Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

I can’t think of very many cartoon series that have gotten a theatrical movie treatment. Mask of the Phantasm was an ambitious enough project to warrant such a release. It’s probably the best animated Batman story I’ve seen although I thoroughly enjoyed the Return of the Joker movie in the Batman Beyond series. In both cases the writing is aimed at an older audience (Return of the Joker’s uncut version was enough to garner it a PG-13 rating).

Mask of the Phantasm is certainly not the only Batman interpretation to be dark and melancholy, but it reaches to new depths in the realm of children’s cartoons. You see, this movie is based on the Batman animated series. It’s not too surprising to see a dark Batman movie, but cartoons tend to keep a certain levity. Not so with the movie. It may not be as dark in some ways as some of the live-action interpretations, but it’s probably the most depressing. That says something about it there. Many movies much less cartoons can't trigger an emotional response as strong as MotP.

This is a look at Batman’s past covering some of the same ground as Batman Begins though without the journey and training. It’s Wayne conceiving the idea of Batman and how close he comes to letting love change his destiny. We all know Batman is a loner so I don’t think I’m giving any secrets away by saying much of the melancholy factor comes from love being denied him. Andrea accepts his marriage proposal then vanishes. Years later she has returned to complicate Wayne’s life more than any villain.

That’s the character part of the story. The action part is that someone is killing mob bosses, and Batman is targeted as the culprit. The Phantasm alone is a match for Batman, but he must face the new villain in addition to the police and an old and dangerous foe. In order to stop this killer Wayne must unravel the mysteries of his past.
The cast brings in regulars Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill as Joker, plus Dana Delaney, Stacy Keach, and others. Between the writing and acting it’s easy to forget that you’re watching a cartoon. The realism brought to the images and characters almost creates an illusion of live action.

I enjoyed the Batman cartoon series of the 90’s but I didn’t get so into it that I have made it a priority addition to my DVD collection. Mask of the Phantasm is a different story; I couldn’t wait to get it. The emotion and exploration of the Batman character make this well worthy of any Batman fan’s collection.

Content:
There’s some violence beyond the normal Saturday morning cartoon, and some mild, implied sensuality. No language at all.

DVD:
I wouldn’t be surprised to see this one get released again with the new Batman movies coming out. The existing DVD offers very little.

The presentation is good. A great picture offered in 1.85 widescreen. The other side is a pan and scan version. Audio is 2.0. I could see this really benefiting from a 5.1 audio track.

The case is the cheap cardboard variety. With some releases these cases have been replaced by plastic so maybe you’ll get lucky.

Extra content is nothing more than a trailer.

Final Thoughts:
If you don’t watch any other Batman cartoon you should watch this one. Although I enjoyed Return of the Joker almost as much that is partially because I’m a fan of the Batman Beyond series specifically; you have to be up to speed on the newer storyline to enjoy it for the most part. Mask of the Phantasm is a story that any Batman fan can jump right into and get the full effect. In fact, there’s enough back story given that it can be an enjoyable movie for those that don’t know much about Batman at all. With a good DVD release this could have potentially gotten 5* out of me. Despite the unimpressive release the strength of the story is going to get it an above average rating of 4*.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12