''Batman: Mask of the Phantasm'' (also known as ''Batman: The Animated Movie – Mask of the Phantasm'') is a 1993 American

animated Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby image, still images are manipulated to create Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on cel, transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and e ...

superhero film Superhero film/movie is a film genre categorized by the presence of superhero characters, individuals with extraordinary abilities who are dedicated to fighting crime, saving the world, or helping the innocent. It is sometimes considered a sub ...

featuring the

DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...

character

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

. It was directed by

Eric Radomski Eric Radomski is a producer best known as a co-creator of '' Batman: The Animated Series'' (as well as the co-director of the series' theatrical film '' Batman: Mask of the Phantasm''). He has also acted as producer for '' Spawn: The Animated S ...

and

Bruce Timm Bruce Walter Timm (born February 5, 1961) is an American artist, animator, writer, producer, and director. He is best known for contributing to building the modern DC Comics animated franchise, most notably as the head producer behind '' Batman: ...

, and written by

Alan Burnett Alan Burnett (; born February 17, 1950 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American television writer-producer particularly associated with Warner Bros. Animation, Hanna-Barbera Productions, DC Comics, and Walt Disney television animation. He has had a h ...

Paul Dini Paul McClaran Dini (; born August 7, 1957) is an American writer, animator, and comic book artist. He has served as a producer and writer for several Warner Bros. Animation/DC Comics animated series, most notably ''Batman: The Animated Series' ...

Martin Pasko Martin Joseph "Marty" Pasko (born Jean-Claude Rochefort; August 4, 1954– May 10, 2020) was a Canadian comic book writer and television screenwriter. Pasko worked for many comics publishers, but is best known for his superhero stories for DC Com ...

, and

Michael Reaves James Michael Reaves (September 14, 1950 – March 20, 2023) was an American writer, known for his contributions as a script writer and story editor to a number of 1980s and 1990s animated television series, including '' Gargoyles'' and '' Batma ...

. The film is based on '' Batman: The Animated Series'' (1992–1995), and is the first film of the

DC Animated Universe The DC Animated Universe (DCAU, also referred to as the Timmverse or Diniverse by fans) is a Shared universe, shared fictional universe based on DC Comics properties and media franchise produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It began with ''Batman ...

and the only one to receive a theatrical release.

Kevin Conroy Kevin Conroy (November 30, 1955 – November 10, 2022) was an American actor. He appeared in a variety of stage performances, television series, and television films. Conroy earned fame for voicing the DC Comics superhero Batman in various anim ...

Mark Hamill Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor. He is best known for starring as Luke Skywalker in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, and the Joker (character), Joker in various animated DC Comics projects, starting with ''Batm ...

, Efrem Zimbalist Jr.,

Bob Hastings Robert Francis Hastings (April 18, 1925 – June 30, 2014) was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Lt. Elroy Carpenter on ''McHale's Navy'' and voicing Jim Gordon (character), Commissioner James Gordon in the DC Animated Un ...

and

Robert Costanzo Robert Jason Costanzo (born October 20, 1942) is an American film, television and voice actor. A character actor with an acting career spanning over 40 years, he is often found playing surly New York City types on both sides of the law, and mixe ...

reprise their voice roles from ''Batman: The Animated Series'', joined by

Dana Delany Dana Delany (born March 13, 1956) is an American actress. After appearing in small roles early in her career, Delany received her breakthrough role as Colleen McMurphy on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television drama ''China Beach'' (1 ...

Hart Bochner Hart Matthew Bochner (born October 3, 1956) is a Canadian TV, film and voice actor, film director, screenwriter and producer. He has appeared in films such as '' Breaking Away'' (1979), '' Terror Train'' (1980), '' Rich and Famous'' (1981), '' The ...

Stacy Keach Walter Stacy Keach Jr. (born June 2, 1941) is an American actor, active in theatre, film and television since the 1960s. Keach first distinguished himself in Off-Broadway productions and remains a prominent figure in American theatre across his ...

Abe Vigoda Abraham Vigoda (February 24, 1921 – January 26, 2016) was an American actor known for his portrayals of Salvatore Tessio in ''The Godfather'' (1972) and Phil Fish in both ''Barney Miller'' (1975–1977, 1982) and ''Fish'' (1977–1978). His ...

