When this film came to Netflix last year, I _finally_ got my dad to sit-down and watch it with me when I visited him in Dallas. When I was growing up, my dad was always dismissive of Animated movies, thinking that they were all just "cartoons" and "for children." I've been gradually introducing him to animated media that murders and buries that sentiment in a not-so-shallow grave. When I presented him this version of Batman with a very emotional back-story, as well as Mark Hamill as the Joker, he was quite impressed with it. He was so into it that partway through the film, he stated with confidence that he figured out who the Phantasm was - being Andrea - and was so satisfied at being right. I think that on the whole, I'm glad I managed to get my dad to watch this one, as well as know for sure he enjoyed it.
I'm 42 years old, and I was one of those few that knew about the mask of the Phantasm back in the 90's and have enjoyed it throughout the years! Thanks for featuring this gem Minty!
I'm 38. and I actually saw this movie in the theatre. It came out at the same time as Addams Family Values and my brother wanted to see that instead, so what happened was my mother took him to see that, and my father took me to see Batman MOTP on the same day, in the same theatre.
Definitely one of my favorite bat man animated films also alfred gets the best line in the film by telling batman I I used to change your dipers I bloody well ought to !lol
I took my little brother to see this movie when were kids on xmas, looking back at it now it still holds better then those goofy movies from the 90s. My brother passed away last year at 32 and I plan to watch it ever xmas till the day I die! Love u Adam! Thanks Minty
@@jswatch9270 Wow. Its great she composed the music for this movie and the TV series! Her family and freinds must be very proud of her, and probably still misses her to this day!
Mask of the Phantasm is definitely one of the best Batman films of all time. It might have had a limited release, but my mom took me to see it in theaters when I was a kid. We recently saw it in theaters again for the 25th anniversary. Robin being in college was actually part of the television series. Robin appeared a handful of times when he had time off from schooling and there were even episodes which followed him in school, such as when the Scarecrow attacked the university. It was always part of the series plot.
LOVE Mask of the Phantasm and Batman beyond return of the joker!, the music in MOTP is amazing! the Tia Carrere song at the end was awesome and so heart breaking!
I love this film and genuinely think it is one of the best Batman films ever.It's awesome just like the Batman animated series is the best Batman TV show.
I've found that movie back in the early '90s on VHS at our video rental store and loved it immediately! Until now this is one of the best Batman movies ever for me!! And I appreciate that you mentioned the beautiful score by Shirley Walker. I have both CDs, the original release and the expanded from La-La-Land, and i love them!!
I got to meet Kevin Conroy at NiagaraCon this year He's just as awesome in person as he is in the show😊 A bonus for me being that he really liked the bat moose t-shirt I was wearing. That was the first time I really geeked out but I kept it together
This movie along with the 2 part episode that they released on VHS back in the day where Barbara first becomes Batgirl was my introduction to this show when I was like 2-3 years old in 94 or 95. I'm 30 now and watch it with my 1 year old son. I can't wait until he's older and actually understands it, his favourite book that we read to him each night is called "Good Night Dark Knight" which features the animated series Batman in it
Great video. I watched Batman Mask of the Phantasm so many times … I don ´t even remember, I did never count. And you are so damned right. For me, this film is a great one. Shirley Walker (Rip) made such a great score … I can ´t describe. The intro and then the theme… goosebump. The film is awesome and now I will watch it again. Thanks for this video. It was great again.
Batman Mask of the Phantasm was a AWESOME movie! I didn't get a chance to see it in theaters but I caught it when it came to video and was blown away! I already was a big fan of Batman TAS and was hyped to see this one and I loved it. Loved it then and love it now. Peace.
One of my favorite Batman movies! I didn’t know anything about it till the late 90s when I saw it on sale at Walmart so I bought it, and was really surprised how well made it was. I love the animated series so I thought it’s probably going to be at least as good as that, but it was better than I expected it to be. Right up there with Batman beyond the return of the joker. Loved that movie too. Great plot twist as well.
Thank you for this video. Mask of the Phantasm is my favorite Batman movie and I was lucky enough to see it twice in theaters. And thank you for mentioning Shirley Walker's score. It's such a great soundtrack.
Conroy is a legend when voicing Batman/Bruce Wayne. It's gonna be interesting to see him doing a live action version of Bruce Wayne in the crises on infinite Earth's CW crossover.
In the US, LOADS of people go to the movies on Christmas Day. In Australia, Boxing Day is the big film release date. Phantasm also wasn't theatrically released in Australia, it went straight to home video.
A correction. Shirley Walker Was a very talented musician Sadly, she passed away in November of 2006 at the age of 61. She worked on Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series and the live action Flash starring John Wesley Shipp. She is credited for creating the musical template which most of the other DC animated series and features followed. She collaborated several times during her career with Danny Elfman. RIP Mrs Walker.
Such an underappreciated film unless you were Disney there's no way your animated movie will be as successful as it was now at least multiple animated studios that I can compete with Disney but back then no not to mention it didn't get a lot of reviews and critics didn't care about the movie because it was animated but it was very good the people behind the Batman animated show were way ahead of their time.
