham City. Andrea's return leads to a series of flashbacks, with Wayne recalling their first meeting (at a cemetery no less), her father's involvement with shady characters, an aborted engagement, and her disappearance. The flashbacks also dig into Batman's origins, revealing Wayne in pre-Batman mode, interrupting a gang mid-crime, but without the telltale hood or cape (he wears a black ski mask). His initial confrontation, while successful, leads him to the insight that to be an effective crimefighter, he must be able to instill fear in his opponents. These flashbacks also reveal a Bruce Wayne conflicted between his self-appointed mission (to save the world) and more personal desires. He also discovers the potential incompatibility of his twin desires.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm's plot convolutions don't end there, however. Realizing the ease with which audiences (and Batman) are likely to uncover the Phantasm's real identity, and thus end the story, the writers, Alan Burnett and Paul Dini, add another wrinkle, the Joker (Mark Hamill, proving himself a talented voice actor). Midway through, the Joker replaces the revenge-driven Phantasm as the villain. To their credit, Burnett and Dini link the Phantasm's origins with the Joker (under his pre-Joker incarnation), but the switch to the Joker serves to highlight the relatively weak premise behindMask of the Phantasm. The mystery-revenge plot is easily solved, and as such, would cut the running time in half. The Joker's introduction and development into the main villain, however, does allow for the Joker's trademark rants, raves, jibes, and bad puns. As a bonus, Mask of the Phantasmclimaxes spectacularly inside a run-down amusement park, the now defunct World of Tomorrow (modeled after the 1939 World's Fair in New York) with Batman battling both Phantasm and the Joker.
The extended climax inside the amusement park is only one of several well-directed (by Erik Radomski and Bruce Timm) action set pieces. Others include the introduction of the Phantasm as he confronts a gangster mid-crime, Batman eluding a SWAT team along the rooftops and dark alleys of Gotham City, a chilling cemetery scene involving a hapless gangster, and a flashback scene inside the pre-run-down amusement park (played, unexpectedly, for romance). Other highlights include, the insights into Batman's origins, and the fine voice work by well-known characters, including a cameo appearance by the gruff-voiced Abe Vigoda as an oxygen-tank wielding gangster desperately clinging to the remainder of his life.
For fans of comic books, especially the Dark Knight and the original animated series, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is not only a must-see, but also a must-own (on DVD). For some, including myself, it ranks only behind Batman Beyond: The Return of the Jokeramong the feature-length animated films. Both are worth seeing, however, with only one caveat: the intensity of some of the material may be unsuitable for smaller children.
© Mel Valentin, 27th November, 2004
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