Dick Miller Richard Miller (December 25, 1928 – January 30, 2019) was an American character actor who appeared in more than 180 films, including many produced by Roger Corman. He later appeared in the films of directors who began their careers with Corm ...

and John P. Ryan. Produced between the

first First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...

and second seasons of the series, the film follows Batman as he reconciles with a former lover,

Andrea Beaumont Andrea Beaumont, also known as the Phantasm, is a supervillain and antihero created by Alan Burnett and Paul Dini, and designed by Bruce Timm. Beaumont first appeared as the main antagonist in the 1993 DC Animated Universe, DC Animated Universe (D ...

, and faces a mysterious vigilante, the titular Phantasm, who is murdering

Gotham City Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city in the Northeastern United States that serves as the primary city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his List ...

's crime bosses. The plot partly mirrors

Mike W. Barr Mike W. Barr (born May 30, 1952) is an American writer of comic books, mystery novels, and science fiction novels. Barr has written for every one of the first four incarnations of ''Star Trek: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Tr ...

's " Batman: Year Two" comic book

story arc A story arc (also narrative arc) is the chronological construction of a plot in a novel or story. It can also mean an extended or continuing narrative, storyline in episode, episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strip ...

, with the

Reaper A reaper is a farm implement that reaps (cuts and often also gathers) crops at harvest when they are ripe. Usually the crop involved is a cereal grass, especially wheat. The first documented reaping machines were Gallic reapers that were used ...

from it loosely inspiring the Phantasm character made for the film, while also borrowing elements from the " Batman: Year One" arc, recounting how Bruce Wayne became Batman and his first attempts to fight crime. Originally planned for a

direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strat ...

release,

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

ultimately 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 Warner Bros. Animation Inc. (abbreviated as WBA) is an American animation studio which is part of the Warner Bros. Television Group, a division of Warner Bros., which is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery and serves as the animation divis ...

, and was released through the studio's

Family Entertainment ''Family Entertainment'' is the second album by the British progressive rock band Family, released in March 1969. The cover of the album was a takeoff from the sleeve of the Doors' second album, '' Strange Days'', as Family admitted. Backgrou ...

label on December 25, 1993, to generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the stylized animation, voice performances, story, and music. 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. 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 ''The Lego Batman Movie'' is a 2017 animated superhero comedy film, based on characters created by DC Comics and the Lego Batman toy line. It was directed by Chris McKay (in his feature directorial debut) from a screenplay that is based on a ...

'' in 2017.

Plot

A young Bruce Wayne vows to avenge his parents' deaths by minimizing criminal activity in Gotham City. While he is successful at thwarting crimes, he is disappointed that criminals are unafraid of him and seeks a more frightening image. He also begins a relationship with

after the two bond at the Gotham Cemetery over the deaths of their loved ones. Though conflicted about whether to honor his promise to his parents or pursue a happy life with Andrea, Bruce eventually proposes to her. However, Andrea abruptly leaves Gotham with her father, businessman Carl Beaumont, ending the engagement in a

Dear John letter A Dear John letter is a letter written to a man by his wife or romantic partner to inform him that their relationship is over, usually because his partner has found another lover. The man is often a member of the military stationed overseas, al ...

. Heartbroken, Bruce commits to a new life as a vigilante crime fighter, converting a cavern under

Wayne Manor Wayne Manor is a fictional mansion appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is the home of Bruce Wayne, owner of Wayne Enterprises, who is also the superhero Batman. The house is depicted as a large mansion on the outskirts ...

into a base and assuming the mantle of

. Years later, Batman interrupts mobster Chuckie Sol attempting to distribute

counterfeit money Counterfeit money is currency produced outside of the legal sanction of a state or government, usually in a deliberate attempt to imitate that currency and so as to deceive its recipient. Producing or using counterfeit money is a form of fraud ...

in Gotham. Sol tries to escape in his car but is attacked by the Phantasm, a masked vigilante resembling the

Grim Reaper The Grim Reaper is a popular personification of death in Western culture in the form of a hooded skeletal figure wearing a black robe and carrying a scythe.Joker. Batman discovers that Sol, Bronski, and Valestra all once operated

dummy corporations A dummy corporation, dummy company, or false company is an entity created to serve as a Front organization, front or cover for one or more companies. It can have the appearance of being real (logo, website, and sometimes employing actual staff), bu ...

bankrolled by Carl Beaumont. He interrogates Andrea about her father's dealings with the mob, but she denies knowledge of such dealings and her father's whereabouts. That night, the Phantasm invades Valestra's penthouse, finding that he has already been killed by the Joker. The apartment has been rigged with explosives, which the Joker detonates, but the Phantasm escapes the blast and avoids subsequent capture by Batman. Responding to the blast, the police attempt to apprehend Batman, who is saved by Andrea. She admits to Bruce that her father had worked for Valestra and was forced to go into hiding in Europe with Andrea when he could not repay Valestra money that he had

embezzled Embezzlement (from Anglo-Norman language, Anglo-Norman, from Old French ''besillier'' ("to torment, etc."), of unknown origin) is a type of financial crime, usually involving theft of money from a business or employer. It often involves a trus ...