The color palette used in the film is just amazing. That scene where Batman is watching Andrea from across the street in the rain is incredible. The rich color used there really stands out. Great story as well. The guilt Bruce feels for actually being happy is gut-wrenching. Thanks for the video! Love this movie.
Thanks for doing this video Mark!! I absolutely love this movie!! It's the best Batman movie of all time and I actually went to the theatre on Christmas Day 1993 to see it. I'll always remember that since I'm such a huge fan of the series.
Honestly, only a true fan of Batman: The Animated series would have seen this movie coming and going to see it as soon as possible. Maybe not on Christmas Day, but definitely sometime after. I was 13 when I saw it in theaters, and I thought it was amazing! It gave me that scenes of emotion for Batman that I never thought I had, even back when I saw the live action 1989 movie. Batman Returns I enjoyed, but that movie was a bit too depressing for me to feel emotionally attached to the film. Where in Mask of The Phantasm, it gave me that scenes of emotion that I’m watching an early version of Batman Begins. That feeling of empowerment that life is cruel, but that no matter how hard life hits you, you get back up and fight back in order to keep moving forward. Only Batman can give that type of motivation and hope for others in this World. 👍
Had to wait till I could rent it from Blockbuster but instantly loved it. Loved the show and thought it would be good but man it was much more than that.
9:46 Robin wasn’t missed as fans of Batman: The Animated Series knew that Dick was in college and made sporadic appearances until it was morphed into “The Adventures of Batman & Robin.”
@@danielseelye6005 I guess you're right. It's hopeless. It is absolutely impossible for DC to make a good movie. I'll leave the comment up though, as a lesson to all others who may have thoughts similar to mine:that they're wrong. I must thank you for showing me the error in my ways, and will now go off to watch only live action films from Marvel The Great.
@@Chrismw81 Huh? A bit much, I would think. My thinking was that just because it's been a couple decades since it was released and could be redone as live action doesn't mean it should. The big question I would want answered is: What would this movie being remade as live action bring to the story that would be worthwhile? It's one thing if this was going from Dead Tree Format to animation or live action, there are so many benefits for the change of mediums, but this is more of a lateral shift than a leap & I wonder where is the benefit in retelling this story instead of bringing this version to the attention of more and more people?
Yep. In night of the ninja, they're arriving back in the cave and Robin says "I don't get to do this much ever since I started college" when trying to convince Bruce to let him join in the investigation of the robberies of Wayne enterprises buildings.
@Matthew Puckett you mean you didn't notice the difference? How they kept dropping/resetting their storylines after every episode? that's 1 things among a few a few other impossible things they had happen episode to episode. Another is they had Batman getting beat-up (punched/knocked off his feet) by common street henchmen and burglars, even though Batman's a Martial Arts Belt.Yeah that's some of a few things they never took seriously in that Animated Series
@Matthew Puckett Then It must have been over 20 years since you last seen the show. Same thing happen to me too. But once you watch it again this time though your adult eyes for the first time you'll see what mean written above ^. In which you couldn't see before with you child eyes in the 90's as a kid.
I remember my dad took my brothers and I to see this movie. My dad enjoyed the movie and was surprised to see Mark Hammill’s name in the credits since he’s a long time Star Wara fan, and he got a kick out of him playing The Joker
Dogg, I remember it out here in the States and yes, we still go to the movies every Christmas day. Still but pissed that they gave away the identity of the Phantasm didn't watch the movie till much later. Still one of the best though
But Minty... you forget something very important. The Phantasm/Beaumont did appear one more time. It was in the episode "Epilogue" from season two of Justice League Unlimited. She was ordered by Amanda Waller to kill the parents of Terry McGinnis in front of his eyes, so that he would grow to become the next Batman. But Beaumont aborted the mission in the last second. Mask of the Phantasm is one of the best Batman stories ever told! And to tell the truth, I liked it a LOT better than Lion King. ;) Best scene is where Batman puts the mask on for the first time, and Alfred shows fear. Still gives me chills. :D I still have the VHS version, that had the small format comic included.
I remember seeing this a few days after it came out in theaters. I felt bad that it didn't get more attention as my theater was practically empty and the movie was good. To this day I still think the animation popped a bit more in theater than on home release.
I can't agree that releasing on Christmas Day hurt the film. Here in the United States at least Christmas day is a very busy movie-going day. I actually used to work at a movie theater and vividly remember selling out numerous shows on Christmas Day. However I was not old enough to work when this was released so I can't say how well it did against other movies at the time
Also the marketing for this movie really small compared to say a Disney animated movie from the same time period. Apart from some action figures from Kenner, a comic book adaptation and a novelization, it was really badly marketed. If Warner Brothers had planned things better, I am sure that given how popular Batman: The Animated series was at the time it would have made a ton of money. That said, it is a great movie and I really wish that Warner Brothers would produce a special edition of it. Even the late Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert liked this movie, they watched on Laser Disc in 1995 and reviewed on their show At The Movies. Both felt it was a stronger movie than Batman Forever (1995) was and Siskel being a fan of animation was really impressed with the look of the movie.
