Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Film Review

The superhero movie has taken off recently, thanks to films like Spider-Man and X-Men, and has been making millions for studios. But before the huge popularity of this style of movie, there was the critically acclaimed Batman animated series that resulted in a lesser known film: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. Directed by Eric Radomski and Bruce W. Timm, and starring Kevin Conroy as Batman, Mark Hamill as The Joker, and Dana Delaney as Andrea Beaumont, this is arguably one of the best superhero movies ever made, despite several factors that would seem to inhibit the film.

Despite being animated, the story is certainly no child's tale, as after the opening credits, we open with the murder of a notorious gangster by a shadowy figure reminiscent of the grim reaper. Our hero, Batman is blamed for the murder, as he was at the scene. We are then introduced to the love interest of the story, Andrea Beaumont, through a flashback that Bruce Wayne(Batman) has. There are several flashbacks throughout the movie, showing choices Bruce must make concerning Andrea, the most crucial one being his dedication to bring justice to Gotham, or the happy life he wants with her. After proposing to Andrea though, she abruptly leaves town, and Bruce then accepts his identity for the first time as Batman.

We learn that Andrea had to leave because her father's connections to the mob had landed him in trouble. These are the same gangsters that are being killed throughout the film. Andrea and Bruce meet and reconcile in the present, and her father is implicated as the reaper. The Joker is revealed as the hit man in the gang who killed Andreas father. In the climax, in classic noir style, Andrea is revealed to be the killer, and has clearly gone down the dark path of vengeance. She then apparently dies in an explosion along with the Joker, but is alive at the end of the film. The final scene is a brooding Batman on a rooftop, then swinging off into the night.

A clearly defining theme throughout the film is the principle that vengeance is not justice. This is shown through Batman's character within the first ten minutes, when he is being described by Councilman Arthur Reeves as a loose cannon, the police commissioner, Jim Gordon, makes the statement that "Batman is not a killer." When Batman asks Andrea at the end of the film, "But Andy, what will vengeance solve?" we can see that , despite the darkness of his character, despite the drive to stop wrong shown throughout the movie, Bruce has never crossed that line, which Alfred, Bruce's butler, also comments on as well.

For Andrea, its different though. The character has everything taken away by those who have wronged her, until all she has left is her vengeance. Andrea doesn't see herself as an arbiter as justice, indeed, she states that "I'm not saying that its right, or, or, even saying, but its all I have left." And the wall between Andrea and Bruce is finally completed when Andrea gives the ultimatum to Bruce: "So either help me or get out of my way."

A lot of animated films are noted for their outstanding animation, but often miss the mark on story and plot. Mask of the Phantasm is somewhat reverse from this standard. The story and dialogue are excellent, while the animation is often lackluster, due to the low budget, and also since this was supposed to be a direct to video release, not a theatrical one. The movie is also pretty short, at only 76 minutes. However, the screenplay is well done, as this is a dark noir film, and deals intimately with the character of Bruce Wayne, notably his struggle between justice and happiness. There is no camp, as is common with many Batman productions. I recently saw some scenes from Batman Returns, and realized that even that acclaimed film seemed too over the top in terms of its silliness. Mask is the most serious look at the Dark Knight I've ever seen(even more than Batman Begins).

The violence complements the dark mood, being startlingly realistic. There's a moment when Batman is caught in an explosion, and we see a blurry shot from his view come into focus as he touches his forehead, groans, and looks at his bloody fingers. Not only does this lend a great sense of realism to the moment, it also serves to emphasize that, unlike Superman, Batman is just a mere man. Even the most absurd villain, the Joker, is shown as a darker character, especially when he violently drugs Arthur Reeves in his office. There is no happy ending, all the gangsters end up dead, Andrea is now utterly alone, and Batman continues the never ending battle. This is the way the character should be portrayed, a darker character who can still offer us hope in spite of all the tragedies of his life.

Mask of the Phantasm will most likely continue to be a little known film, even in light of the popularity of the superhero genre, although it has become something of a cult classic. If you look beyond the lower budget animation and short running time, though, you're sure to be impressed by the intelligent screenplay, excellent performances, and tragic story.