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BATMAN: MASK OF THE PHANTASM Review


Batman gets framed for murder while a new foe has appeared. Are these two somehow connected?

When people discuss which Batman movie is the best, Mask of the Phantasm is often one of the contenders during those conversations. After rewatching it again years after my first watch, I can safely say that I understand why, even though I might not find it to be the crown jewel for the Caped Crusader, it is a spot on his personal Mount Rushmore for sure though.

What I like the most about this movie, is that while it is truly a crime thriller first and foremost, it dwells more into the mind of Bruce Wayne than any other Batman movie that I’ve seen. As someone that loves character studies, well you get the drill.

I was first going to write that the animation was good for its time. But honestly, I would argue that it holds up even for today. It truly looks stunning. The voice acting is superb.

The only real weakness that this movie has is its use of flashbacks. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mind flashbacks. I even use some in stories I write myself. A flashback is a tool like any other asset you have in a toolbar. Their execution of these flashbacks made me wonder if they were pitching this story as a two-hour movie or maybe even a two-parter, but instead got only founds for a 1h and 15-minute long movie. Some of them can be distracting.

At the end of it all, Mask of the Phantasm comes off like it is a grand finale of a season for the animated series that we know and love. It’s a must to see for any Batman fan out there.

I give this movie an 8/10.

Latest posts by Isak Wolff (see all)

Co-host of the Amateur Otaku Podcast. A writer of many things. Loves everything nerdy from anime/manga to comics and video games. Fire Emblem is the greatest of all time.