I remember when this film came out! I wanted to see it in the theater but my mom said no, saw I saw on VHS when I rented it at BlockBuster 👍 The animated series are awesome because they allow for a dark tone & more in depth story telling than live action can. A fantastic film! 👏
Dick Miller also had a previous DC connection too. He played Fosnight in the 1990 CBS "The Flash" series, a recurring character that was kind of a reluctant Confidential Informant for Barry Allen.
Mask Of The Phantasm will go down as the greatest Batman movie that you have never heard of and the first one to kick off a whole line of original animated movies for many other DC heroes
15:07 that artwork of Batman on that toy is badass. Just a looming black shape. Kinda reminds me of how he was portrayed in the Child of Dreams manga, where rarely did we get a full detailed body shot beneath the cape.
I remember renting this movie on VHS at my local Krogers grocery store when it came out. It scared and thrilled me and forever solidified my love of Batman. It was beautifully done!!!
I remember when this came out definitely in my top 5 batman movies thanks for the trip down memory lane minty I would like to suggest 10 things about mystery of batwomen and sub zero
The tone of the stories was very noir, especially for a children's comic book show. I would describe the visuals, particularly the architecture as art deco. The idea to animate on black was genius with this style. Nice content
"Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm" and "Batman: Sun Zero" were both excellent films and both far superior to anything we were getting in the live--action movies. ("Sub Zero," particularly, was a great and heartbreaking story that made Arnie's portrayal of Freeze even more rediculous.) But, they both were known and highly spoken of at the time. If they have become forgotten then that is truly unfotunate. Both are truly exceptional.
Let's not forget the first Batman origin story that was brought to the screen (well the small screen) was in the last season of the Superfriends: Galactic Guardians with the episode entitled "The Fear". If you haven't seen it check it out. The last season of the Superfriends was definitely aimed at an older audience, especially since the kids watching the series from 1973 were also older now.
So I literally have the phantasm figure, hanging above my computer with my other Batman figues, during the video my wife pointed out they left no mystery to who the phantam was with the figure, and I pointed out that the Inspector Gadget figure even was able to keep the mystery of Dr.Claw. Few mins later in the video and you bring up the same exact point.. I love when thinking just aligns in such a coincidental way.
I remember driving around with my dad and we saw the board from the street advertising this film. Back in the day before internet, movie theaters usually had more prominent signs showing what was playing. We were getting some fast foot across the street and dad was like "Hey, we should go see that." He didn't know it was a cartoon... bwahaha. But I don't think he minded much.
Great review as always. For further info, going to the movies on Christmas day is a big deal in the USA, it's an event for lots of families. For my wife's family it was usually open presents, breakfast, movies, then home for dinner.
11:34 number 3.5 fun fact not only was the Phantasm based on the reaper from the comics and his design was also inspired by a Christmas Carol where the creators from the Batman animated series wanted him to be more like the Ghost of Christmas future a dark ghost like figure that would be haunting, terrifying and very scary and it worked just the moment you look at him you immediately recognize he is a very intimidating character and even though you only showed up in this movie and one of them set up the Justice League unlimited he is an iconic character even showed up in comics once again going face to face with Batman even though she's probably not as famous as maybe the joker character but for her appearance in this one movie yes because you have to major effect on Batman's life and recent comics they brought back the character of Andrea Belmont AKA the Phantasm won't spoil it for you but you should go read the comics.
The music in This movie is one of the great things to make it more darker and edgier and more mature, and I wish they put this kind of music in any Batman related media.
I just saw it last night in an AMC theatre. absolutely amazing movie holds up incredibly today. bruce's mental struggle between him and 'batman', with batman's creeping incursion into the mind of Bruce as inevitable/fated adds so much to a character which is traditionally portrayed as bruce just cosplaying as batman. the character is taken to its fullest when realizing that the reason batman does not kill is not because batman has a code of ethics but that bruce has healed to a capacity, while batman will not allow bruce to fully heal and so he can't stop being batman.
Minty, not certain how things are in Australia, but in the States the theaters are PACKED on Xmas day every year. Parents who need a break from the excitement caused by their kids' new toys come in droves to see a movie. Also, there are several Xmas or near-Xmas day (depending on what day the 25th falls on) releases each year. I know this from both sides as I myself also worked at the movie theater during university
As far as I can remember, this movie was never released in cinemas in my country, but I remember that some six months later, it was a film on the Pay Per View system we had hired at home and watched it there for the first time. I just loved it and would watch it as much as I could ever since.
I go to the theater every Christmas. I remember seeing this movie on Christmas and there were only a few of us there. It really is one of those films that has/had to be seen on the big screen with movie theater sound.
I was in my 30's when the animated series was on and loved watching it after work with my kids when I could. Don't remember hearing about the movie, though it appears not many people did.
Originally, as Minty mentioned this was going to be a direct to video feature. Warner Brothers decided midway through the production cycle to make it a theatrical release. As result, the marketing for the movie was really small apart some action figures and a few other things. As a Batman fan, I have thoroughly enjoyed watching this movie on home video countless times. Hopefully, one day I can see it on the big screen since no cinemas near me in 1993 showed this.
Actually watched this in the theatre. I was the perfect age to catch Batmania in the late 80's early 90's. Still my favorite cartoon, pardon me, animated feature of all time....