. She returned to the city to stop her father from murdering his former partners. While she and Bruce consider resuming their relationship, Bruce examines a photograph of the mobsters and realizes that Valestra's enforcer is the man who became the Joker. The Joker confronts Reeves in his office, accusing him of orchestrating the murders to conceal his mob connections. Reeves is exposed to Joker's toxin and taken to the hospital, where he is interrogated by Batman and confesses that he previously worked as the Beaumonts' lawyer and helped them hide from the mob. When Carl refused to bankroll Reeves's first struggling election campaign, Reeves revealed the Beaumonts' location to Valestra in exchange for the mob's support. Batman deduces that the mobsters ordered Beaumont killed and that the Phantasm is Andrea, whose final target is her father's murderer and Valestra's former hitman: the Joker. Andrea confronts the Joker at his hideout, the abandoned Gotham World's Fair, where he attempts to trap her, but she is saved by Batman, who unsuccessfully pleads with her not to go through with her revenge. The Joker attempts to escape the fair, which he has rigged to explode, but is stopped by Batman and surrenders to Andrea, who bids Bruce goodbye as the fair is destroyed. Bruce survives the blast but finds no trace of either Andrea or the Joker. He is later consoled by

Alfred Alfred may refer to: Arts and entertainment *''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series * ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne * ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák *"Alfred (Interlu ...

, who assures him that he could not have stopped Andrea's self-destruction. Batman resumes his watch over Gotham City while a sorrowful Andrea departs the city on an ocean liner.

Voice cast

as Bruce Wayne / Batman *

The Joker The Joker is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, the character first appeared in the debut issue of the comic book ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' on ...

as Andrea Beaumont / Phantasm *

as City Councilman Arthur Reeves *

as Carl Beaumont and voice of Phantasm *

as Salvatore "The Wheezer" Valestra *

as Charles "Chuckie" Sol * John P. Ryan as Buzz Bronski * Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as

Alfred Pennyworth Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth, originally Alfred Beagle and commonly known simply as Alfred, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Alfred is ...

as Commissioner James "Jim" Gordon *

as Detective Harvey Bullock *

Arleen Sorkin Arleen Frances Sorkin (October 14, 1955 – August 24, 2023) was an American actress, screenwriter, television presenter and comedian. Sorkin is known for portraying Calliope Jones on the NBC daytime serial ''Days of Our Lives'' and for serving ...

as Mrs. Bambi (uncredited) *

Ed Gilbert Ed Gilbert (born Edmund Francis Giesbert, June 29, 1931 – May 8, 1999) was an American actor, with extensive credits in both live-action roles and voice work in animation, although he was better known for the latter. He is also credited, under ...

as Doctor and Police Dispatch *

Jeff Bennett Jeff Bennett (born October 2, 1962) is an American voice actor. He voiced the titular character of ''Johnny Bravo'', Dexter and Dee Dee's Dad in ''Dexter's Laboratory'', List of The Powerpuff Girls characters#Ace, Ace, List of The Powerpuff Gi ...

as Burton Earny, Helicopter Cop #1 and Police Officer *

Charles Howerton Charles Howerton (born June 24, 1938) is an American actor. He is best known for such films and television series as '' The Black Gestapo'', '' Eat My Dust'', '' Up from the Depths'', '' Smokey Bites the Dust'', '' Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype'', and ...

as Helicopter Cop #2 *

Neil Ross Neil David Ross is a British–born actor. Noted for his Trans-Atlantic accent, he has provided voices in many American cartoons, most notably ''G.I. Joe'', '' Spider-Man: The Animated Series'', '' My Life as a Teenage Robot'', '' Voltron'', a ...

as Biker Thug *

Jane Downs Jane Margaret Downs (22 January 1935 – 20 May 2015) was an English actress. Early life Downs was born in Bromley, Kent, England. Career She started her career in the theatre, and later appeared on radio and in film, playing Kenneth More ...

