Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

Batman is wrongly implicated in a series of murders of mob bosses actually done by a new vigilante assassin.

Directors:

Eric Radomski, Bruce Timm (as Bruce W. Timm)

Writers:

Bob Kane (character created by: Batman), Alan Burnett (story)

Stars:

Kevin Conroy, Dana Delany, Hart Bochner

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kevin Conroy	...	Batman (voice)
Dana Delany	...	Andrea Beaumont (voice)
Hart Bochner	...	Arthur Reeves (voice)
Stacy Keach	...	Phantasm / Carl Beaumont (voice) (as Stacy Keach Jr.)
Abe Vigoda	...	Salvatore Valestra (voice)
Dick Miller	...	Chuckie Sol (voice)
John P. Ryan	...	Buzz Bronski (voice)
Efrem Zimbalist Jr.	...	Alfred (voice)
Bob Hastings	...	Commissioner Gordon (voice)
Robert Costanzo	...	Detective Bullock (voice)
Mark Hamill	...	The Joker (voice)
Jane Downs	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Pat Musick	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Vernee Watson	...	Additional Voices (voice) (as Vernee Watson-Johnson)
Ed Gilbert	...	Additional Voices (voice)

Storyline

Batman, the costumed crime-fighter who prowls the night skies in Gotham City, soon finds there's another vigilante in town knocking off prominent mob figures. Despite the scythe-like blade for a hand, a mechanical voice and the cloud of smoke that follows the figure wherever it goes, the police and outraged officials mistake the homicidal crusader for Batman himself and demand that the city's longtime hero be brought to justice. Meanwhile, Andrea Beaumont returns to town. She is the lost love of Bruce Wayne, the billionaire playboy who is Batman's alter ego, and was an integral part of Wayne's decision ten years earlier to don the cape and cowl. Now, she is back in his life and is no less a disruption than the return of his old archenemy, The Joker, who has a stake in seeing the annihilation of this new vigilante, whoever it proves to be.

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Plot Keywords:

batman character | bruce wayne character | based on tv series | joker character | dc comics | 

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Taglines:

The Dark Knight fights to save Gotham City from its deadliest enemy.

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Genres:

Animation | Action | Adventure | Crime | Drama | Family | Mystery | Romance | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for animated violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Batman: The Animated Movie - Mask of the Phantasm

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,189,975, 26 December 1993

Gross USA:

$5,617,391

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Bros. Family Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

76 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although the Joker does play a pivotal role in the film, it was Alan Burnett's intention to tell a story far removed from the television show's regular rogues gallery. Burnett also cited he "wanted to do a love story with Bruce because no one had really done it on the TV show. I wanted a story that got into his head."

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Goofs

During Batman and Joker's fight, Batman kicks out one of Joker's teeth, later on when Joker puts on his jet pack and starts to take off he has all of his teeth, but in the next shot his tooth is missing again.

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Quotes

[the Phantasm goes to Valestra's mansion, but instead finds Valestra dead, along with Joker's surveillance camera and a bomb]
Joker: Whoops! Ha! I guess the joke's on me. You're not Batman after all. Looks like there's a new face in Gotham and soon his name will be all over town... to say nothing of his legs, and feet, and spleen, and head...
[the Phantasm leaps out the window just as the bomb explodes]

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Alternate Versions

A version shown on UK channel ITV-1 was cut: most of the fight between the Joker and Phantasm is edited out. When Joker sprays Phantasm with his flower, in the unedited version she takes off the glove he hits pushes Joker into a table where he reaches between the large sausage and a knife, and grabs the large sausage. He then runs past her, and escapes by running through a window. In the edied version, he sprays her glove and then escapes through the window. The table fight is completly removed.

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Connections

Followed by Batman Beyond (1999)

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Soundtracks

There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow
(uncredited)
Written by Richard M. Sherman (as Richard Sherman) and Robert B. Sherman (as Robert Sherman)

User Reviews

Aww yeah--one of the best.

This movie is incredibly cool. It's the most accurate film portrayal of Batman yet. Not only is this movie well-animated, exciting, and tautly-plotted, it's also refreshingly understated. Unlike its live-action cohorts (more specifically, the Schumacher duo), "Phantasm" does not rely on splashy effects, ridiculous action sequences, and a hokey soundtrack to pull it through. As much as I love *Batman Returns,* I have to admit this is probably the best-written of the Batman films. And tell me you don't get chills down your spine the first time Bruce Wayne puts on that cowl. Awww yeah!!