The Box Office Bomb That Was Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a 1993 American animated superhero film featuring the DC Comics character Batman. Directed by Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm, it is a cinematic stand-alone continuation of Batman: The Animated Series and the first original theatrical film produced by Warner Bros. Animation.
Originally planned for a direct-to-video release, Warner Bros. gave Mask of the Phantasm a theatrical release, condensing its production into a strenuous eight-month schedule. The film was released through the studio's Family Entertainment division on December 24, 1993, to positive reviews from critics, who praised the stylized animation, voice performances, story, and music.
Despite Batman: Mask of the Phantasm being critically acclaimed it was a box office bomb. Time, however, has been kind to this animated Batman film which is now a beloved favorite among fans of the Dark Knight.
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Batman the Mask of the Phantasm is my favorite theaterical released Batman film.
Also first Batman film to get a thumbs up by both Siskel and Ebert.
Didn't at least one of them say they liked it better than whichever live action was out at the time?
@@Jellyvibe It was the first time Ebert ever liked a Batman film. He later liked the Nolan movies and Siskel enjoyed Burton's Film and Batman Forever but thought Mask of the Phantasm was better than Forever which was out when they reviewed Batman Mask of the Phantasm as it was a Video review and they admitted it was a mistake not to review it when in theaters.
Actually both of them gave Batman 1989 two thumbs up and that was way before Mask of the Phantasm. But they still said Mask of the Phantasm was better.
@@excaliber2010 The Batman 1989 review is on TH-cam and while Ebert admired the design of the film and special effects he disliked pretty much everything else. Personally I love Batman 1989.
They were genuinely disappointed they didn't review it when it was in theaters, possibly because without their review at the time it didn't help it get the attention they felt it deserved, they couldn't praise it enough.
I'll never forget seeing the Phantasm figure. UNMASKED. BEFORE THE FILM CAME OUT.
The original spoiler
Same. That was a bullshit move.
The same thing also happened with the action figure of The Blank from the "Dick Tracy" live-action movie.
Hahhaha remember this as well and was like poison ivy ?!!!
I had the comic adaptation before the movie came out, so I had basically already seen the movie before the movie. People didn't care much about spoilers back then. I don't think it became an issue until Bruce Willis in the Sixth Sense.
I remember seeing the Phantasm figure in toy stores, didn't think of it being a spoiler. Then again, I was only a kid at the time and the concept of a spoiler was unknown to me.
Every time the topic of who is the best Batman on film I always get annoyed Kevin Conroy gets left out. This is by far the best Batman film produced and the actors should get the appropriate appreciation.
He never gets left out because there is always at least one person in the comments nominating him and then joined in by everyone else calling him underrated, to the point of cliche
Man. Christmas Day, 1993: myself, my little sister and three friends all got dropped off at the Mann’s Pasadena for the afternoon matinee and spent the next ninety minutes being utterly mesmerized.
I don’t remember a single other thing about that day other than the movie, but-so many years later-that’s more than enough.
Mann's Pasadena (Ca) that's now a Trader Joe's?
I was part of the “Cult Following” audience when it arrived on home release.
However....
Nearly 20 years later, some theaters did an ALL Batman movie marathon leading to the midnight release of “The Dark Knight Rises”, and MOTP was included which allowed me to FINALLY see it in theaters the way it was meant to be seen!!
Some American cinemas also screened Mask Of The Phantasm in fall 2018 for its 25th anniversary. Despite, it not coming to any cinemas near me, I hope that at some future date I can see it on the big screen.
u luky sob
I saw it in the cinema last year during a one night only screening. I ended up feeling really awkward seeing it because there was only two other people in there with me a little kid and what I assumed was his older brother who both left after about 10 minuets making me feel really awkward as a 20 year old watching an animated Batman movie on my own at 6 in the afternoon, what made it worse was that people kept coming in and leaving as I watched it. First was a couple who I guess went into the wrong room and was then followed by staff members who had to come in every now and again to make sure Covid regulations were being followed. Love the movie but that entire experience felt awkward to me
I saw it when it was first released in the theater. Glad she was able to see it the way it was originally meant to be seen.