Pat Musick Patricia Anne Musick is an American voice actress who has provided numerous voices in many television shows, films, and video games. Career Musick’s first role was in the 1981 film ''The Loch Ness Horror''. Her roles in animation include Snapp ...

Vernee Watson-Johnson Vernee Christell Johnson (née Watson; born September 28, 1949) is an American actress, author, and acting coach. Watson-Johnson is known for her recurring roles as Vernajean Williams on '' Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979), as Viola "Vy" Smi ...

Peter Renaday Peter Renaday (June 9, 1935 – September 8, 2024) was an American actor. During a career spanning some six decades, Renaday worked in television, film, theme parks, radio, and theatre. He is best known for providing the voice of Splinter (ofte ...

Dan Castellaneta Daniel Louis Castellaneta ( ; born October 29, 1957) is an American actor. He is best known for voicing Homer Simpson on the animated series ''The Simpsons'' (as well as other characters on the show such as Grampa Simpson, Krusty the Clown, ...

Tress MacNeille Teressa Claire "Tress" MacNeille (; born June 20, 1951) >https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/macneille-tress-1951 is an American voice actress, who has contributed to voice-over work with credits including vo ...

, Thom Pinto and

Marilu Henner Marilu Henner (born April 6, 1952) is an American actress and author. She began her career appearing in the original production of the musical ''Grease (musical), Grease'' in 1971, before making her screen debut in the 1977 comedy-drama film ''B ...

as Additional Voices

Production

Impressed by the success of the first season of '' Batman: The Animated Series'' on

Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

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 Arkham Asylum () is a fictional psychiatric hospital appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in stories featuring Batman. It first appeared in ''Batman'' #258 (October 1974), written by Dennis O'Neil with art by Irv N ...

and face a

kangaroo court Kangaroo court is an informal pejorative term for a court that ignores recognized standards of law or justice, carries little or no official standing in the territory within which it resides, and is typically convened ad hoc. A kangaroo court ma ...

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 A rogues' gallery (or rogues gallery) is a police collection of mug shots or other images of criminal suspects kept for identification purposes. History In 1855, Allan Pinkerton, founder of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, established ...

. 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;

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 Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and producer. Known for popularizing Goth subculture, Goth culture in the American film industry, Burton is famous for his Gothic film, gothic horror and dark fantasy films. ...

's 1989 film ''

'', 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,

and Burnett convinced frequent ''Animated Series'' writer Dini to not use

Harley Quinn Harley Quinn (Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel, PhD) is a fictional American character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm for ''Batman: The Animated Series'' as a henchwoman for the ...

in the film for that reason (although

did a bit part in the film voicing a minor character). The same technique was previously used in the episodes "The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne" and "Joker's Wild". Conversely, the episode "Harley's Holiday" featured Harley Quinn and did not feature the Joker. Aiding Burnett in writing the script were

, who handled most of the flashback segments; Reaves, who wrote the

climax Climax may refer to: Language arts * Climax (narrative), the point of highest tension in a narrative work * Climax (rhetoric), a figure of speech that lists items in order of importance Biology * Climax community, a biological community th ...

; and Dini, who states he "filled in holes here and there".

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...

' 1941 classic ''

Citizen Kane ''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American Drama (film and television), drama film directed by, produced by and starring Orson Welles and co-written by Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz. It was Welles's List of directorial debuts, first feature film. ...

'' served as an influence for the flashbacks, a story about loss and the passage of time. According to Kevin Conroy, Andrea Beaumont was named after voice director

Andrea Romano Andrea Romano may refer to: * Andrea Romano (voice director) Andrea Romano (born December 3, 1955) is an American retired casting director, voice director, and voice actress whose work includes '' Batman: The Animated Series'', ''Animaniacs'', ' ...

. The character of Hazel, the cook robot of the World of the Future Fair, was named by Burnett after Hazel the Maid (portrayed by

Shirley Booth Shirley Booth (born Marjory Ford; August 30, 1898October 16, 1992) was an American actress. One of 24 performers to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting, Booth was the recipient of an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards and three Tony Awards. ...

), ''

The Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine published six times a year. It was published weekly from 1897 until 1963, and then every other week until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely circulated and influ ...

'' protagonist of cartoonist

Ted Key Ted Key (born Theodore Keyser; August 25, 1912 – May 3, 2008)
''The New York Times'', May 8, 2008 was a ...

's TV series ''

Hazel Hazels are plants of the genus ''Corylus'' of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family, Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K ...

