Batman - Mask of the Phantasm VHS

Mask of the Phantasm is an on-film example of what not only the movie franchise, which was terribly ruined by Joel Shumacher, could have done with the character, but of how much better the 1990's Animated Series, good as it was anyways, could have been if it was scheduled in prime time instead of during the Kid's Hour. Don't get me wrong; the show went further then then any other long-running animated series yet has (with the possible exception of The Transformers back in the 80's) in terms of skimming close to adult level sophistication and dialogue. Still, this film shows how much better still the Animated Series could have captured the essence of the comic book Dark Knight if American adult audiences were more accepting of animated shows that were not purely idiotic sitcom fare (i.e., The Simpsons, Family Guy, Futurama, etc., ad nauseum). Unfortunately, for any super-hero series to get done, it has to be made 'kid-friendly' and put on Saturday or Sunday mornings, or weekday afternoons, in order to get a chance at the small screen (with the only few exceptions being MTV's Aeon Flux and HBO's Spawn, though these weren't really marketed for a mass audience, which may have contributed to their short life spans despite their success). This is quite unfortunate. What is also unfortunate is that no more Batman animated movies are likely to get onto the big screen after the very undeserved failure of this one, simply because audiences couldn't be bothered with going to see a 'serious' animated movie, unless it was a 'family-friendly' Disney epic. Thus, successive entries in the direct-to-video slot like Sub-Zero were made in the same mold as the series was, and was not given the PG rating that Mask of the Phantasm was awarded. WB has not yet attempted to snare the adult audience whose attention it caught with its super-hero shows of the 90's, and the failure of this one attempt to do so makes the odds of successive efforts in the future dim. I am hoping that a good deal of direct to video support of this film will get us more PG rated animated Batman movies from WB now that the TV series has apparantly run its course for good thanks to, of all things, the success of Batman Beyond, more's the pity. This big screen treatment of the Dark Knight was even closer to the great comic book version in tone, sophistication, action sequences and dark film noir then the animated TV series. The origin of Batman was told in a manner that could not have been conveyed on the more 'kid-friendly' TV version. The Joker was here in all of his insane glory, and we were now able to see him at his peak of homicidal brutality, which was especially welcome since we were not allowed to see the Clown Prince of Crime kill anyone on the TV series, which took away his most distinctive, if chilling, attribute. Finally, we got to see his twisted schemes cause people to buy the farm, including the use of his trademark 'smile venom', even if the filmmakers made sure that only other gangsters were his victims here. No longer did viewers have the comfort of knowing that all people onscreen would be inevitably saved from death by the Dark Knight that we were guaranteed in the TV series thanks to network restrictions for kid shows. The Phantasm was a way cool new anti-hero who seems to have been inspired by the brutal vigilante known as the Reaper from the Batman: Year Two comic book storyline, but with even more spectral aspects added (although the Reaper didn't turn out to be...well, I won't spoil things for those who haven't seen this great animated film yet). The dialogue, storyline and onscreen pathos were great. Also, a surprising amount of blood was seen in this film, even for a PG-rated movie, which was in stark contrast to the only occasional blood allowed for the TV series. This virtually unrestrained ability to show blood and death may turn off some parents, but was much more attuned to the type of serious crime drama and psychological thriller that the Batman character most logically embodies. However, no expletives at all were used in the film, not even minor ones; this silliness was in tune with a criticism I once heard of the original 1931 version of Scarface, in which the original filmmakers were allowed to show tons of brutal gangland murders, but no character in the movie was allowed to say anything as "horrible" as "damn" or "hell" (even though the Al Pacino remake more then made up for the loss of strong language in the original). This is no biggie, however; a lack of unrealistic language didn't destroy tons of good storytelling and realistic action. The scenes of Bruce Wayne attempting to fight crime before taking on the Batman moniker, when he was totally wet behind the ears as a vigilante, was also a welcome change that cemented into our heads the fact that Batman is a very human being under the suit that didn't become the master crimefighter that he is overnight. I highly recommend this film to all diehard Batman fans, even those who may not have religiously followed the Animated Series for whatever reason (lot's of American adults just seem to have a bias against any film or show that is animated since we are so socially conditioned to think that anything animated is automatic kiddie fare despite a decade of The Simpsons and its numerous prime time offspring, both good and bad). Any action or martial arts fan will also like this movie, as well as fans of Japanese anime, especially of the Street Fighter animated episodes from Japan. In short, if you like Batman, action flicks or anime, you will love Mask of the Phantasm. As stated above, this film is also heartily recommended if you are simply curious to see what the series could have been like if aired in prime time for a more adult audience. Kudos to WB for making this bold attempt, even if this particular one didn't work out as well as they hoped. I am hoping they will learn from the previous, if short-term, successes, of Aeon Flux and Spawn that there may indeed be a market for more adult super-hero/action fare if only they will someday take another chance with this largely untapped genre in America.

