Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
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Batman: Mask of the Phantasm DVD cover
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is an animated film first released on December 25, 1993. It was created by the same cast and crew as Batman: The Animated Series, having been originally intended as a direct-to-video spin-off from the series.
Many fans consider Batman: Mask of the Phantasm the best Batman movie ever made. Film critics Siskel & Ebert, while regretting that they originally ignored the film in its initial release, gave the film a two-thumbs up, the only Batman film to be given such praise until Batman Begins.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was followed by SubZero (1998, featuring Mr. Freeze) and Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003), both of which were released direct-to-video.
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Plotline
The film's story divides into two parts: one in the film's "present", and one, told through flashbacks, in the early days of Bruce Wayne's crimefighting career.
Bruce Wayne's fledgeling career faces two major obstacles: first, he is having trouble getting criminals to take him seriously at first sight (not having yet hit upon the bat motif); second, he has fallen in love. The recipient of his affections is Andrea Beaumont, red-haired and blue-eyed, not only beautiful but seemingly his equal in every way. Realising that an ongoing relationship with Andrea would massively complicate his crusade against crime, Bruce decides that one of them has to go. After a long internal struggle, the crusade loses. Bruce proposes to Andrea, and she accepts. The next day, however, Andrea sends her engagement ring back with a note telling Bruce to forget her, and leaves the country. Devastated, Bruce throws himself back into crimefighting, discovers a large bat-haunted cavern in his back yard, and becomes the Batman.
In the present, a mysterious cloaked figure is stalking and killing Gotham City mob bosses. The murders are the work of a new vigilante, the Phantasm, but many attribute them to Batman, who becomes the target of a police manhunt. The situation becomes complicated when Andrea Beaumont returns to Gotham, forcing Bruce Wayne to deal with the feelings he still has for her. Things are further complicated when Batman discovers that the link between the slain mob bosses is Andrea's now-deceased father, who had business dealings with all of them before his mysterious death. Also present is Jack "The Joker" Napier, who in the days before his life-changing accident worked for one of the mob bosses. Not only is he the last of the Phantasm's targets, but also the last man still living in Gotham who can explain what the Phantasm is up to. Batman traces the Joker to his hideout, an abandoned amusement park, to get answers.
And get them he does. The Joker may be the last man who understands the Phantasm's crusade, but one woman does as well: Andrea Beaumont, who is the Phantasm; she has returned to Gotham City to complete her vengeance against her father's murderers, the last of which is Napier, the man who actually did the deed. She finally catches him as the amusement park begins to explode around them all. Wayne invites her to return with him, but she refuses, keeping ahold of the struggling Joker to prevent his escape; Batman gets out of the park just before it goes up. As the movie closes, Bruce, now permanently alone, returns to his crime-fighting ways; while, at the Gotham harbors, a cruise liner pulls away, carrying on it a woman with red hair and teary eyes.
Critical Reaction
The movie was extremely well received by fans of Batman: The Animated Series, and earned a positive review from almost every critic. Rotten Tomatoes lists it as having 11 positive reviews out of 11 posted, as well as earning a 100% rating. In addition, many fans and critics believe that it makes the first four live-action Batman movies (Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin) look embarrassing, especially Batman Forever and Batman & Robin.
Box Office
Despite all the positive reviews the movie got, it was a huge failure at the box office. It barely grossed $5 million domestically and $11 million worldwide, and due to its low earnings, closed on February 10, 1994, although most theatres stopped showing it after one or two weeks. Due to the film's failure, all future animated Batman movies were released direct-to-video. However, when the film was released to video on April 26, 1994, it succeeded in turning a profit, earning millions more than in its limited theatrical release.
Possible Reasons for Flop
- Reduced length — Although the film was initially planned to be released direct-to-video, it was decided early on in the production process that it should be shown in theatres. As a result, the producers had less than a year to complete the movie, and this was likely the reason the final product ran only 76 minutes.
- Alienation of target audience — While Batman: The Animated Series was well-liked by many children, the movie's storyline may have gone over the heads of its intended audience, as it was more complex and adult-oriented than most episodes of the popular TV show on which it was based.
- Lack of promotion — Warner Bros. did not believe that this film stood a chance of succeeding in theatres; therefore, it was released with virtually no promotion behind it. This was perhaps the biggest reason for the movie's poor box-office take.