"I won't spoil it by giving away the twist"
Moments later gives away the twist explaining Phantom's later appearance
Lol 😂 I realized that too
How is it that here, in the year two thousand and nineteen, we have yet to see someone release a retail version of those weird translucent cubes that get blown up/knocked over by projectiles in every 90s toy commercial?
Great video, though. I just wish I had some cubes.
I think you’re on to something here. Playing with my toys was never as good as I thought it would be. Now I know why.... no translucent cubes!
You're not wrong, but I had some as an older kid, they were assorted colors and sizes and I never used them for play with action figures. I think they were from a stationary store.
These are not easy to find www.aliexpress.com/item/32480323468.html
THE GELATNIS CUBE!!!!!!!
My 9 year old self dragged my dad to this movie, so I did my best to make it a hit...
you are like the kid in the startship troopers ad that "is doing his part" :D
Me too man!
I wasn't even born yet when this came out.
Love mask of the phantasm. “ I’m sorry do you want to be alone?”
“ I am”
sad ending
Right before the pandemic closed everything, I got to see a matinee rescreening of this movie in theaters. I had never even heard of this movie before then but was blown away by how engaging, cinematic, and dark it was. Now that BTAS is on HBOMax I have been enjoying this era of Batman that I was a little to young to see on TV.
Count me amongst the lucky few that saw this in theaters. 7 year old me got choked up at the end and my friends never let me live it down
When I was still a fan of BTAS, I first watched the movie on the VHS, but I didn't know it was out in theaters until now.
Still love this film, to this day... My grandmother actually took me to see it, when it came out. My favorite aspect of it was the World’s Fair inspired backdrop in the culmination, wherein the Joker found a temporary abode. I also really dug the Phantasm character. Such a great movie!
Same, grandma took me to this in 93. Meatloaf again?
I watched this on VHS as a kid, no theater. But I'm fairly confident that between my brother and I, we had almost all of the merch that went along with the movie. I really enjoyed the smaller sized comic that followed the movie nicely. My dad, not being a big superhero fan, calls it his favorite animated movie. It is certainly top 5 for me. Thank you for making this video to allow me to reminisce!
This movie leap of faith... The animated series was spot on, but it was a franchise out of place/time.
Like many cult movies, this movie's success needed time to pass before it was considered a success.
I remember wanting to see this in the theater but It did not happen. However, when I finally got to see it, I was amazed and thankful that my patience was rewarded with this masterpiece. It was very well written and it showed the struggle of doing a duty you felt assigned to do or taking a shot at love. I can't help but wonder if they marketed the movie properly, would we have seen a sequel and a reunion between Batman and Andrea. One could only imagine.
Toy Galaxy: Doesn’t show the full packaging for Mask Of The Phantasm toy to avoid spoilers
Also Toy Galaxy: Shows Phantasm in Batman Beyond while talking about their identity
Batman Mask of the Phantasm is my favorite animated movie of all time and It introduced me to Batman and I loved it every time as a child and I loved it to this day.
To this day
There is something powerful about how Bruce has to _beg_ his parent's memories to forgive him for finding happiness.
Definitely hold it up there alongside the Burton Batman movies. Love the imagery/aesthetic and atmosphere that these takes of Batman gave us.
Okay, this was my first Christmas away from home since joining the military. My friends and I overslept and missed Christmas dinner at the Chow Hall and all the restaurants were closed. We ended up going to this movie and my first Christmas dinner away from home was movie theater popcorn watching this movie! Kinda lame, but I have fond memories of this movie.
I was a kid at the time and I remember there being absolutely no marketing for a theatrical release, but I do remember the commercials pushing the home video release. I never learned it ever had a theatrical release until I was already an adult. I didn't actually see it until it aired on Cartoon Network MANY years later.
They didn't market this movie right. It is one of the best Batman films ever made. Needs more love.
Metting Mark Hamill and watching a Batman movie must have been one of those "I'm not making this up it REALLY did happen!" experiences.
As a kid I saw it on VHS decades ago with great joy. The internal turmoil of Bruce Wayne really hits harder as an adult.
I actually went to see this in theaters, even though I was only a passing fan of the TV cartoon (as I got older, I appreciated the A.S. much more.)
