Mask of the Phantasm

''Batman: Mask of the Phantasm'' (also known as ''Batman: The Animated Movie: Mask of the Phantasm'') is a 1993 American animated romantic superhero film featuring the DC Comics character Batman. It was directed by Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm, and written by Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Martin Pasko, and Michael Reaves. The film is based on '' Batman: The Animated Series'' (1992-1995) and is the first original theatrical film produced by Warner Bros. Animation, the first film in the DC Animated Universe and the only one released theatrically. Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Bob Hastings and Robert Costanzo reprise their voice roles from ''Batman: The Animated Series'', joined by Dana Delany, Hart Bochner, Stacy Keach Jr., Abe Vigoda, Dick Miller and John P. Ryan. Produced between the first and second seasons of the series, the film follows Batman as he reconciles with a former lover, Andrea Beaumont, and faces a mysterious vigilante who is murdering Gotham City's crime bosses. The plot was inspired by Mike W. Barr's '' Batman: Year Two'' comic book story arc, but features an original antagonist, the Phantasm, in place of the Reaper, while also borrowing elements from the '' Batman: Year One'' graphic novel, recounting how Bruce Wayne became Batman and his first attempts to fight crime.

Originally planned for a direct-to-video release, Warner Bros. gave ''Mask of the Phantasm'' a theatrical release, condensing its production into a strenuous eight-month schedule. The film was the first theatrical feature film produced by Warner Bros. Animation, and was released through the studio's Family Entertainment division on December 25, 1993, to positive reviews from critics, who praised the stylized animation, voice performances, story, and music. In the years since its release, ''Mask of the Phantasm'' has developed a cult following, and continued to receive acclaim. In 2011, ''Time'' ranked it as one of the 10 best superhero films ever. In 2017, Screen Rant named the film the best ''Batman'' movie of all time. In 2018, '' Paste'' magazine called the film "the greatest ''Batman'' movie". In 2022, ''Empire'' magazine named it the best ''Batman'' film. Also in 2022, ''Rolling Stone'' placed ''Mask of the Phantasm'' at number 19 on its list of the 50 Greatest Superhero Movies of All Time, being the only traditionally-animated film included, the third-best animated superhero film and the second-best ''Batman'' film of all time, behind only ''The Dark Knight'' (number eight).

Due to the decision to release it in theaters on short notice, ''Mask of the Phantasm'' failed at the box office. After its release on home media, it became financially successful. Its success led to other animated Batman movies, though direct-to-video releases, such as '' Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero'' (1998). Until the limited release of '' Batman: The Killing Joke'' in 2016, ''Mask of the Phantasm'' was the only animated ''Batman'' film to be given a theatrical release, as well as the only one to receive a full theatrical release until ''The Lego Batman Movie'' in 2017.

Plot

A young Bruce Wayne and Andrea Beaumont begin a relationship after meeting while visiting their respective parents' graves. At the same time Bruce makes his first attempts at crime-fighting, but while he succeeds in foiling robberies he is discouraged that the criminals do not fear him. Bruce becomes conflicted about whether to commit to his relationship with Andrea or defend Gotham City to avenge his parents, but eventually proposes marriage. Andrea accepts, only to mysteriously leave Gotham with her father, businessman Carl Beaumont, ending the engagement in a Dear John letter. Heartbroken, Bruce assumes the mantle of Batman.

Ten years later, Batman breaks up a meeting of Gotham crime bosses led by Chuckie Sol. When Sol tries to escape in his car, he is killed by a cloaked figure, the "Phantasm", who causes him to speed out of control and fatally crash into a building. Batman is witnessed at the scene and it is believed he killed Sol, with city councilman Arthur Reeves, who is corrupt and on the mob's payroll, vowing to have him arrested.

The Phantasm murders another gangster, Buzz Bronski, in the Gotham Cemetery, where Bronski's bodyguards see Phantasm and mistake him for Batman. Batman investigates the scene of Bronski's death and encounters Andrea, inadvertently revealing his identity to her. Batman finds evidence linking Carl Beaumont with Sol, Bronski and a third gangster, Salvatore Valestra, later finding a photograph of the four together in Valestra's home. Paranoid that Batman will come for him next, the now-elderly Valestra asks Reeves for help, but is refused. In desperation, he turns to the Joker.

The Phantasm goes to kill Valestra at his mansion, only to find him dead from exposure to Joker's venom. Seeing Phantasm through a camera, Joker realizes Batman is not the murderer and detonates a bomb he planted in the mansion. Phantasm escapes the blast and is pursued by Batman but disappears, leaving Batman ambushed by the police but saved from arrest by Andrea. She later explains to Bruce that her father embezzled money from Valestra and was forced to repay it; Valestra then demanded he pay more and put a hit on Carl, prompting him to go into hiding with Andrea. While considering resuming his relationship with Andrea, Bruce concludes that Carl Beaumont is the Phantasm until he takes another look at the photo with him and Valestra, recognizing one of Valestra's men as the Joker.

