Rating: 
Summary: Few cartoons stand out like this one
Review: Even if you aren't a Batman fan I recomend this. I do like Batman myself and am a fan but not a hardcore one. The animation is terrific the voice talents in this movie are perfect. Mark Hamill of all people doing a terrific voice-over for the Joker, who would have thought? That right there is enough to see this movie and it's not just for kids either, most of the content is adult oriented and geared towards how Batman really is. Few of the Batman live action movies were this good.
Rating:
Summary: Maybe the best superhero movie ever
Review: To me Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm is one of the best, if not THE best superhero adaptation ever. It has some unique qualities among, I think, ALL superhero onscreen adaptations:- Animation is more friendly to comics than film - I'm getting more and more to this conclusion. With animation, there's no fuss about costumes or CGI or make-up. It allows the movement and sound and some of the 3-D effect you can't get from a comic book without things looking too campy or silly. - Extreme faithfulness to comics - This feature is a smart and tight combination of the Year One and Year Two storylines. There's nothing here to piss-off fanboys: no stiff rubber suit, no leather jackets, no skinny guy as the hero, no caricatural or Power-Rangish villain - the Joker is actually quite creepy - no turn-back-in-time ending. - Spot-on characterization - Like a lot of two-hour movies don't get to, this hour-and-a-half piece gets to cover in a fitting way all the basic issues of the character: why he can't get over the death of his parents and try for a happier existence, why he uses a dark symbol to fight crime, why he works outside the law, why he isn't a murderer, whether he's as crazy as his enemies or not. His skills are all featured as well: the womanizing playboy facade, the detective, the scientist, the martial artist, the acrobat, the badass. It finds na ideal way to tell his story, connecting past and present. You get to see a lot of Bats at the prime as you also get to follow his first steps. - Great romance story - I never thought a romance story with Bats would work - at least if it didn't involve Catwoman. But this one is incredibly fitting with Bruce's character arc. Andrea, at first, seems to represent the lighter side of what he could have had - a happier, more normal life. Then she turns out to be the darker side - the murderous, all-about-revenge vigilante he could have been. It's also a rare case of a great Batman story that focuses a lot on Bruce Wayne, giving it a very human appeal. - The scene where Bruce asks to be released from his promise could well be the most poignant superhero moment onscreen ever: never a superhero begged so hard to put all this madness behind him, and never had so much of a right to: when Supes decides to give up on his powers for Lois, the audience goes, "don't do that, you moron! The world needs Supes more than ever! That chick isn't worth it!" Not to mention Clark LOVES being Superman... When Bruce says, "It doesn't hurt so bad anymore. I can give money to the police... to hire more cops. Let someone else take the risk", even a hardcore Bats fan has to think, "you know what, that makes sense". A robot would feel sorry for Bruce when he says, "I didn't expect to be happy". Yes, a character can be brooding and emotionally difficult and still engage and touch the audience, Mr. Ang Lee... - It broke ground for feature animation - like the animated series on TV, this feature did a lot for its genre. Superhero movies usually make their innovations on the FX area, but for the time, MOTF was very unusual for an action animation, even more in its storytelling than in its technical qualities. It pulled no punches, with people being murdered, some legitimate creepiness, and the story getting darker and darker as it progressed, with an unhappy ending. -
Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic Soundtrack CD
Review: I'm a big fan of the Batman Animated Series, loved Mask of the Phantasm, and enjoy movie soundtracks, so this CD was a can't-miss for me. The best movie scores can bring back the feel and atmosphere of the movie whenever you listen to it, and Shirley Walker's score for Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is one of the best. She captures the essence and emotion of the film - the drama, the violence, the romance, and the overall dark edge - perfectly. It also captures the overall feel of the Batman Animated Series. Since a soundtrack for the series was never released, this movie soundtrack is as close as it gets. I'd give this excellent CD a perfect 5-star rating except for one thing: the sappy pop love song at the end of the disc just puts a bad finish to an otherwise powerful symphonic score. That being said, I highly recommend the Batman: Mask of the Phantasm soundtrack CD to anyone who enjoyed the movie, the Batman Animated Series, or just plain good movie soundtracks.