Mask of the Phantasm one of the best Batman movies ever hands down
I saw "Mask of the Phantasm" twice in the theater when it was released. The first time was with my wife, and it was shown in one of the big theaters with a huge screen and booming surround sound, etc., and there were actually quite a few people there. I thought it was awesome!! I took my nephew to see it a few days later, and he loved it as well. It remains my favorite theatrically released Batman movie.
I only ever saw it on vhs, so jealous of those who saw it in the cinema! Especially the folks who saw it with Mark Hamill!!
This is one of the best Batman movies ever made. The fact that this film performed so poorly in comparison to the live-action Batman films shows how much U.S. audiences were (and still are) biased against serious, non-musical animation. To make matters worse, WB also bungled the release of Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker a few years later.
Tell that to Spider-Man Into the Spiderverse
More evidence that this is my favorite channel. Great video! Thank you!
I remember when this show premiered on ..Sunday? nights, they marketed it as Batman: The Series. It was pretty quickly moved to Fox Kids on Saturday morning. Fun fact in 2 part episodes they just say "Last time on Batman.."
Saw it in the theater with my best friend the weekend it was released. We were 19 and had graduated high school the year before. The only other people in the theater were a group of young teenagers who heckled the WB animation logo and several of the early sequences (clearly they were far too “mature” for this kiddy stuff). But as the film went on, they got quieter and quieter. I think the film was just so good that it won them over, even though, as Ebert pointed out, animation was still largely seen as kids’ stuff. I loved the film and thought that-freed from kids BS&P-the movie’s presentation of Mark Hamill’s Joker was the closest to the character I knew from the comics I had ever seen (and maybe still the closest I’ve ever seen). It was and is a classic!
Yeah, that was the thing (I'm a year younger than you at the time and still in HS). However, having grown up in the "Sunbow/Filmation/Hanna-Barbara-Ruby Spears" world where BS&P ruled with an iron fist (for the most part), you had three toy-commercial cartoons that redefined everything: Batman:TAS, Exo-Squad, X-Men:TAS. I would add "Gargoyles" to the mix but that was definitely college. But in that day and age, "animation" (Outside of the Simpsons and Beavis and Butthead), was still seen as "kids only". Despite the fact a lot of Filmation shows (Fat Albert, Marshal Bravestarr) dealt with a LOT of adult subject matter with little to no kid gloves. Hell, I saw "The Price" when it originally aired at age 11 and still have PTSD from it.
What about spawn tas, heavy metal, watership down, plague dogs, the maxx, wizards, fantastic planet, fritz the cat, American pop, allegro non troppi, Starchaser? Fire and ice, Ninja Scroll, Akira etc? Those got rid of the animation is for kids mindset
I saw Mask of Phantasm at least twice in the theater. Things were very different in 1993. Very few, if any, non-Disney animated movies did well at the box office. Coming out the same year, even "The Nightmare Before Christmas" (released under Disney's "Touchstone Pictures") was considered a flop during it's theatrical run.
I like how you avoided spoiling the Phantasm's identity in the middle of the video and then plastered it all over the last minute. Thanks! :P
Your matter of fact summation of the Phantasm's methods got me good. I freaking love this movie, and whenever people praise Batman Begins I tell them to watch this for the best Batman origin on film. Also, as a kid, a lot of imagery in this film was unnerving and creepy, and I loved it! The Phantasm, the dilapidated theme park, Joker's presence, it was the total package. I couldn't snap up the DC Collectibles Phantasm fast enough, and even considered buying the Funko Pop, before I came to my senses. Thanks for the informative nostalgia trip.
That said, nothing disappoints me more than hearing all-around authorial failure and self-insert fanfiction writer, Tom King, will be handling her entry into the official canon. Way to blow it, DC.
I was one of the rare people that saw in the theatre. A friend and myself saw it on opening day and absolutely loved it. I remember thinking it was as "mature" a story as any of the live action movie(s) and it's really sad that the theatre release didn't find it's target market. I still love everything about the movie to this very day. ;)
Keep the awesome videos coming!!! ^_^
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm probably would have done way better at the box office had it not been released on Christmas Day. because most people are spending Christmas with their families not going out to see a movie.
Robomerc you mean back when that actually happened
I think you missed the part where they had like, zero marketing push for the movie.