Joker presses Reeves for information, believing him to be behind the Phantasm in order to erase his mob connections, before poisoning him with venom which drives Reeves insane. Reeves is taken to the hospital, where he is interrogated by Batman, confessing that while previously working as Carl's accountant he helped the Beaumonts escape, but told Valestra their location in exchange for funding his first city council campaign. Both Batman and Joker deduce that the Phantasm is Andrea, who intends to wipe out the Valestra mob for killing her father and robbing her of a future with Bruce.

Andrea tracks down Joker, her father's killer, to his hideout in Gotham's abandoned World's Fair. They fight but are interrupted by Batman, who begs Andrea to stop, to no avail. Joker prepares to blow up the fair but is seized by Andrea, who bids Batman goodbye as the explosives detonate. Batman survives the blast but finds no trace of either Andrea or the Joker. Bruce is later consoled by Alfred in the Batcave, who assures him Andrea could not have been helped, before finding Andrea's locket containing a picture of them together. A sorrowful Andrea departs Gotham and a saddened Batman, cleared of the accusations against him, resumes crimefighting.

Voice cast

* Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne / Batman
* Mark Hamill as The Joker
* Dana Delany as Andrea Beaumont / The Phantasm
** Stacy Keach (who also voices Carl Beaumont) provided the voice for The Phantasm while masked.
* Hart Bochner as Arthur Reeves
* Stacy Keach as Carl Beaumont
* Abe Vigoda as Sal "The Wheezer" Valestra
* Dick Miller as Chuckie Sol
* John P. Ryan as Buzz Bronski
* Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Alfred Pennyworth
* Bob Hastings as Commissioner James Gordon
* Robert Costanzo as Detective Harvey Bullock
* Jeff Bennett provides additional voices as First and Second Burglar, Biker, Cop in Helicopter, Cop on Radio, SWAT Team Member, and Passenger on Ship.
* Arleen Sorkin as Mrs. Bambi, one of Bruce's socialite flirts ''(uncredited)''

Production

Impressed by the success of the first season of '' Batman: The Animated Series'' on Fox, Warner Bros. assigned Alan Burnett to write a story for a full-length animated film. The original idea for the film was to have Batman being captured by his enemies at Arkham Asylum and face a kangaroo court in which the villains try him for making them what they are. The idea's concept, however, was considered "too brainy", as it required Batman to be immobile for a long time, so the idea was later used in the series' episode "Trial", which was aired after the film's release. Although the Joker does play a pivotal role in the film, it was Burnett's intention to tell a story far removed from the television series' 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." Members of the creative team have claimed that they did not intend for the Joker to appear in the film; Paul Dini has contradicted this, stating that the Joker's role was always part of the story from the beginning of the film's production. The writers were highly cautious of placing the Joker in the film, as they did not want any connection to Tim Burton's 1989 film ''Batman'', but writer Michael Reaves said, "We then realized that we could make his appearance serve the story in a way that we never could in live-action." In order to keep the Joker as a solo threat, Bruce Timm and Burnett convinced frequent ''Animated Series'' writer Dini to not use Harley Quinn in the film for that reason. The same technique was previously used in the episodes "Joker's Wild" and "The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne".

Aiding Burnett in writing the script were Martin Pasko, who handled most of the flashback segments; Reaves, who wrote the climax; and Dini, who claims he "filled in holes here and there". The film's plot was heavily influenced by the 1987 miniseries '' Batman: Year Two'', written by Mike W. Barr and illustrated by Alan Davis, Paul Neary, Alfredo Alcala, Mark Farmer and Todd McFarlane. Orson Welles' 1941 classic ''Citizen Kane'' served as an influence for the flashbacks, a story about loss and the passage of time. The character of Hazel, the cook robot of the World of the Future Fair, was named by Burnett after Hazel the Maid (portrayed by Academy Award-winning actress Shirley Booth), ''The Saturday Evening Post'' protagonist of cartoonist Ted Key's TV series ''Hazel''. On the other hand, the design of the Phantasm went into 20 different versions until one was found which convinced the film's crew. According to Burnett, the Phantasm was like the Grim Reaper with a cape, although the idea was to make him resemble the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come of Charles Dickens' novel ''A Christmas Carol'', something that even the Joker mentions in the finished version of the film.

Early in production, Warner Bros. decided to release ''Phantasm'' theatrically, rather than straight to video. That left less than a year for production time (most animated features take well over two years from finished story to final release). Due to this decision, the animators went over the scenes in order to accommodate the widescreen theatrical aspect ratio.Dini, Kidd, p.117 The studio cooperated well, granting the filmmakers a large amount of creative control.

Warner Bros. also increased the production budget to $6 million, which gave the filmmakers opportunities for more elaborate set pieces. The opening title sequence featured a flight through an entirely computer-generated Gotham City. As a visual joke, sequence director Kevin Altieri set the climax of the film inside a miniature automated model of Gotham City, where Batman and the Joker are giants. This was an homage to a mainstay of Batman comic books of the Dick Sprang

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