Another great review. Never knew it had a theater release. I remember watching this with a cousin and my younger brother while home on leave from the U.S.N. It definitely got my attention, so I watched the show when I could, difficult while stationed aboard a Navy ship (USS Phillipine Sea CG-58). Have made up for lost time😁 FYI, Andrea/The Phantasm made an appearance in The final episode of "Batman Beyond" Thanks again, Minty.
I saw this movie in an, unfortunately, empty theater. There were about 15 people in the audience. However the movie actually gave me chills while watching it, two scenes in particular always stand out. The first is when Sal goes to Joker and he grabs the Jokers jacket to plead for help. The Joker growls, shoves Sal away and yells "Don't touch me", a line delivered full of rage before instantly transitioning to gleeful with the joke "I don't know where you've been". The complete tonal and emotional shift he makes literally mid-sentence is truly terrifying. It's on thing to simply saw the Joker is unstable and insane, but this delivery really shows just how broken his mind really is. The other scene is Batman's shadow cast across the Wayne Gravestone, so much of what makes the Batman a compelling character conveyed in a very simple image.
I definitely remember this movie. It was Mom's favorite Batman film, right up there with the 1989 movie. It was the first movie I saw in theaters twice, and it was later in the Harkin's Theater's summer movie program rotation until 1997 in Arizona.
Mask Of The Phantasm was and still is an awesome animated Batman movie. I rented it a few weeks ago on the google play store and gave it a watch again since I haven't seen it in a long time. It'll eventually make it to my collection of animated movies when possible. Batman The Animated Series was one of my favorite cartoons of the 90's as well as Superman The Animated Series. :)
Was a theatre employee as a teenager, lots of people go to movies on Christmas Day, usually people who would spend the holidays alone, or families going to movies. I went to AVP: Requiem on Christmas Day when it released.
This one of the best DC Animated movies and holds its own with the Chris Nolan Batman movies. Saw this in the movie theaters the day after Christmas and completely blown away at how good it was. I’ve seen it many times over the years and I’d wish they would do a live action version of this movie.
When this film came to Netflix last year, I _finally_ got my dad to sit-down and watch it with me when I visited him in Dallas. When I was growing up, my dad was always dismissive of Animated movies, thinking that they were all just "cartoons" and "for children." I've been gradually introducing him to animated media that murders and buries that sentiment in a not-so-shallow grave.
When I presented him this version of Batman with a very emotional back-story, as well as Mark Hamill as the Joker, he was quite impressed with it. He was so into it that partway through the film, he stated with confidence that he figured out who the Phantasm was - being Andrea - and was so satisfied at being right.
I think that on the whole, I'm glad I managed to get my dad to watch this one, as well as know for sure he enjoyed it.
I'm 42 years old, and I was one of those few that knew about the mask of the Phantasm back in the 90's and have enjoyed it throughout the years! Thanks for featuring this gem Minty!
Still one of my favorite Batman's. Second to Michael Keaton.
I'm 38. and I actually saw this movie in the theatre. It came out at the same time as Addams Family Values and my brother wanted to see that instead, so what happened was my mother took him to see that, and my father took me to see Batman MOTP on the same day, in the same theatre.
Yup, I saw it in theaters during Christmas break in '93. I was 10 years old, still my favorite animated movie.
Definitely one of my favorite bat man animated films also alfred gets the best line in the film by telling batman I I used to change your dipers I bloody well ought to !lol
I was actually one of the 13 people that saw this one in the theater.
I saw it in the theater also. It looked amazing on the big screen!
So was I lol.
Bro row 3 seat 14 right here
@@brianbelanger1984 Nice!
@@andrewhoward9495 Looks like 4 of the 13 are in this comment section!
I loved this animated Batman movie
Batman movies I rather watch from the 90s are...
Batman (1989)
Batman mask of the phantasm (1993)
Batman forever (1995)
Batman subzero (1998)
you like Forever more than Returns?
Definitely!! It's amazing on the Bluray set!!
I remember my mom was more into this movie then I was, I learned to appreciate later on. Thanks for another trip down memory lane 😊
Some cartoons you grow out of, this and The Animated Series are the kind you grow INTO.
*_Hands down The Best Animated Batman Movie_*
*best Batman movie
I agree. And it’s way better than Batman Forever & Batman and Robin.
Hell yeah!
Batman beyond return of the joker
The best one, under the red hood is 2nd
Not just an amazing animated Batman movie but a stunningly superb movie
Did your heart stop when Batman's eyes were the only thing taking up the entire screen staring down on you? Mine did.
I took my little brother to see this movie when were kids on xmas, looking back at it now it still holds better then those goofy movies from the 90s. My brother passed away last year at 32 and I plan to watch it ever xmas till the day I die! Love u Adam!
Thanks Minty
Sorry about your brother.
R.I.P. Shirley Walker 11/2006
I miss her
@@jswatch9270 Who's Shirley Walker??
@@thefantasticretroreviewer3941 the composer who did the music of batman the animated series and the film Batman mask of the phantasm
@@jswatch9270 Wow.
Its great she composed the music for this movie and the TV series!
Her family and freinds must be very proud of her, and probably still misses her to this day!
