Review #269: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.
Cast
Kevin Conroy (Bruce Wayne/Batman), Dana Delany (Andrea Beaumont), Mark Hamill (The Joker), Hart Bochner (Arthur Reeves), Stacy Keach (Carl Beaumont and Voice of the Phantasm), Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. (Alfred Pennyworth), Abe Vigoda (Salvatore Valestra), Dick Miller (Charles "Chuckie" Sol), John P. Ryan (Buzz Bronski), Bob Hastings (Commissioner James Gordon), and Robert Costanzo (Harvey Bullock) Directed by Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm.
Review
This was directed by the creators of Batman: The Animated Series, which was a very well acclaimed show in the 1990's that would get a movie, which is this. This was the third (or fourth if you count the 1966 Batman film) Batman film released, though it was different from the first two (though released one year after Batman Returns and two years before Batman Forever.) Anyway, the film has a lot going for it, with a beautiful opening sequence showing Gotham City. The plot is alright, but I find that it is a bit hampered by the flashbacks in the beginning that while it gives important info for the rest of the film, it feels like a distraction. But the animation is good, with the animation of the show a bit improved to make it more like a film. The middle to the end get interesting as the Joker comes in. And he is...really good. Out of the 4 actors that have played him, he might just tie Nicholson and Ledger's performances for best Joker (although Romero isn't a bad Joker by any means) The rest of the actors including Conroy, are good. I wish the film could had been longer, as the run time is only 76 minutes. In the end, it's a good film that while not better then Batman or The Dark Knight, certainly beats the two films that followed this (Batman Forever and Batman & Robin) by a long shot.
Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.
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