The Best Batman Movie Is Being Kept Away From Fans For No Good Reason

I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s the best. The movie has everything fans want in a Batman movie and more.

You want the World’s Greatest Detective working on a compelling mystery? Phantasm‘s got it. How about Batman mule-kicking the Joker so hard in the mouth he loses a tooth? Phantasm has that too.

Romance? Comedy? Drama? Batman: Mask of the Phantasm has it all.

So why haven’t more people heard of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm if it’s so great? Sadly when it comes to ranking The Caped Crusader’s films, Phantasm usually doesn’t make the list. You see, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a cartoon, and cartoons are apparently not “real movies.” Also, the movie’s lack of streaming doesn’t help.

Every time I mention Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, when someone is discussing the best Batman film, they usually say, “Yeah, but we’re talking about live-action.” Why? Because cartoons are for kids?

Did you miss the part above where I mentioned that the Dark Knight literally kicks Joker’s teeth out?

Don’t get the wrong Idea. The movie is a PG extension of Batman: the Animated Series. It might be slightly more violent than the series, but it’s not some grimdark Snyderverse ode to ultraviolence. On the other hand, I definitely wouldn’t say it’s a “kids movie” any more than I would Batman Begins.

Animated or not, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is the best representation of Batman ever put on the big screen, and it deserves to be treated as such.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm follows the Caped Crusader as he investigates the murders of some of Gotham’s most prominent mob bosses. The murders appear to be the work of a brand new foe: the Phantasm. A grim reaper-looking entity with a cape that resembles Batman from afar.

Soon, the cops think that Batman is the murderer and start making a strong effort to catch the vigilante. Meanwhile, a lost love from Bruce Wayne’s past, Andrea Beaumont, returns to Gotham, bringing with her some unresolved baggage from their failed romance. Could Andrea and the Phantasm be connected somehow?

Where does the Joker fit into all of this?

All is revealed in an action-packed climax that takes some cues from King Kong vs. Godzilla. Trust me. It makes sense in the context of the film.

One of the things that makes Batman: Mask of the Phantasm such an amazing movie is its cast. Specifically, the late Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill as the Joker. The most iconic pair of actors to ever play the famous adversaries in the one theatrical film they made together. That alone should sell this movie.

Fox and Warner Bros. commissioned Batman: Mask of the Phantasm following the successful first season of Batman: The Animated Series. The movie was initially planned for a straight-to-video release, but early in production, Warner Bros. decided to release it theatrically. Sadly they didn’t promote it very well, and the movie failed to perform up to expectations.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was released on Christmas Day, 1993, and the film grossed a paltry $5.8 million at the box office against a budget of $6 million. Luckily, what the movie failed to bring in theatrically, it more than made up for in home video sales. Unfortunately, VHS is how most fans, myself included, first saw the movie.

The fact that the film played so well on such an inferior video format is a testament to how good it truly is.

These days, you can see Batman: Mask of the Phantasm on Blu-ray in high definition the way it was intended. Unfortunately, you can’t stream it. Of all the dumb things Warner Bros. has done regarding DC in the last few years, keeping the best Batman movie from being discovered by a new generation is the one I personally find most infuriating.

However, you can buy or rent the movie digitally through Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, and Spectrum, and I highly recommend doing so as soon as possible. If you love Batman and you haven’t seen Batman: Mask of the Phantasm then you’re missing out on the best portrayal of the Dark Knight ever put on screen. You owe it to yourself to track this down.