@@thefantasticretroreviewer3941 yep you can say that idea
This is the best Batman movie ever made for me.
It was one of me and my brothers favorite movie when we were kids.
Mask of the Phantasm is definitely one of the best Batman films of all time. It might have had a limited release, but my mom took me to see it in theaters when I was a kid. We recently saw it in theaters again for the 25th anniversary.
Robin being in college was actually part of the television series. Robin appeared a handful of times when he had time off from schooling and there were even episodes which followed him in school, such as when the Scarecrow attacked the university. It was always part of the series plot.
I got to see it in the cinema. The air conditioning was on (Dallas, Texas, but still...) and that added to the feeling of the film somehow.
You know you're from Texas when you need air conditioning on Christmas day.
Nancy Jay I saw it at the movies too. ...twice! 😊
I saw it at the drive in
Texas here as well, saw it when they did the anniversary re release in theater
The voice cast is brilliant, with Stacy Keach, Abe Vigoda, Dana Delaney, Dick Miller, John Ryan, and Hart Bochner.
Greatest Batman film of all time. And, in the states Christmas Day is one of if not the biggest movie days of the year.
LOVE Mask of the Phantasm and Batman beyond return of the joker!, the music in MOTP is amazing! the Tia Carrere song at the end was awesome and so heart breaking!
Agreed.
I love this film and genuinely think it is one of the best Batman films ever.It's awesome just like the Batman animated series is the best Batman TV show.
i also think it had the best movie poster , makes Batman look "operatic" or something , like a huge bat out of hell
I've found that movie back in the early '90s on VHS at our video rental store and loved it immediately! Until now this is one of the best Batman movies ever for me!!
And I appreciate that you mentioned the beautiful score by Shirley Walker. I have both CDs, the original release and the expanded from La-La-Land, and i love them!!
I got to meet Kevin Conroy at NiagaraCon this year
He's just as awesome in person as he is in the show😊
A bonus for me being that he really liked the bat moose t-shirt I was wearing. That was the first time I really geeked out but I kept it together
This movie along with the 2 part episode that they released on VHS back in the day where Barbara first becomes Batgirl was my introduction to this show when I was like 2-3 years old in 94 or 95. I'm 30 now and watch it with my 1 year old son. I can't wait until he's older and actually understands it, his favourite book that we read to him each night is called "Good Night Dark Knight" which features the animated series Batman in it
The '90s seems to be the definitive decade of the Batman
True; 3 live-action films + 1 animated feature-length theatrical film + BTAS (voiced by Kevin Conroy), all during the decade.
I saw this movie in theatres when it came out. It still remains my favorite Batman animated movie.
I LOVED this movie and the whole animated series when I was a kid! Mark Hamill's Joker performance in this movie is freaking *legendary*. 👏👏👏
Great video. I watched Batman Mask of the Phantasm so many times … I don ´t even remember, I did never count. And you are so damned right. For me, this film is a great one. Shirley Walker (Rip) made such a great score … I can ´t describe. The intro and then the theme… goosebump. The film is awesome and now I will watch it again.
Thanks for this video. It was great again.
Batman Mask of the Phantasm was a AWESOME movie! I didn't get a chance to see it in theaters but I caught it when it came to video and was blown away! I already was a big fan of Batman TAS and was hyped to see this one and I loved it. Loved it then and love it now. Peace.
i saw that film, I felt Bruce and Andrea's powerful love and even seen the Joker aka Mark Hamill.
what a movie.
This is still one of my favorite Batman movies of all time
This was the first time you saw animated Batman bleed.
Saw this with my mom in Times Square on Christmas day. Loved it. Still have the soundtrack cd.
we went to a movie for years on Christmas Day. It wasn't until I got remarried that that stopped.
Saw this one opening day it was great then still is now.. glad I hadn’t seen the toys lol
One of my favorite Batman movies! I didn’t know anything about it till the late 90s when I saw it on sale at Walmart so I bought it, and was really surprised how well made it was. I love the animated series so I thought it’s probably going to be at least as good as that, but it was better than I expected it to be. Right up there with Batman beyond the return of the joker. Loved that movie too. Great plot twist as well.
Thank you for this video. Mask of the Phantasm is my favorite Batman movie and I was lucky enough to see it twice in theaters. And thank you for mentioning Shirley Walker's score. It's such a great soundtrack.
Conroy is a legend when voicing Batman/Bruce Wayne. It's gonna be interesting to see him doing a live action version of Bruce Wayne in the crises on infinite Earth's CW crossover.
In the US, LOADS of people go to the movies on Christmas Day. In Australia, Boxing Day is the big film release date. Phantasm also wasn't theatrically released in Australia, it went straight to home video.
A correction. Shirley Walker Was a very talented musician Sadly, she passed away in November of 2006 at the age of 61. She worked on Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series and the live action Flash starring John Wesley Shipp. She is credited for creating the musical template which most of the other DC animated series and features followed. She collaborated several times during her career with Danny Elfman. RIP Mrs Walker.
Such an underappreciated film unless you were Disney there's no way your animated movie will be as successful as it was now at least multiple animated studios that I can compete with Disney but back then no not to mention it didn't get a lot of reviews and critics didn't care about the movie because it was animated but it was very good the people behind the Batman animated show were way ahead of their time.