''. 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 The Grim Reaper is a popular personification of death in Western culture in the form of a hooded skeletal figure wearing a black robe and carrying a scythe.Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is a fictional character in Charles Dickens's 1843 novella ''A Christmas Carol''. The Ghost is the last of the three spirits that appear to miser Ebenezer Scrooge to offer him a chance of redemption, foretold ...

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...

' novel ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. It recounts the ...

'', 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 Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strateg ...

. 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 The aspect ratio of a geometry, geometric shape is the ratio of its sizes in different dimensions. For example, the aspect ratio of a rectangle is the ratio of its longer side to its shorter side—the ratio of width to height, when the rectangl ...

.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

. As a visual joke, sequence director Kevin Altieri set the

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 Richard W. Sprang (July 28, 1915 – May 10, 2000)Richard Sprang
United States

...

era, often featuring the hero fighting against a backdrop of gigantic props (they would later do another homage to Sprang's works in ''

The New Batman Adventures ''The New Batman Adventures'' (often shortened as ''TNBA'') is an American animated superhero television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, which aired on Kids' WB from September 13, 1997 to January 16, 1999. Produced by Warner Br ...

'' episode "Legends of the Dark Knight"). From start to finish, the film was completed within eight months. The film's animation was provided by regular ''Batman: The Animated Series'' overseas studios:

Dong Yang Animation Dong Yang Animation Co., LTD is a South Korean animation studio that was founded in 1981 and contributed animation production services to many famous American animated shows since the late 1980s throughout the 1990s and the 2000s. It supplied it ...

in South Korea and Spectrum Animation in Japan. While most of the animation was done by Dong Yang, Spectrum handled the layout work. The film's plot heavily resembles the 1987 storyline " Batman: Year Two", written by

and illustrated by

Alan Davis Alan Davis (born 18 June 1956) is an English comic book writer and artist, known for his work on ''Captain Britain'', ''The Uncanny X-Men'', ''The ClanDestine, ClanDestine'', ''Detective Comics'', ''Excalibur (comic book), Excalibur'', ''JLA: ...

and

Todd McFarlane Todd McFarlane (; born March 16, 1961) is a Canadian comic-book creator, best known for his work as an artist on ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and as the creator, writer, and artist on the superhero horror-fantasy series '' Spawn,'' as well as bein ...

. Bruce Timm called "Year Two" an "accidental inspiration" when designing the Phantasm, stating that he did not consciously base the Phantasm's look on the visually and thematically similar to "Year Two" villain the Reaper, while Alan Burnett said he modeled Phantasm's ''modus operandi'' after the

Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...

villain

Mysterio Mysterio is the alias of several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #13 (June 1964). He is one of the super ...

, namely "the idea of someone who could disappear into smoke." Conversely, in May 2017, Barr stated he believed ''Mask of the Phantasm''s similarities with "Year Two" were intentional, claiming, "I dropped by the offices of the ''BTAS'' staff twice ndeach time I dropped by I saw a guy—a different guy each time—industriously typing away, with a copy of ''Batman: Year Two'' open beside him. That was when I first became aware of their use of 'Year Two' or the film" with the early designs of the Phantasm in particular convincing him to bring up the matter of financial compensation to

Paul Levitz Paul Levitz (; born October 21, 1956) is an American comic book writer, editor and executive. The president of DC Comics from 2002 to 2009, he worked for the company for over 35 years in a wide variety of roles. Along with publisher Jenette Kahn ...

at DC Comics. After telling Levitz, "I really want to keep this in the family," Barr was given a portion of the film's earnings, as well as money for the creation of the Phantasm herself.

Themes

Paul Dini intended each of the flashbacks into Batman's love life to "have a tendency to get worse, when you hope things will get better." Bruce's relationship with Andrea, which at first shows promise, eventually turns into turmoil. At first, Bruce and Andrea are set for marriage, but then Bruce is given a farewell note from Andrea cutting off their relationship. This seals Bruce's decision to become Batman after he had previously forsaken it to settle down with her.

Richard Corliss Richard Nelson Corliss (March 6, 1944 – April 23, 2015) was an American film critic and magazine editor for ''Time''. He focused on movies, with occasional articles on other subjects. He was the former editor-in-chief of ''Film Comment ...

of ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' felt this scene paralleled Andrea's decision to avenge her own parents and reject love when she finds her own father murdered. Both events transform the two people (Bruce becomes Batman, Andrea becomes the Phantasm). One scene depicts Bruce Wayne at his parents' tombstone saying, "I didn't count on being happy." According to Reaves, this scene was to be a pivotal moment in Bruce's tragic life, as he denies himself the opportunity to live a normal life.` Reaves also stated: "When Bruce puts on the mask for the first time, fter Andrea breaks their engagement and Alfred says 'My God!' he's reacting in horror, because he's watching this man he's helped raise from childhood, this man who has let the desire for vengeance and retribution consume his life, at last embrace the unspeakable."

