Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

“Vengeance blackens the soul, Bruce. I’ve always feared that you would become that which you fought against. You walk the edge of that abyss every night, but you haven’t fallen in and I thank heaven for that. ” – Alfred

Number of Times Seen – 1 (8 May 2018)

Brief Synopsis – Batman must try and stop a vigilante that is systematically killing Gotham’s underworld figures.

My Take on it – One of the reason I have always enjoyed films featuring batman is the fact that even with with dark past, the storylines seem bleak and glum yet still are always filled with hope.

This film does a wonderful job of showing how and why Batman does what he does and that even as a lone vigilante, he can also feel vulnerable and alone while doing his duty.

The dialogue is superbly written and we get some really meaningful conversation between Bruce and Andrea and Bruce and Alfred which help set the entire stage for what a Batman story is all about.

The voice cast is stellar with Kevin Conway and Mark Hamill as Batman and the Joker.  Dana Delaney is perfect as Bruce’s one time love interest Andrea and Hart Bochner always knows how to make a politician feel like a politician.

The story of this film takes a very interesting course as it moves along.

Certain aspects of the plot feel too cliched and are predictable yet that doesn’t take much away from the interesting way that this story is presented.

Bottom Line – Very interesting and dark Batman story. They manage to show all of what makes the Batman tick and also show how he can be vulnerable to while leading a life as a lone vigilante. The voice cast is great here with Hamill and Conway as the Joker and Batman. The storyline follows a very intriguing course and eventhough certain aspects seem a bit too cliched and predictable, overall it works really well. Great dialogue between the characters helps make this film even more interesting because it helps set the stage for what a batman story is all about. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – This is the only comic book film nominated for an Annie Award for Best Animated Feature. It lost to The Lion King (1994). (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (8/10)

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