Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

Did You Know?

• The song 'I Never Even Told You' was performed by Tia Carrere and written by Siedah Garrett and Glen Ballard.
• Hans Zimmer played the synthesizer on the score.
• Kenner produced tie-in figures for the film, including the Phantasm packaged unmasked, spoiling a pivotal plot point.

Plot

A young Bruce Wayne, after years of training abroad, vows to fight crime in Gotham City in memory of his murdered parents. He begins a relationship with Andrea Beaumont after meeting her at the Gotham Cemetery while she pays respects to her mother. Bruce eventually proposes to her, but Andrea abruptly leaves Gotham with her father, ending the engagement in a Dear John letter. Heartbroken, Bruce commits to a new life as a vigilante, assuming the mantle of Batman for ten years. In the present day, Batman interrupts mobster Chuckie Sol and his associates. Sol escapes but dies after crashing his car during a confrontation with the Phantasm, a masked vigilante resembling the Grim Reaper. Councilman Arthur Reeves vows to have Batman arrested. Mobster Buzz Bronski is murdered by the Phantasm, whose bodyguards mistake for Batman. While investigating, Batman encounters Andrea, who deduces his identity. Batman discovers that Sol, Bronski, and another mobster named Salvatore Valestra were bankrolled by Carl Beaumont. The elderly Valestra fears Batman will kill him and turns to the Joker, offering $5 million to kill Batman. The Phantasm goes to confront Valestra, only to find he has already been killed by the Joker. The Joker rigged a camera to identify the mysterious killer and triggers explosives, but the Phantasm escapes. The police pursue Batman, who eludes them with last-minute help from Andrea.

Production

Impressed by the success of the first season of Batman: The Animated Series, Warner Bros. Pictures assigned Alan Burnett to write a story for a full-length animated film. The original idea involved Batman being captured by his enemies at Arkham Asylum and facing a kangaroo court, but the concept was considered too brainy and was later used in the series episode Trial. Although the Joker plays a pivotal role, Burnett intended to tell a story far removed from the regular rogues gallery, wanting a love story that got into Bruce's head. Members of the creative team claimed they did not intend for the Joker to appear, but Paul Dini contradicted this, stating the Joker's role was always part of the story from the beginning. The writers were cautious of placing the Joker in the film to avoid connection to Tim Burton's 1989 Batman, but realized his appearance could serve the story in a way live-action could not. To keep the Joker as a solo threat, Bruce Timm and Burnett convinced Dini not to use Harley Quinn in the film, though Arleen Sorkin voiced a minor character. The film was originally planned for direct-to-video but received a theatrical release, condensing production into an eight-month schedule.

Themes

Paul Dini intended each flashback into Batman's love life to have a tendency to get worse when you hope things will get better. Bruce's relationship with Andrea shows promise but eventually turns into turmoil, ending with a farewell note that seals his decision to become Batman. Richard Corliss of Time felt this scene paralleled Andrea's decision to avenge her own parents and reject love when she finds her father murdered, transforming both into Batman and the Phantasm. One scene depicts Bruce Wayne at his parents' tombstone saying, 'I didn't count on being happy.' According to Michael Reaves, this was a pivotal moment in Bruce's tragic life, as he denies himself the opportunity to live a normal life. Reaves also stated that when Bruce puts on the mask for the first time, Alfred reacts in horror, watching a man who has let the desire for vengeance consume his life embrace the unspeakable.

Reception

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm opened on Christmas Day 1993 in 1,506 theaters, accumulating $1.2 million over its first two days and grossing $5.8 million domestically. The filmmakers blamed Warner Bros. for the unsuccessful marketing campaign, attributed to the rushed production schedule. Despite this, the film turned a profit with home media releases. Empire cited it as the best animated film of 1993 and felt its plot was better than Tim Burton's Batman and Batman Returns. TV Guide Magazine was impressed with the Art Deco and noir design. Richard Harrington of The Washington Post praised the animation, design, dialogue, storyline, and Shirley Walker's score. Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert gave it a positive review on home media, with Siskel feeling it was better than Batman Returns and Batman Forever. Chris Hicks of the Deseret News felt the picture did not come alive until the third act. Leonard Klady of Variety had mixed reactions, finding the themes clichéd and the animation to the point of self-parody.