The color palette used in the film is just amazing. That scene where Batman is watching Andrea from across the street in the rain is incredible. The rich color used there really stands out. Great story as well. The guilt Bruce feels for actually being happy is gut-wrenching. Thanks for the video! Love this movie.
10 things you didn’t know about Tombstone
My guy would love that!
YESSSSS
Def please and rambo as well minty.
Thanks for doing this video Mark!! I absolutely love this movie!!
It's the best Batman movie of all time and I actually went to the theatre on Christmas Day 1993 to see it. I'll always remember that since I'm such a huge fan of the series.
You're one of my favorite channels on TH-cam!
Honestly, only a true fan of Batman: The Animated series would have seen this movie coming and going to see it as soon as possible. Maybe not on Christmas Day, but definitely sometime after. I was 13 when I saw it in theaters, and I thought it was amazing! It gave me that scenes of emotion for Batman that I never thought I had, even back when I saw the live action 1989 movie. Batman Returns I enjoyed, but that movie was a bit too depressing for me to feel emotionally attached to the film. Where in Mask of The Phantasm, it gave me that scenes of emotion that I’m watching an early version of Batman Begins. That feeling of empowerment that life is cruel, but that no matter how hard life hits you, you get back up and fight back in order to keep moving forward. Only Batman can give that type of motivation and hope for others in this World. 👍
I had to wait for VHS cause my family was poor but I was so obsessed with seeing it. I had a bunch of toys from the movie
Had to wait till I could rent it from Blockbuster but instantly loved it. Loved the show and thought it would be good but man it was much more than that.
9:46 Robin wasn’t missed as fans of Batman: The Animated Series knew that Dick was in college and made sporadic appearances until it was morphed into “The Adventures of Batman & Robin.”
I'll tell you what I DO know- I'd love to see a live action take on this.
Um, no. Marvel works in live action, DC does it's best work animated. Just leave it alone and enjoy it.
@@danielseelye6005 in the words of the great Oswald Cobblepot: "things change."
@@Chrismw81 Doesn't mean it'll be for the better.
@@danielseelye6005 I guess you're right. It's hopeless. It is absolutely impossible for DC to make a good movie. I'll leave the comment up though, as a lesson to all others who may have thoughts similar to mine:that they're wrong. I must thank you for showing me the error in my ways, and will now go off to watch only live action films from Marvel The Great.
@@Chrismw81 Huh? A bit much, I would think. My thinking was that just because it's been a couple decades since it was released and could be redone as live action doesn't mean it should.
The big question I would want answered is: What would this movie being remade as live action bring to the story that would be worthwhile?
It's one thing if this was going from Dead Tree Format to animation or live action, there are so many benefits for the change of mediums, but this is more of a lateral shift than a leap & I wonder where is the benefit in retelling this story instead of bringing this version to the attention of more and more people?
10 things you didn't know about "Beavis and Butt-Head Do America."
Another strange xmas release
I used to have the vhs version of this movie that came with a comic book. Fantastic movie
No, Robin's in college during the animated series' timeline. He explained the college thing in one of the episodes.
Really?
Cool!
Yep. In night of the ninja, they're arriving back in the cave and Robin says "I don't get to do this much ever since I started college" when trying to convince Bruce to let him join in the investigation of the robberies of Wayne enterprises buildings.
This is a great film, I actually saw it in the theater as a kid and I loved it.
My parents bought that movie for me when I was 10. To this day it’s still one of my favorites.
This is and always will be one of my favorite Batman stories. Had it on VHS when i was a kid. Love it.
Great movie! Best cartoon of the 90’s!!!! I’m number 1
It *Should* Have been one of the best Cartoons of the 90's but DC never took it serious. Like Marvel did with their 90's toons.
@Matthew Puckett you mean you didn't notice the difference? How they kept dropping/resetting their storylines after every episode? that's 1 things among a few a few other impossible things they had happen episode to episode. Another is they had Batman getting beat-up (punched/knocked off his feet) by common street henchmen and burglars, even though Batman's a Martial Arts Belt.Yeah that's some of a few things they never took seriously in that Animated Series
@Matthew Puckett Then It must have been over 20 years since you last seen the show. Same thing happen to me too. But once you watch it again this time though your adult eyes for the first time you'll see what mean written above ^. In which you couldn't see before with you child eyes in the 90's as a kid.
I remember my dad took my brothers and I to see this movie. My dad enjoyed the movie and was surprised to see Mark Hammill’s name in the credits since he’s a long time Star Wara fan, and he got a kick out of him playing The Joker
It's a US tradition to go to movies on Xmas day. Before the pandemic it was one of the biggest release dates of the year!
I too saw this movie in Theaters. And loved it.
I saw Mask of the Phantasm in the theaters in 1993 when I was 11 because I watched the cartoon religiously.
i always treat this as the very first episode to the animated series. Makes it all the better if you watch it before.
Masterpieces frequently go under the radar!!!
Dogg, I remember it out here in the States and yes, we still go to the movies every Christmas day. Still but pissed that they gave away the identity of the Phantasm didn't watch the movie till much later. Still one of the best though
But Minty... you forget something very important.