Music

The soundtrack was composed by

Shirley Walker Shirley Anne Walker (née Rogers; April 10, 1945 – November 30, 2006) was an American film and television composer and conductor. She was one of the few female film score composers working in Hollywood during her career. Walker was one of ...

, the main composer for ''The Animated Series''. Walker cited the score as a favorite among her own compositions. In an interview with Cinemusic.com, Walker explained that the "Latin" lyrics used in the main title were actually names of key Warner Bros. staff read backwards. The song "I Never Even Told You" was written by

Siedah Garrett Deborah Christine "Siedah" Garrett (born June 24, 1960) is an American singer and songwriter who has written songs and performed backing vocals for many recording artists in the music industry, such as Michael Jackson, the Pointer Sisters, Brand ...

and

Glen Ballard Basil Glen Ballard Jr. (born May 1, 1953) is an American songwriter, lyricist, and record producer. He is best known for co-writing and producing on Wilson Phillips' debut and sophomore albums, '' Wilson Phillips'' and '' Shadows and Light'', ...

. It was performed by

Tia Carrere Althea Rae Duhinio Janairo (born January 2, 1967), known professionally as Tia Carrere (), is an American actress and singer who got her first big break as a regular on the daytime soap opera ''General Hospital''. Carrere played Cassandra Wong i ...

Hans Zimmer Hans Florian Zimmer (; born 12 September 1957) is a German film score composer and music producer. He has won two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, five Grammy Awards, and has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards, Emmy Awards and a Tony ...

, who would later compose the score for ''

The Dark Knight Trilogy The ''Batman'' franchise, based on the fictional superhero Batman who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, has seen the release of 23 films. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, the character first starred in two serial fil ...

'', played the synthesizer on the score. The score was originally released on December 14, 1993, by

Reprise Records Reprise Records is an American record label founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operates through Warner Records, one of its flagship labels. Artists currently signed to Reprise Records include Green Day, En ...

. On March 24, 2009, La-La Land Records released a limited expanded edition. The release includes all tracks found on the original release with some tracks expanded. It also features almost 30 minutes of previously unreleased material.

Marketing

In December 1993, two

novelization A novelization (or novelisation) is a derivative novel that adapts the story of a work created for another medium, such as a film, TV series, stage play, comic book, or video game. Film novelizations were particularly popular before the advent ...

s were released. One was a young readers book written by Andrew Helfer, the other an adult-oriented novelization authored by

Geary Gravel Geary Gravel is an American science fiction author and professional sign language interpreter. He lives in western Massachusetts and has written thirteen books. Bibliography Autumnworld Mosaic *''The Alchemists'' (1984; nominated for Philip K. D ...

released a comic book adaptation written by Kelley Puckett and drawn by

Mike Parobeck Michael J. Parobeck (July 7, 1965 – July 2, 1996)Social Security Death Index, SS# 278-64-1442. was an American comics artist best known for his work on the ''Batman Adventures'' comic book. His artwork featured a fluid animation-inspired drawi ...

. The comic book adaptation was later included with the VHS release.

Kenner Kenner Products, known simply as Kenner, was an American toy brand owned by Hasbro. Kenner Products began as a toy company founded in 1946, going on to produce several highly recognizable toys and merchandise lines including action figures for t ...

, who had already released toys for the cartoon series, produced several tie-in figures for the film, including Joker and the Phantasm (packaged unmasked, spoiling a pivotal plot point in the film). ''Batman & Robin Adventures Annual #1: Shadow of the Phantasm'' is a comic book sequel to the film. It was written by Dini and released in 1996. In 2015, a DC Collectibles action figure 2-pack featuring Batman and Phantasm was released.