Well, the bigger issue there is that it just wasn't a Christmas-y movie, either. Lots of families go see movies during Christmas break, but generally not ones which are so overtly dark. "Let's celebrate the happiest time of the year by watching a movie about a man being psychologically and emotionally broken until he becomes a violent loner vigilante!" said nobody.
Lots of families go to the theaters for Christmas break. Christmas films do well *because* of those willing to go at Christmas.
So I'm guessing you don't know that Christmas Day is the biggest box office day of the year?
I'm thoroughly convinced the success of Spider-Man into the Spiderverse can be attributed to now adult fans, with their kids, not letting the travesty of this great Batman film, and the animation genre in general go unnoticed again. I was 17 and a huge fan of the series and knew this was in theaters. One of my friends went on Xmas without me, and by the time I convinced my parents to let me go by myself, it was already gone. As soon as it hit BBV like 3 months later I rented and made a copy for myself on VHS
Saw it with 3 of my friends in the theatre. I screamed out "Batman got laid!!" at one point thinking it was just only us in the theatre. Yeah, the person at the other end of the theatre that I didn't know was there, heard it too.
I saw it in the theater in 93 when I was in high school. I liked the fact it was based off Batman's best comic story, Year 2 and the soundtrack beats any known batman movie soundtrack to date.
Saw it in the theater 1993. I was 31. Saw it with my 2 friends. Yes, you know what that means... There was 3 people in the theater. I really enjoyed it, but I remember being caught off guard that it showed up in theaters almost unannounced.
I went with my best friend Jeremy to see this in Amarillo, Texas on Christmas Day, 1993. We were the only people in the theater. It was amazing beyond words. (The Mark Hamill story you mentioned warms the cockles of my heart.) It makes me wonder: would it even be possible for the release of ANY licensed work based on such a well-known character - film, game, etc. - to fly "under the radar" in our present day? Much less one bankrolled and released by a major studio like Warner?
I can remember going to the theatre to watch another movie, and seeing a lobby standee advertising the movie. That was the only ad for the movie that I saw before release.
Yes, I am proud to say that I was one of the nobodies who went to see this masterpiece of a film in the movie theater when it premiered on Christmas Day 1993. I loved it then, and I love it to this very day! You mentioned the soundtrack composed by Shirley Walker, and the fact that Hans Zimmer had a hand in it as well. Yay! However, you forgot to mention the end credits love song "I Never Even Told You", sung by Tia Carrere (Cassandra from the Wayne's World movie). Boo Hiss!
Another bone of contention was your mispronunciation of Andrea Beaumont's given name. Slap on the hand to you from me. I am, however, excited to learn that the characters of Andrea and The Phantasm are going to be brought in to the proper DC Comics universe after all this time!!!
I saw Mask of the Phantasm twice. Original release late '93 and the re-release a year or so ago for the 25th anniversary. This is my favorite Batman movie.
this is the best written story in Batman movie history
My friend walked through what had been a blizzard the night before go see this on opening day by himself. I think he was 11 at the time.
Best scene in the movie, and maybe one of the best scenes in the series-Bruce Wayne dons The Batman’s mask like an executioner’s hood, both a dark promise to criminals and a personal curse...
Rented this from Blockbuster Video and dubbed it with my double door VCR. Now of THAT doesn't take you back....nothing will.
My best friend and I were the only people in the theater to see the movie on Dec 25th.Its ashame the movie was marketed do poorly.It really deserved more attention than it got and was fantastic to see on the big screen.
I was 22 and "between girlfriends" when I went to see this with my ex's brother in St. Louis. I've always loved it, along with the Max Fleischer Superman cartoons. I think I'll watch Batman tonight on DC Universe! Great video, as always.
My brother and i saw it the theater after seeing some commercials for it on the old crt Telly.
but in my country - they showed it as a double feature with Grumpy Old Men.... and we had to sit thru that to watch Batman :(
I saw it on opening day. 12/25/93. Loved it. One of my top 3 Batman movies of all time
I saw it on Christmas Day 1993 with my friend who's dad was a Baptist minister. All his dad knows is that we went for a very long walk on Christmas Day...