The Phantasm/Beaumont did appear one more time. It was in the episode "Epilogue" from season two of Justice League Unlimited.
She was ordered by Amanda Waller to kill the parents of Terry McGinnis in front of his eyes, so that he would grow to become the next Batman. But Beaumont aborted the mission in the last second.
Mask of the Phantasm is one of the best Batman stories ever told! And to tell the truth, I liked it a LOT better than Lion King. ;)
Best scene is where Batman puts the mask on for the first time, and Alfred shows fear. Still gives me chills. :D
I still have the VHS version, that had the small format comic included.
I remember seeing this a few days after it came out in theaters. I felt bad that it didn't get more attention as my theater was practically empty and the movie was good. To this day I still think the animation popped a bit more in theater than on home release.
I can't agree that releasing on Christmas Day hurt the film. Here in the United States at least Christmas day is a very busy movie-going day. I actually used to work at a movie theater and vividly remember selling out numerous shows on Christmas Day. However I was not old enough to work when this was released so I can't say how well it did against other movies at the time
Also the marketing for this movie really small compared to say a Disney animated movie from the same time period. Apart from some action figures from Kenner, a comic book adaptation and a novelization, it was really badly marketed. If Warner Brothers had planned things better, I am sure that given how popular Batman: The Animated series was at the time it would have made a ton of money. That said, it is a great movie and I really wish that Warner Brothers would produce a special edition of it. Even the late Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert liked this movie, they watched on Laser Disc in 1995 and reviewed on their show At The Movies. Both felt it was a stronger movie than Batman Forever (1995) was and Siskel being a fan of animation was really impressed with the look of the movie.
I remember when this film came out! I wanted to see it in the theater but my mom said no, saw I saw on VHS when I rented it at BlockBuster 👍
The animated series are awesome because they allow for a dark tone & more in depth story telling than live action can. A fantastic film! 👏
Batman: Sub-Zero when?
Living Corpse spring 98
I have to say I liked Sub zero a little more, but mr freeze is too good
Better import that, because sub zero is awesome
Dick Miller also had a previous DC connection too. He played Fosnight in the 1990 CBS "The Flash" series, a recurring character that was kind of a reluctant Confidential Informant for Barry Allen.
I've reconnected with so many great movies because of you. Thank you
A live action adaption would be awesome or even seeing the return of the phantasm would be cool
Mask Of The Phantasm will go down as the greatest Batman movie that you have never heard of and the first one to kick off a whole line of original animated movies for many other DC heroes
15:07 that artwork of Batman on that toy is badass. Just a looming black shape. Kinda reminds me of how he was portrayed in the Child of Dreams manga, where rarely did we get a full detailed body shot beneath the cape.
This film introduced me to Batman
I remember renting this movie on VHS at my local Krogers grocery store when it came out. It scared and thrilled me and forever solidified my love of Batman. It was beautifully done!!!
I remember when this came out definitely in my top 5 batman movies thanks for the trip down memory lane minty I would like to suggest 10 things about mystery of batwomen and sub zero
What is your top 5?
Skellington Fan batman 89 and forever returns mask of the phantasm and the batman Adam west movie
The tone of the stories was very noir, especially for a children's comic book show. I would describe the visuals, particularly the architecture as art deco. The idea to animate on black was genius with this style. Nice content
"Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm" and "Batman: Sun Zero" were both excellent films and both far superior to anything we were getting in the live--action movies. ("Sub Zero," particularly, was a great and heartbreaking story that made Arnie's portrayal of Freeze even more rediculous.)
But, they both were known and highly spoken of at the time. If they have become forgotten then that is truly unfotunate. Both are truly exceptional.
Sub Zero is underrated , no doubt about it
Mask of the phantasm is One of my favorite batman movies of all time,
RIP Kevin Conroy.
Let's not forget the first Batman origin story that was brought to the screen (well the small screen) was in the last season of the Superfriends: Galactic Guardians with the episode entitled "The Fear". If you haven't seen it check it out. The last season of the Superfriends was definitely aimed at an older audience, especially since the kids watching the series from 1973 were also older now.
It was pushed hard in the US. I remember it being everywhere and that’s when the restaurants use to push movies hard
So I literally have the phantasm figure, hanging above my computer with my other Batman figues, during the video my wife pointed out they left no mystery to who the phantam was with the figure, and I pointed out that the Inspector Gadget figure even was able to keep the mystery of Dr.Claw. Few mins later in the video and you bring up the same exact point.. I love when thinking just aligns in such a coincidental way.
Quick question, is The Upside Down form Stranger Things referred to as The Right Side Up in Australia?
The russians have the Bald Eagle.
I thought it was the Upside Down Under. 😀
I remember driving around with my dad and we saw the board from the street advertising this film. Back in the day before internet, movie theaters usually had more prominent signs showing what was playing. We were getting some fast foot across the street and dad was like "Hey, we should go see that." He didn't know it was a cartoon... bwahaha. But I don't think he minded much.
Great review as always. For further info, going to the movies on Christmas day is a big deal in the USA, it's an event for lots of families. For my wife's family it was usually open presents, breakfast, movies, then home for dinner.
