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Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Warner Bros. // PG // December 21, 1999
List Price: $19.98 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
Considering the vast amount of money Warner Bros. has pumped into the live action Batman franchise, it may sound surprising to hear that most fans consider the animated feature "Mask of the Phantasm" to be the best Batman film to date. Unlike the most recent movies (I'm hesitant to refer to Schumacher's work as "films"), "Mask of the Phantasm" offers substance instead of eight-figure eye candy -- no other Batman film so far has offered such great storytelling, genuine suspense, or wonderful characterizations.
In "Mask of the Phantasm", another masked vigilante is stalking the criminals of Gotham...to a far more lethal degree than the Dark Knight, who ends up taking the blame for these murders. It's up to Batman to discover the identity of the Phantasm, but unlike the rather one-dimensional character of the live action films, both the character of Batman and the film in general are far more complex. This Batman is presented as a lonely and haunted individual. There are several very interesting subplots, as well as one of the best looks into precisely how Batman came to be. If you're a fan of Batman, this is an essential rental and a recommended purchase.
Video: The animation isn't feature quality and hardly ranks with the best of the animated series, but it's presented rather well here in both full-frame and anamorphic widescreen versions. Though the film quality isn't as crisp as the episodes of "Batman Beyond", I definitely wasn't disappointed.
Audio: I was really impressed with the audio on "Mask of the Phantasm". With the emphasis on characterization, the dialogue comes through perfectly, although all of the action makes for great use of low frequencies.
Extras: The only real extra is the theatrical trailer.
Conclusion: A commentary track would've been a great addition, but as it is, "Mask of the Phantasm" is required viewing for any Batman fan. However, it seems more geared to the older set than for children, which you might want to take into consideration before purchasing.
In "Mask of the Phantasm", another masked vigilante is stalking the criminals of Gotham...to a far more lethal degree than the Dark Knight, who ends up taking the blame for these murders. It's up to Batman to discover the identity of the Phantasm, but unlike the rather one-dimensional character of the live action films, both the character of Batman and the film in general are far more complex. This Batman is presented as a lonely and haunted individual. There are several very interesting subplots, as well as one of the best looks into precisely how Batman came to be. If you're a fan of Batman, this is an essential rental and a recommended purchase.
Video: The animation isn't feature quality and hardly ranks with the best of the animated series, but it's presented rather well here in both full-frame and anamorphic widescreen versions. Though the film quality isn't as crisp as the episodes of "Batman Beyond", I definitely wasn't disappointed.
Audio: I was really impressed with the audio on "Mask of the Phantasm". With the emphasis on characterization, the dialogue comes through perfectly, although all of the action makes for great use of low frequencies.
Extras: The only real extra is the theatrical trailer.
Conclusion: A commentary track would've been a great addition, but as it is, "Mask of the Phantasm" is required viewing for any Batman fan. However, it seems more geared to the older set than for children, which you might want to take into consideration before purchasing.
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