Count me as someone who grew up with Batman cartoon in the early 90s to 2000s and never knew this movie was in theaters. I didn’t even know it existed until I watched it on Toonami in December 2000.
I got this film for Christmas the year it was released on VHS, I believe I was 5. I thought it was an amazing film and I still believe that today, the music, the animation and the story! I used to cry at it as a child and I still get a tear now
I saw it on opening day. My step-dad (a huge Batman fan) dragged us to it for a 9:40 am showing at the UA theatre ... no breakfast, no present opening ... just Batman.
To me this movie is still the definitive Batman movie. I remember seeing it in theaters as a kid and trying to get my stepfather to watch it on video but he couldn't get past it being "just a cartoon". I knew then it was great and I'm glad overtime it got the recognition it deserved.
I wanted to see this in theaters but we were poor as hell. Saw it years later on HBO and my God, I’m just glad I never got the action figure spoiler as a kid.
I remember when Mask Of The Phantasm was released. The studio made the mistake of releasing it on Christmas day 1993, alongside more mainstream movies like Tombstone, Philadelphia and Grumpy Old Men. Plus it had the misfortune of Batman: TAS being still on TV. And the marketing started late in November.. a month before its release date.
I forgot about the Year Two connection 🤔
Probably cuz the movie was better 😁
Still one of my all-time faves 😙
People didn't really go to see Cartoons in theaters back then. A film ahead of its time.
One of the best movies made in the Batman world. Many movies are bombs at the box office and become, like fine wines, better with age and home release. This movie is one of them.
I completely agree. Very poor marketing. No advertisements.
A buddy and I saw it on release, there were maybe half a dozen others there. It was amazing how much better it was than the last live action movie. And then the next summer we got Batman Forever.....and then after that we got..::shudders::
I was 3 years old when I saw this in "theaters! This was my first ever moviegoing experience!
At least, that I remember...
Hands down, the best Batman movie. I saw it in theaters here in Brazil. If it means something, it was as packed as the Joel Schumacher ones.
Hmm. What DOES that mean?
@@SecretGalaxyTV Touché.
As a kid who grew up watching animated series I was unaware of this movie even existed. Heck I never even learned of the Batman beyond movie until many years later. It really seemed the movies for the DC animated universe were not marketed enough.
MOTP is one of my favourite animated films of all time. I have good memories attached to it.
My friend and i saw this in the theater. It was rather empty but i seem to remember that it was only being shown for one or two days where i lived
This is my favorite animated non Disney movie. I read the comic that came with the VHS over and over. Watched the movie even more.
I was in HS at the time of the original series and remember coming out of a theater and seeing the poster in the lobby for "Coming Soon". Ended up seeing a couple of commercials and yes, I to watched it in a near empty theater. But I didn't care. It was animated Batman on the big screen. Also shocking for me was the "implied" sex act via "how they implied it back in the 40s and 50s" (Only cartoon that showed sex was of course the Simpsons but I knew anything on Fox Kids = No freaking way!). Having seen TF:The Movie 8 years prior, I imagined they could do/show stuff that the Fox Kids suits would ex-nay on. The two biggest being implied sex and "Jokers got nards". XD
Simpsons sex?
What about Heavy Metal the animated movie? That has some sex in it and this was before mask and Simpsons. Or Fritz the cat or wicked city?
I was a big fan of the series and loved this movie but don't remember it being in theaters in my area or else I would have tried to go see it. Great video!
Saw it in the theatre at Christmas. Very few people were there. Great movie. One of my favorite Batman movies. Loved Mark Hamill as the Joker. He is the definitive Joker for me. Love his laughs.
I think this was among the best Batman films. I have this in my collection. Everytime I see it's great, from beginning to end.
I actually did go to the theater to see this. It was about as empty as the 1986 Transformers movie.
There were way more people in the theater when I saw Transformers The Movie than there were when I saw MotP!
Hold up Michael. My friend Allen Taylor and I went to see TF: The Movie the weekend it came out and we had near full auditorium. Grant you it was most full of "fellow" 11 and 12 year olds back when you could drop kids off at the movies and no one cared. ^^(). Aside from the MASSIVE PTSD I would insure following the showing (Note: I would not bring myself to watch it again until July of 1999 at Otakon. Thirteen years later and after I had just walked the stage as a college grad.) , there were a lot of laughs involving the "s" word, the "d" word, and Grimlock wanting to kick butt. 😆
I’m still undecided. I think I need to watch this on laserdisc. After that I’ll tell you all what I think later
I saw this in 93 or early 94 at Drive In as a double feature with Wayne's World 2 when I was 11.
