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Lockdown Viewing Guide – Mask of the Phantasm

Nemesis

Nemesis here again.  So let’s take a left turn while staying in the nineties.  For your viewing pleasure today I present Batman:  Mask of the Phantasm.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

If Batman The Animated Series is the cream of the crop of animated superhero shows, which I think it is, then Batman:  Mask of the Phantasm is the cherry on top of that delicious sundae.  Released in 1993, one year after the debut of BTAS on Fox Kids, Mask of the Phantasm was originally slated to be released direct to video.  After the initial success of the animated series, Warner Bros condensed the production schedule of Phantasm into eight months and rushed it into theaters.  The condensed schedule and lack of marketing doomed the film in theaters though it did get positive reviews.  However, the viewing public eventually found this when it was released on video and it has risen to lofty heights since then.

From the first moments of this animated feature, you are thrust into the grim and grand dark spectacle which is Gotham with a choir singing a powerful version of Danny Elfman’s Batman theme song.  Moving through Gotham City, the animators build on the aesthetic of Gotham City and bring it to life, moving the viewer through the dour and dangerous streets that are given further menace by the cities unique architecture.  I appreciated that this movie features a deep dive look into the gangsters of Gotham, a theme that Paul Dini and Bruce Timm, the minds behind the series, would go back to from time to time as the animated series progresses.  Buzz Bronski, Chuckie Sol and Sal Valestra are voiced by acting luminaries John Ryan (Runaway Train, The Right Stuff), Dick Miller (The Burbs, Gremlins) and Abe Vigoda (The Godfather) respectively.  Batman soon finds that the criminal underworld is being plagued by a deadly new vigilante, The Phantasm, voiced by Stacey Keach (Mike Hammer, Escape From LA).  Meanwhile, in the life of ne’er do well bachelor Bruce Wayne, an old flame has come back  into his life.  Andrea Beaumont, voiced by Dana Delaney (Tombstone, China Beach), is the daughter of a mob accountant and eventually this whole story comes full circle back to the sins of the father and his interactions with the mob.  The movie also features a look at Joker in his life before he became The Clown Prince of Crime and Joker turns out to be one the major antagonists in the film.  Rounding off the cast and reprising their roles from the animated series; Phantasm also features the voice talents of Kevin Conroy as Batman, Mark Hamill as Joker, Efrem Zimbalist Jr as Alfred and Bob Hastings as Jim Gordon.

In my opinion, this movie encapsulates the perfect Batman story.  Dark and full of mystery, all of The Dark Knight’s talents are on display in this tale as he attempts to unravel what is going on in “his” city and solve a series of crime decades in the making.  Also on display are the political machinations, organized crime, costumed villains and dour nature of Gotham itself.  If you had to bottle the essence of the modern, post Frank Miller Batman I think this is it.  I can’t recommend this film to you highly enough.  If you haven’t seen it this is a must watch and if you have seen it; take it out again, you won’t regret it.

Rating – 5 of 5 Stars

Directors – Bruce Timm, Eric Radomski
Writers – Bob Kane, Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Martin Pasko, Michael Reeves
Cast – Kevin Conroy, Dana Delaney, Mark Hamill, Abe Vigoda, Efram Zimbalist Jr, Bob Hastings and more

Author Profile

Nemesis
Nemesis is a poet, writer and author of the upcoming novel The Long Game. He is a writer of science fiction and supernatural thrillers. Besides novels and short stories he writes for UK based ASAP Comics developing new stories for Level 8 and OPSEC. Nem is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and tries to bring those experiences into his writing.

He lives and works out of his home in Riverside, California with his wife and three children. When not writing he enjoys reviewing comic books and graphic novels for ComicCrusaders.com and living the Southern California life with his family.
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