Review of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) by Keith G — 07 Jun 2010

Don't let the fact that this is animated fool you. "Batman - Mask of the Phatasm" is a well made film led by top notch voice talent and incredible animation. The story balances a present day mystery with a series of flashbacks dealing with Bruce Wayne's life before he donned the cowl.

Both storylines fit together well in the end and when combined with some truly amazing action sequences, the result is a very entertaining Batman production. The animation is superb from the fantastic character models to the moody backgrounds and perspectives that convey a real motion picture feel.

The film also features a brilliant score much like in the animated series. I never get tired of the great exchanges between Conroy's Batman and Hammill's incredible Joker. There are a couple of times where the flashbacks didn't transition well back to modern day and you do have to deal with some occasional silly dialogue.

But for the most part it is very well written and very well animated. Some of the action is intense so it may not be perfect for small children but it's a strong picture that I thoroughly enjoyed.