11:34 number 3.5 fun fact not only was the Phantasm based on the reaper from the comics and his design was also inspired by a Christmas Carol where the creators from the Batman animated series wanted him to be more like the Ghost of Christmas future a dark ghost like figure that would be haunting, terrifying and very scary and it worked just the moment you look at him you immediately recognize he is a very intimidating character and even though you only showed up in this movie and one of them set up the Justice League unlimited he is an iconic character even showed up in comics once again going face to face with Batman even though she's probably not as famous as maybe the joker character but for her appearance in this one movie yes because you have to major effect on Batman's life and recent comics they brought back the character of Andrea Belmont AKA the Phantasm won't spoil it for you but you should go read the comics.
The music in This movie is one of the great things to make it more darker and edgier and more mature, and I wish they put this kind of music in any Batman related media.
Absolutely my favorite animated movie and one of your best videos
I just saw it last night in an AMC theatre. absolutely amazing movie holds up incredibly today. bruce's mental struggle between him and 'batman', with batman's creeping incursion into the mind of Bruce as inevitable/fated adds so much to a character which is traditionally portrayed as bruce just cosplaying as batman. the character is taken to its fullest when realizing that the reason batman does not kill is not because batman has a code of ethics but that bruce has healed to a capacity, while batman will not allow bruce to fully heal and so he can't stop being batman.
Minty, not certain how things are in Australia, but in the States the theaters are PACKED on Xmas day every year. Parents who need a break from the excitement caused by their kids' new toys come in droves to see a movie. Also, there are several Xmas or near-Xmas day (depending on what day the 25th falls on) releases each year. I know this from both sides as I myself also worked at the movie theater during university
As far as I can remember, this movie was never released in cinemas in my country, but I remember that some six months later, it was a film on the Pay Per View system we had hired at home and watched it there for the first time. I just loved it and would watch it as much as I could ever since.
Stacey Keach will always be Mike Hammer for me.
I go to the theater every Christmas. I remember seeing this movie on Christmas and there were only a few of us there. It really is one of those films that has/had to be seen on the big screen with movie theater sound.
I was in my 30's when the animated series was on and loved watching it after work with my kids when I could. Don't remember hearing about the movie, though it appears not many people did.
Originally, as Minty mentioned this was going to be a direct to video feature. Warner Brothers decided midway through the production cycle to make it a theatrical release. As result, the marketing for the movie was really small apart some action figures and a few other things. As a Batman fan, I have thoroughly enjoyed watching this movie on home video countless times. Hopefully, one day I can see it on the big screen since no cinemas near me in 1993 showed this.
Actually watched this in the theatre. I was the perfect age to catch Batmania in the late 80's early 90's. Still my favorite cartoon, pardon me, animated feature of all time....
Another great review.
Never knew it had a theater release.
I remember watching this with a cousin and my younger brother while home on leave from the U.S.N. It definitely got my attention, so I watched the show when I could, difficult while stationed aboard a Navy ship
(USS Phillipine Sea CG-58). Have made up for lost time😁
FYI, Andrea/The Phantasm made an appearance in The final episode of "Batman Beyond"
Thanks again, Minty.
I saw this movie in an, unfortunately, empty theater. There were about 15 people in the audience. However the movie actually gave me chills while watching it, two scenes in particular always stand out. The first is when Sal goes to Joker and he grabs the Jokers jacket to plead for help. The Joker growls, shoves Sal away and yells "Don't touch me", a line delivered full of rage before instantly transitioning to gleeful with the joke "I don't know where you've been". The complete tonal and emotional shift he makes literally mid-sentence is truly terrifying. It's on thing to simply saw the Joker is unstable and insane, but this delivery really shows just how broken his mind really is. The other scene is Batman's shadow cast across the Wayne Gravestone, so much of what makes the Batman a compelling character conveyed in a very simple image.
I spotted it at Hastings when it came out on VHS. I still have that copy and it's still one of my favorite movies of all time!
I definitely remember this movie. It was Mom's favorite Batman film, right up there with the 1989 movie. It was the first movie I saw in theaters twice, and it was later in the Harkin's Theater's summer movie program rotation until 1997 in Arizona.
Without a doubt the best Batman Movie Ever.
Mask Of The Phantasm was and still is an awesome animated Batman movie. I rented it a few weeks ago on the google play store and gave it a watch again since I haven't seen it in a long time. It'll eventually make it to my collection of animated movies when possible. Batman The Animated Series was one of my favorite cartoons of the 90's as well as Superman The Animated Series. :)
Was a theatre employee as a teenager, lots of people go to movies on Christmas Day, usually people who would spend the holidays alone, or families going to movies. I went to AVP: Requiem on Christmas Day when it released.
I saw this gem in the theater back when it came out and loved it from the moment I first laid eyes on it!!!!!!!!
This one of the best DC Animated movies and holds its own with the Chris Nolan Batman movies. Saw this in the movie theaters the day after Christmas and completely blown away at how good it was. I’ve seen it many times over the years and I’d wish they would do a live action version of this movie.
My favorite Batman Animated movies are Dark Knight Returns part 1, and part 2, and Assault on Arkham.