8.2 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Batman is wrongly implicated in a series of murders of mob bosses actually done by a new vigilante assassin.
Starring: Kevin Conroy, Dana Delany, Hart Bochner, Stacy Keach, Abe VigodaComic book | 100% |
Action | 70% |
Animation | 68% |
Film-Noir | 10% |
Family | 7% |
Crime | 3% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Mystery | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1, 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
In the world of superhero-dom, it’s not usually the actual act of fighting crime that connects the character with the audience but rather the humanity behind the mask or under the cape. The personal stories that give rise to the crimefighters, that define their daily lives, that shape their relationships with their friends, colleagues, lovers, and the world-at-large are what truly drive their actions in superhero guise. Comics have never been shy about hitting the heroes hard in figurative, not just literal, attacks on their hearts and souls, not just their physical well-beings. It's almost always the face beyond the costume that tends to matter most, and arguably no Superhero film has so deeply explored and carefully unmasked a hero as well and as thoroughly as Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, a 1993 animated feature film that followed hot-on-the-heels of the first season of the extraordinarily well done and lovingly received animated series (which was recently released on Blu-ray and includes a copy of this disc). It tells not just Batman's origins story but Bruce Wayne's most intimate romance that sees him at his most radiantly in love and at his most heartbroken that propels him to take on the identity of the Caped Crusader, an identity that would come to define his life.
Batman Before.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm unveils itself via a fairly good and sturdy 1080p presentation. For the 1.78:1-framed
theatrical presentation,
opening title wobble is apparent, and the white title lettering appears a little dim. Beyond the open, select shots appear a little
soft and a little overly
processed, but for the most part the presentation is quite good and very pleasing to the eye. Light grain is visible for the
duration, which is occasionally
accompanied by a small assortment speckles and splotches. Lines are fairly crisp and clarity is quite good. Character and
environmental definition both
are quite firm, whether considering moving objects or static backgrounds. Colors are handled well, particularly variations of
black, gray, and blue that
define so many of the film's darker scenes and its general tonal presentation. The film offers some brighter and more colorful
scenes, too, which reveal
an impressive array of punchy and prominent hues, particularly women's clothes and makeup or Joker's apparel. Black levels
present with impressive
depth and accuracy. The transfer is imperfect but the good largely outweighs the bad.
The 4x3 aspect ratio television version is introduced by the following text:
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm's two-channel DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is certainly sufficient, but the inability to more fully and seamlessly immerse the listener in the movie's action and environments is a little disappointing. That said, the track certainly does its best with what it has at its disposal. Musical width is very impressive. Notes stretch effortlessly across the front, pushing the stage's horizontal length perhaps not to an extreme but definitely to a satisfying level of stretch. The same goes for action; crashes, slams, punches, screams, moans, all variety of action related sound elements find an agreeable level of room-extending breadth across there front end, to the point that, at its peak, the track succeeds enough to almost make the listener forget that there are only two channels in play, particularly as elemental separation and clarity are both very strong attributes. Lighter din is handled equally well, such as a gathering at Wayne Manor in chapter four where festive sounds of gathered humanity saturate the stage fairly well from the front end. The track opens up with some decently reverberating dialogue depth when the masked figure speaks in chapter seven in a cemetery at night. Basic dialogue images well towards the center and never feels lost somewhere between middle and edge. It's clearly delivered and well prioritized for the duration.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm contains only one extra, the film's trailer (1080p, 1.78:1, DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, 1:05). For such a terrific and widely well-regarded film, the absence of supplemental content is disheartening.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm explores how the dimming light of love played a significant role in the rise of the Dark Knight. The film tells a substantial, often moving, story of love and loss and the intersections of the heart and the hateful realities of the world. It's a compelling film, extraordinarily well written, animated, and performed and is a must-see for Batman and comic fans. Warner Archive's Blu-ray is disappointingly free of any meaningful extra content, but video and audio presentations are generally very good. Highly recommended, but newcomers should skip this standalone release and be sure to acquire it as part of that fantastic animated series set linked in the opening paragraph above.
1993
with Comic Book
1993
1993
1998
2003
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm / Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero
1992-1998
1997-1998
DC Universe Animated Original Movie #27
2016
1999-2001
Deluxe Edition | DC Universe Animated Original Movie #15 & 16 | Seamless Cut + Frank Miller Documentary
2012-2013
2018
DC Universe Animated Original Movie #16
2013
2021
DC Universe Animated Original Movie #15
2012
2004-2008
Warner Archive Collection
2013
Deluxe Edition
2021-2022
2014-2019
2022
Warner Archive Collection
2008-2009
2016
2018
2020