Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

When Batman criticizes you for being a violently unstable masked vigilante, maybe you should reconsider some of your life choices. Instead, the Phantasm keeps killing gangsters. Ordinarily, that would not break the Dark Knight’s dark heart, but he gets the blame thanks to their vague resemblance in Eric Radomski & Bruce Timm’s Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, which screens tonight at the Mahoning Drive-In.

According to the novelization, Robin was away at college during the events of Phantasm. Regardless, Batman is always comfortable operating as a lone wolf. That is the Phantasm’s style as well. After it kills two mob bosses in the first act (technically the Phantasm merely “drove” one of them to his death), the emphysemic Salvatore “The Wheezer” Valestra reluctantly to turns to an old colleague for protection. Of course, involving the Joker only further destabilizes the chaotic situation.

Unfortunately, sleazy city councilman Arthur Reeves capitalizes on the spurious accusations to turn the Gotham PD (except Commissioner Gordon) against Batman. It turns out Reeves is also his rival for the affections of Andrea Beaumont, Bruce Wayne’s college girlfriend, who recently returned from abroad.

Originally conceived as a special within the world of Batman: The Animated Series, Phantasm was scaled up for theatrical release. Despite sharing similar character designs with the series, it proved DC comics could draw an audience for feature-length animation, paving the way for the DC Animated Movie Universe (DCAMU), which is definitely a thing.

In fact, Phantasm is quite visually striking in a film noir kind of way. There are some incredibly cinematic backdrops like the Joker’s lair amid the abandoned installations of the Gotham World’s Fair, which were clearly modeled on the 1939 New York Exposition.

For many fans, Phantasm is the film that firmly established Kevin Conroy as their favorite Batman voice. Similarly, it also represents Mark Hamill’s peak Joker voice-over performance, arguably surpassing his work on the animated series. Regardless, the Joker arguably represents Hamill’s greatest legacy outside Star Wars.

Likewise, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. ranks as one of the top Alfred Pennyworths, absolutely nailing his silkily smooth sarcasm. Among the non-series regulars Abe Vigoda, Dick Miller, and frequent Cannon Films bad guy John P. Ryan were perfectly cast as the embattled mob bosses. Stacy Keach’s distinctive tough guy voice well suits the Phantasm, while Dana Delany really brings Beaumont to life and helps her stand up against Conroy’s Batman and the colorful rogue’s gallery of villains.

Indeed, a great many famous voices were assembled for the film, even including Tia Carrere, who performed the closing song, “I Never Even Told You.” Yet, perhaps what most stands out is the film noir art deco design of Gotham City. If you want to watch a self-contained, serious, non-Westverse Batman adventure, this is a great place to start. It touches all the Batman bases, while exuding all kinds of noir “Dark Knight” style. Highly recommended, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm screens tonight (6/21) at the Mahoning Drive-In and Look Dine-In theaters will hold special midday screenings for families on Monday (7/7) (and it also streams on HBO Max).