I decided to give this a rewatch as I vaguely remembered it from my childhood and good lord it's a masterpiece. The story is grounded, smart, and kept me on the edge of my seat. The voice acting is superb with Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill just crushing it. Even the supporting cast is great. The art style pays homage to 1920s art deco while taking place in a Gotham that seems to be in a blend of 50s and 60s. This is Batman noir at its finest and reminds us that at the end of the day he is, after all, a detective. What floored me about this movie though is just how complex and subtly charming it is. It's miles better than most stuff you'll find these days and other animated DC movies don't come close to how good this one is. And finally, as if all that wasn't enough, the soundtrack is killer. In my opinion it's even better than Nolans take. 20/10.

This was the first of the Warner Brothers DC Universe full-length movies, released in 1993 (according to IMDB), more than 20 years ago. It still holds up very well, although the studio has definitely gotten better at animation in the past 20 years. And the reason it holds up so well is the quality of the writing. The animation team really knew what they were doing: get the story right and everything else will follow, something that all too many of the live-action comic-book movies have forgotten. As I note in the title of this review, I think that a live-action version of this movie would work very well.The movie begins with a mob boss, Chuckie Sol, gloating over the quality of a batch of counterfeit bills. His celebration is short-lived, as Batman crashes through a window. Chuckie escapes during the melee, only to run into someone new as he runs to his car, a caped and masked figure with one hand in a gauntlet capped by a razor-sharp scythe blade: the Phantasm of the title. The figure appears to be able to appear and disappear in a cloud of mist. Chuckie is killed in the confrontation, driving his car off the roof of the parking garage as he tries to run down the Phantasm.We segue to an airplane, where Andrea Beaumont is returning to Gotham City after an absence of ten years. In a flashback, we learn that she and Bruce Wayne had met during her earlier time in Gotham City. These two story lines run side-by-side throughout the movie, as we learn what the Phantasm is after and we learn more about the rise and fall of the relationship between Bruce Wayne and Andrea Beaumont, a relationship that occurred concurrently with Bruce's early efforts at crimefighting, before he had even adopted the persona of Batman. In the present day, these two story lines intersect in ways that I can't reveal without giving away too much. Suffice to say that there are some very interesting, not to mention surprising, plot twists before all is said and done, including the appearance of another well-known Batman antagonist.I really liked that the movie kept me guessing. Some of it I got right; some of it I was way off. There really is a genuine mystery (actually, more than one) and the way that Bruce solves it is believable. I also like that they focus on Bruce Wayne as much as they do on Batman, and that this Bruce Wayne, at the start of his career, is vulnerable, as we see in some genuinely moving scenes. There is also the occasional touch of humor, with lines like:Arthur Reeves: [on TV] What kind of city are we running when we depend on the support of a potential madman!Alfred: What rot, sir! Why you're the very model of sanity. Oh by the way, I pressed your tights and put away your exploding gas balls.The voice acting is superb, with the ever-reliable Kevin Conroy as Batman, Dana Delaney (better known to fans as the voice of Lois Lane in the Superman television series) as Andrea Beaumont, Hart Bochner as Arthur Reeves, Stacy Keach as the Phantasm, among others. The animation, as I noted above, is a bit dated, so be aware of that. I can still wholeheartedly recommend this movie, though, as one of the best in the DC Universe canon.

原作の展開よりかはファミリー向けだけど、テーマその物は非常に重い

Alors ici pas de discussion : à voir absolument!!!Ce film d'animation est un véritable chef d'oeuvre d'une beauté absolue et d'une poésie troublante.Bruce Tim, l'âme cachée derrière ce film, est aussi responsable de la fameuse série animée qui m'avait déjà enchanté lors de sa diffusion et il a remis ça ici mais en format long et ce avec le talent qu'on lui connais...S'affranchissant d'ailleurs quelque peu des règles du petit écran, le film étant un tantinet plus violent et plus sombre que la série dont il vient... Je le recommande à tout ceux qui aiment les univers à la Burton, l'art déco, les films noirs et les comtes de fées (wai je sais c'est vaste...).Je ne spoilerai pas trop le contenu de l'intrigue, qu'on sache juste qu'il s'agit ici d'une histoire qui touche plus intimement le personnage de Bruce Wayne, qu'on y retrouvera le Joker (toujours doublé par le génial Mark/Luke Skywalker/Hammil dans la VO) et le fameux fantôme masqué, qui n'est pas vraiment ce qu'il a l'air d'être...Un grand moment d'animation aussi, certaines séquences sont vraiment magiques...Bonne qualité sonore pour un dvd...Image dans la moyenne de ce que le support peu offrir.Mais pour un vrai fan de Batman, ce serait un crime de ne pas l'avoir vu.

Very good Batman movie worth buying!

Very good film and excellent price 5/5 Stars

Je l'attendais, je l'ai eu, plus rapidement que prévu, ravie !!!Bon il n'est pas lisible sir lecteur de DVD, mais sur ordinateur sans problème.Très bonne qualité !