Rating:
Summary: Yes, this is the BEST Batman film ever
Review: Paul Dini and Bruce Timm, the team behind the critically acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series, created this 1993 animated feature film that perfectly captured the essence of the Dark Knight. Not Burton's Batman, and certainly not Schumacher's, but underneath the surface of this animated masterpiece is almost everything that long time Bat-fans have looked for in a feature film. Mixing a re-cap of Batman's origin with the spirit of Frank Miller's landmark interpretation of the character; we are given a more in depth look at everyone's favorite schizophrenic super hero than has ever been seen on film before. The storyline picks up when a mysterious masked figure called the Phantasm begins picking off Gotham City's top crime bosses. What is most shocking about Mask of the Phantasm isn't the amount of violence and death in a PG rated animated film, but the emotional impact that underlines the entire film; something the live action movies couldn't entirely do. Kevin Conroy is his usual excellent self as the voice of Bruce/Batman, while Mark Hamill delivers his usual perfect performance as the Joker. The animation may look a bit dated, but those who grew up with the animated series (like me) will no doubt appreciate it. All in all, long time Batman fans who missed out on this little gem should definitely pick this up.
Rating:
Summary: Purely amazing entertainment
Review: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is truly a classic. If you love Batman, then this is a must-have--hey, this is a must-have if you like a good action movie. The themes involved are really almost not for kids, to be honest, largely because of the violent content. The Batman theme done by Shirley Walker at the beginning of the movie--oh, man! It's one of the greatest cinematic moments ever, I'd say. There's just something about it. And the story is great--we look into why Bruce Wayne chooses to be Batman and we even get a look at the Joker before he actually becomes the Joker and all. (But they don't show him get dumped into a vat of acid or anything; he's just there in the story.) I think the love story strikes a real chord with anyone who's ever loved and lost, and it really explains why Batman is committed to his life of fighting crime rather than ever getting married or anything like that. It's actually hard to describe--you just have to see it. This is the original Animated Series at its finest. As many have said before, it's actually better than some of the live action Batman films (though I would say just plain better than Batman & Robin, which was the worst of all the films, though not necessarily a horrible movie). It's great. If you don't have Mask of the Phantasm, I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: More of these...Please!
Review: WB should produce more DVDs of this kind...great animation, full length, fantastic musical score, and simply different from what is available. Obviously, this is a well-thought film. Too bad we have to wait for features to be released in theater before we can see something like this on DVD. I hope the guys in WB will do more of these.
Rating: 
Summary: Truely Terrible Music......
Review: Oh boy, I have never heard such terrible themes and misuseage of an orchestra. As bad as the Batman and Robin score.
Rating:
Summary: Siskel and Ebert apologized for not reviewing it!
Review: Yes, it's everything that Batman should be -- action-packed, passionate, intelligent, and sometimes deeply troubling. And it has that strange atmosphere that makes you wonder if the movie is set in the 21st century or the 1920s. Siskel and Ebert actually apologized for failing to review this movie when it originally came out in the theaters (cold comfort for the movie producers, I'm sure), and gave the video an enthusiastic "two thumbs up".
Rating:
Summary: Best Batman movie, ever.
Review: Better characterization, better story, better action than any of the live-action movies, including the first one. Compelling, thrilling, and just flat out fun, the way a superhero cartoon is meant to be. It's not deep but it sure doesn't insult your intelligence, either. Easily one of the best retellings of the origin of Batman.
Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Animated Treat
Review: With all due respect to Tim Burton and Michael Keaton (and all those involved in the first two live-action BATMAN films), BATMAN - MASK OF THE PHANTASM is one of the most thrilling, authentic, amazing action-oriented animated treats ever made made. From the awe-inspring opening sequence (with a haunting gothic theme scored by Shirley Walker) to the end theme (sweetly sung by Tia Carerre), this movie is true to the dark and dangerous BATMAN mythos and is a must-see for animation enthusiasts or anyone who loves a good action film. From the film noir style of the characters and the backgrounds to the story line (worthy of the first two live action films) to the vocal talent, this movie is just that damn good. I've been a fan of amimation since childhood and everything is impressive about BATMAN - MASK OF THE PHANTASM. This could have been a replacement for either of the Joel Schumacher disasters. For young and old alike, I highly recommend this movie.
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