Home media

''Mask of the Phantasm'' was released on

LaserDisc LaserDisc (LD) is a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. It was developed by Philips, Pioneer Corporation, Pioneer, and the movie studio MCA Inc., MCA. The format was initially marketed in the United State ...

in April 1994 and on

VHS VHS (Video Home System) is a discontinued standard for consumer-level analog video recording on tape cassettes, introduced in 1976 by JVC. It was the dominant home video format throughout the tape media period of the 1980s and 1990s. Ma ...

in May of the same year. The VHS was reissued in April 2003 as part of a three-tape pack with '' Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero'' and '' Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker''. ''Mask of the Phantasm'' was first released on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...

in December 1999 as a

snap case A snap case is a type of optical disc packaging, used for DVDs and Compact Disc, CDs, also known as a ''paperback case'', ''Ivy Hill Snapper'', ''"snapper case"'', or ''FLP'' case. It consists of a paperboard flap (where the cover art is printi ...

and in October 2005 as a

keep case A keep case or poly-box is a type of packaging, most commonly used with DVDs and Blu-ray videos (and sometimes CDs). Besides DVD-Video films, keep cases are very common with most disc-based video games since the PlayStation 2, and they are also ...

with the insert. The film was re-released in April 2004 as a three-disc DVD

box set A boxed set or (its US name) box set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box, hence 'boxed', and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists ...

that included ''SubZero'' and ''Return of the Joker''. That version is currently out of print.

Warner Home Video Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment, Inc. (doing business as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment; formerly known as Warner Home Video and WCI Home Video and sometimes credited as Warner Home Entertainment) is the American home video distribution ...

re-released the film again in February 2008 as a

double feature The double feature is a Film, motion picture industry phenomenon in which theaters would exhibit two films for the price of one, supplanting an earlier format in which the presentation of one feature film would be followed by various short subjec ...

DVD with ''SubZero''. The film was released as part of the

Warner Archive Collection The Warner Archive Collection is a home video division for releasing classic and cult films from Warner Bros.' library. It started as a manufactured-on-demand (MOD) DVD series by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on March 23, 2009, with the inte ...

Blu-ray Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...

on July 25, 2017, featuring new

high definition High definition or HD may refer to: Visual technologies *Blu-ray Disc, the universal optical High Definition disc format *HD Photo, former name for the JPEG XR image file format *HDV, format for recording high-definition video onto magnetic tap ...

transfers in 16:9 and

open matte Open matte is a filming technique that involves matting out the top and bottom of the film frame in the movie projector (known as a ''soft matte'') for the widescreen theatrical release and then scanning the film without a matte (at Academy ...

4:3 presentations. The film was also included in the Blu-ray release of the ''Batman: The Complete Animated Series'' box set in late 2018. The film was released on

Ultra HD Blu-ray Ultra HD Blu-ray (4K Ultra HD, UHD-BD, or 4K Blu-ray) is a digital optical disc data storage format that is an enhanced variant of Blu-ray. Ultra HD Blu-ray supports 4K UHD (3840 × 2160 pixel resolution) video at frame rates up to 60 progre ...

on September 12, 2023. It featured a 26-minute documentary about the legacy of Kevin Conroy, who died 9 months prior to the 4K re-release.

Reception

Box office

''Batman: Mask of the Phantasm'' opened on Christmas Day, 1993 in the United States in 1,506 theaters, accumulating $1.2 million over its first 2 days. The film went on to gross $5.8 million in the domestic total box office intake. The filmmakers blamed

for the unsuccessful marketing campaign, which is commonly attributed to the rushed production schedule due to the studio's last-minute decision to release the film theatrically. Despite this, ''Mask of the Phantasm'' eventually turned a profit with its various home media releases.

Critical response

Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...

'' cited it as the best animated film of 1993, and felt it contained better storylines than

's ''

'' and ''

Batman Returns ''Batman Returns'' is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton and written by Daniel Waters (screenwriter), Daniel Waters. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to ''Batman (1989 film), Batman'' (1989) and th ...

''. ''

TV Guide Magazine ''TV Guide'' is an American biweekly magazine that provides television program listings information as well as television-related news, celebrity interviews and gossip, film reviews, crossword puzzles, and, in some issues, horoscopes. The print ...

'' was impressed with the

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

noir design that was presented. In addition the film's

and Batman's escape from the

Gotham City Police Department Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city in the Northeastern United States that serves as the primary city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his List ...

were considered to be elaborate action sequences. Richard Harrington of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' agreed with overall aspects that included the animation, design, dialogue and storyline, as well as

's film score.

Gene Siskel Eugene Kal Siskel (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) was an American film critic and journalist for the ''Chicago Tribune'' who co-hosted a movie review television series alongside colleague Roger Ebert. Siskel started writing for the '' ...

and

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...

regretted not having viewed the film during its theatrical release and gave it a positive review on their television series, '' At the Movies'', when the film was released on home media, with Siskel feeling that ''Phantasm'' was better than ''Batman Returns'' and

Joel Schumacher Joel T. Schumacher (; August 29, 1939 – June 22, 2020) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Raised in New York City by his mother, Schumacher graduated from Parsons School of Design and originally became a fashion designe ...