I was 11 too when I saw both in theaters
I'm glad i was able to see this one in the theater. This movie totally deserved the big screen!
This was one of the rare movies I remember seeing in theaters as a kid, and liked it a lot.
As a fan of the Phantasm films, this movie would almost always come up whenever I was looking up something about the horror franchise. I only recently got around to watching this, and wondered if I would have like it better had I seen it back in tandem with the animated series.
I remember hurrying my dad to drive in a blizzard to get to the theater to get good seats, only to find maybe only a dozen or so people there...
I actually remember this movie in theaters I was born in 1990 and I loved batman I literally grew up watching it I didn't understand it all when I saw it at first but I knew batman was on the screen kicking bad guys ass's and I loved it.
I wasn’t able to see Mask of The Phantasm in theaters on account of not not being conceived yet, but my cousin who was (I think) six at the time did, dragging my grandmother/his aunt to see it on opening day. He then got it on VHS, and that tape would end up with a young me who would watch it tons of times for as long as I had a functioning VCR (which was a long time after the death of vhs) unfortunately I haven’t seen it since then (at least a decade) and have also never seen it in it’s original aspect ratio. I need to rectify that real soon.
Still have the 1994 released VHS tape, in great quality. No longer have a working VHS player.
Time can be cruel.
It's on Blu-ray now.
Any thrift shop or goodwill will have one for cheap
I was 13 when it came out, saw it in theatres and loved it. To this day I prefer to watch it over any live adaptation that followed.
I rented it the first day it appeared on home video. I was 10 years old at the time, and this was either the first animated film I saw that featured blood, or it was very up there.
This movie is the shit!
Saw it in theatres, love it. Batman and Robin Adventures' first Annual published in 1996 is a fantastic sequel story to the film. Really cool art in the last two pages by Ty Templeton. I'd recommend it.
I also worked in the movie theatre where this was released. Still have the poster framed on my wall.
i got this movie for my birthday the year it was released and i love it. most rememberable gift i have ever had
that Laserdisc shoutout from Siskel though
I don't remember any TV spots for this one around Christmas of 93, so ten year old me didn't even know it existed yet. I was also distracted by my new G2 Megatron and Starscream toys at home, so I blame the Decepticons!
Sorely underrated do one on that Batwoman movie...which was despite all its flaws...a solid animated treat.
Living proof not to hold box office numbers against a movie. This is probably the best theatrical Batman movie.
Possibly the greatest Batman movie ever made.
I did not get to see this in theaters. I did not even know it was playing. There were no commercials for it in my area. I got it day one when it launched on VHS. For me this movie ranks above the Keaton films but behind The Dark Knight.
My friends at the time made fun of me for liking this "kids show." I'd still watch it after school and not tell them. So, when this movie came out in theaters, I didn't see it. I rented it from a Blockbuster years later, and re-watched it several times since. Whenever anyone asks me what the best Batman movie is, I always say Mask of the Phantasm.
It's an even better "origin" story that Batman Year One, or Batman Begins.
Why did those kids think animation is for kids and live action is for adults?
I missed it in theatres, but I was only 9 and yeah it was marketed so poorly i had no idea it had even come out. Rented it on VHS probably a year after it came out and loved it, bought it on DVD right when it came out.
I’m disappointed this movie was not a success, because in my opinion it is the best Batman movie ever made.
I saw vhs for sale in PX in Germany, being a big fan of animated series, (I had my parents in U S taping series and mailing tapes to me)I bought it without having heard of it. It was fantastic!
Man I was going to the movies a lot in 1993 (age 10). I saw 8 of the top 16 movies listed at 7:51 in the theater. I did not see Mask of the Phantasm even tho I loved Batman TAS, I think it just left theaters so quick, I remember seeing ads for it, I think during afternoon cartoons. I saw it for the first time on DVD in like 2000 and it is awesome!