Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (also known as Batman: The Animated Movie) is a 1993 American animated superhero mystery film based on the DC Comics character Batman, more specifically the 1990s Batman: The Animated Series. As with The Animated Series, the film stars Kevin Conroy as the voice of Batman, as well as the voices of Mark Hamill, Dana Delany, Hart Bochner, Stacy Keach, Abe Vigoda and Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. The film's storyline introduces Andrea Beaumont, an old love interest of Bruce Wayne's, who returns to Gotham City, restarting their romance. At the same time, a new mysterious vigilante begins systematically eliminating Gotham's crime bosses, and due to the person's dark appearance, he is mistaken for Batman. Now on the run from the police, the Dark Knight must apprehend the killer, clear his name, and deal with the romance between him and Andrea.
The film was distributed by Warner Bros., directed by Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski (the creators of The Animated Series) and written by Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Michael Reaves and Martin Pasko. The original idea was to release the film as direct-to-video, but the studio decided for a theatrical release, giving the filmmakers a strenuous eight-month schedule. Mask of the Phantasm received widespread acclaim from critics, who praised the film for its animation style, dialogue and acting, but it was a box office bomb due to the decision to release the film in theaters on such short notice. The film has since found cult success through its various VHS and DVD releases.
Read more about Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm: Plot, Cast, Production, Themes, Soundtrack
Famous quotes containing the word mask:
“We never really are the adults we pretend to be. We wear the mask and perhaps the clothes and posture of grown-ups, but inside our skin we are never as wise or as sure or as strong as we want to convince ourselves and others we are. We may fool all the rest of the people all of the time, but we never fool our parents. They can see behind the mask of adulthood. To her mommy and daddy, the empress never has on any clothes—and knows it.”
—Frank Pittman (20th century)