's ''

Batman Forever ''Batman Forever'' is a 1995 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. It is the third installment of the ''Batman'' film series, acting as a standalone sequel to ''Batman Returns''. Directe ...

'', and only slightly below ''Batman''. However, Chris Hicks of the ''

Deseret News The ''Deseret News'' () is a multi-platform newspaper based in Salt Lake City, published by Deseret News Publishing Company, a subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation, which is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS ...

'' felt "the picture didn't come alive until the third act" feeling that the animators sacrificed the visuals for the storyline. Leonard Klady of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' had mixed reactions towards the film, but his review was negative overall. He felt the overall themes and morals were

cliché A cliché ( or ; ) is a saying, idea, or element of an artistic work that has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning, novelty, or literal and figurative language, figurative or artistic power, even to the point of now being b ...

d and cited the animation to be to the "point of self-parody". ''

Wired Wired may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''Wired'' (Jeff Beck album), 1976 * ''Wired'' (Hugh Cornwell album), 1993 * ''Wired'' (Mallory Knox album), 2017 * "Wired", a song by Prism from their album '' Beat Street'' * "Wired ...

''s Scott Thill called Kevin Conroy "the finest Batman on record" in 2009. In a 2010 list,

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

ranked ''Mask of the Phantasm'' as the 25th best animated film of all time. That same year, IGN also stated it was "the Dark Knight's best big screen story" until ''

Batman Begins ''Batman Begins'' is a 2005 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with David S. Goyer. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne (Dark Knight trilogy), Bruce Wayne / B ...

''. In 2011, ''

Total Film ''Total Film'' was a British film magazine published 13 times a year (published monthly with a summer issue added, between the July and August issues, every year since issue 91, 2004) by Future Publishing. The magazine was launched in 1997 and of ...

'' also named ''Mask of the Phantasm'' as one of the greatest animated films of all time, coming in at 47th out of 50. ''

'' ranked ''Phantasm'' as one of the 10 best superhero films ever in 2011. In 2017,

Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and comic books. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publications including Comic Book Resources, Collider, MovieWeb and XDA Developers. ...

named the film the best Batman film of all time. In 2018, ''Paste'' magazine called the film "the greatest Batman movie". In 2022, ''

'' magazine named ''Mask of the Phantasm'' the best Batman film. Also in 2022, nearly 30 years after its release, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' 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 8). ''Mask of the Phantasm'' was cited as an example of a film that effectively personified the character's "inner bubble" and psyche by actor

Robert Pattinson Robert Douglas Thomas Pattinson (born 13 May 1986) is an English actor. #Filmography, His filmography often sees him portraying eccentric characters across a diverse range of genres. Known for starring in both major studio productions and in ...

, who portrayed Batman in the

Matt Reeves Matt Reeves (born April 27, 1966) is an American filmmaker. He first gained recognition for the WB drama series '' Felicity'' (1998–2002), which he co-created with J. J. Abrams. Reeves came to widespread attention for directing the hit monste ...

film '' The Batman'' (2022). To commemorate the film's 20th anniversary, a screening of the film was held in

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

with cast members Kevin Conroy, Dana Delany and Mark Hamill in attendance. To commemorate the film's 25th anniversary,

Fathom Events Fathom Events is an entertainment content provider that broadcasts entertainment events in movie theaters throughout the United States, including Metropolitan Opera Live in HD, the performing arts, major sporting events, and music concerts. The ...

rereleased the film for one day on November 12, 2018.

Accolades

Alongside ''

The Lion King ''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical coming-of-age drama film directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, produced by Don Hahn, and written by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton. Produced by Walt Disney ...

'' and ''

The Nightmare Before Christmas ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (formerly known as ''Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas'') is a 1993 American stop motion Animation, animated Gothic film, gothic musical film, musical fantasy film directed by Henry Selick in his f ...

'', ''Mask of the Phantasm'' was nominated for an

Annie Award The Annie Awards are accolades which the Los Angeles branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood, has presented each year since 1972 to recognize excellence in animation shown in American cinema and television. Origina ...

in the category of Best Animated Feature, but lost to the former.

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * *

External links

* * * *
Interview with Writer Martin Pasko
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