Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Released in theatres in 1993, just as the acclaimed “Batman: The Animated Series” was gearing up, “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm” remains one of the most intriguing cinematic offerings of the Dark Knight we’ve seen, even as Christopher Nolan’s trilogy is wrapping up. Watching it in the wake of Nolan’s films, however, shows “Phantasm” as being pretty ahead of its time when it comes to its portrayal of the Caped Crusader.
What? How? You heard me. I haven’t watched “The Animated Series,” but if “Mask of the Phantasm” is any indication (and I’m assured by friends that it is), then sign me up. More so than the versions of Batman we saw in either Tim Burton’s or Joel Schumacher’s films, “Phantasm” tells a darker, more morally ambiguous story of Batman than audiences were particularly used to, as Batman (voiced by Kevin Conroy) is implicated in a wave of murders of high-level crime bosses in Gotham City. The real perpetrator is, in fact, a mysterious presence known as The Phantasm (Stacy Keach), but all of the evidence points towards Batman. With the people of Gotham calling for an end to his vigilantism, how can Batman meet the challenges of this force, especially when an old flame (Andrea Beaumont, voiced by Dana Delany) in town?
One of the best aspects of “Mask of the Phantasm” is the film’s writers (Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Martin Pasko, and Michael Reaves) ability to mix the traditional comic book absurdities with a very real, grounded emotional story as Bruce Wayne (both in flashbacks and when the Phantasm hits the scene) questions his path in life. Can he have a normal life, or is he doomed to don the mask and cape forever, fighting crime, and making Gotham City a better place? This is the same, fundamental question Christopher Nolan has had his Bruce Wayne/Batman explore in his trilogy, but that never really found its way in the Burton and Schumacher films, which were overrun by big, bold art direction and over-the-top villains. Of course, “Phantasm” has both of those things as well, with its noir, straight-edged images and theatrical interpretation of not just The Phantasm but also The Joker, Batman’s most iconic enemy (and voiced by Mark Hamill in justly-acclaimed fashion).
Still, it’s the human element that draws us into the story, and as spectacular as the animation and direction by Bruce W. Timm and Eric Radomski are, and how superb the score by Shirley Walker (who takes her cues from Elfman on how to score a Batman film) is, it’s the moral dilemmas faced by the characters, who represent many different shades of grey, that drive us into the shadows of Gotham. That’s the type of storytelling Nolan decided to approach The Caped Crusader with, and with all due respect to the makers of the live-action “Batman” films before his, it seemed to start with a PG-rated adventure that was just dark enough to draw in fans, but not too dark to be off-putting to kids.
