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The disappointment that comes from seeing a great film do poorly at the box office almost certainly never goes away. One of the most important Batman storytellers of all time, Bruce Timm, does not seem to understand how goodBatman: Mask of the Phantasmis.
Timm, who producedBatman: The Animated Seriesand co-directedBatman: Mask of the Phantasm,discussed how much he “cringe[s]” at the beloved animated 1993Batmanflick in an interview from last year. He noted that while the 1990s were a major decade for animation in motion pictures, the Kevin Conroy starrer was initially intended to be a television special.
For Timm, it seems as though “ten percent” of the movie was missing. It is possible that he will always watch the best possible cut of the movie. However, the version that audiences saw is among the greatestBatmanfilms ever, thanks in large part to the exceptional contributions that Matt Reeves and Christopher Nolan made to the canon.
Bruce Timm’s Confession AboutBatman: Mask of the Phantasm
Bruce Timm, 63, spoke with Empire (viaCBR), and explained howBatman: Mask of the Phantasmbegan as a small-screen special about Bruce Wayne’s metamorphosis into the Dark Knight. While the project was still in pre-production, Warner Bros. executives requested a theatrical release, which put Timm and his team in a difficult situation.
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Timm recalled:
“[Co-producer and co-director] Eric Radomski and I were in Japan, meeting with one of the animation studios that worked on the movie. We got the word that [the studio] officially wanted to make it a theatrical release while we were literally handing out the storyboards to the animators. It had all been formatted for the old-school TV ratio, which was practically a square. It was like, ‘What the heck are we going to do?’”
Timm was not happy withBatman: Mask of the Phantasm’soutcome, despite having only eight months to finish it and a $6 million budget—much less than a typical Disney animated film, for example. TheSuperman: TheAnimated Seriesproducer confessed:
“When I see it, I just cringe. It’s, like, 90 percent there. I just wish I had that last ten percent!”
Based on Mike W. Barr’s 1987 miniseriesBatman: Year Two,Batman: Mask of the Phantasmsaw Batman (Kevin Conroy) reunited with his former love, Andrea Beaumont (Dana Delany), whileBruce Wayne faced off againsta murderous vigilante who was pursuing Gotham City’s crime bosses.
The Timeless Appeal ofBatman: Mask of the Phantasm
With a little over $5 million in domestic sales,Batman: Mask of the Phantasmmade its release in 1993 (seeBox Office Mozo). Yet, critics and Batman enthusiasts alike praised it later for its sophisticated tone and thorough re-telling of the origin story. Having said that, it is considered by some to be the best Caped Crusader film adaptation.
Critics have rated it 7.1 out of 10, with an 83% score onRotten Tomatoes,being positive.According toEmpire, it was the“best cartoon feature”of 1993 and had a better plot than Tim Burton’sBatmanandBatman Returns.
The Art Deco noir design was impressive, as noted byTV Guide Magazine. Overall,The Washington Postgave high marks to the animation, design, dialogue, and plot.Batman: Mask of the Phantasmwas listed byIGNin 2010 as the twenty-fifth greatest animated movie ever made.
Also, it was ranked 47th out of 50 animated films byTotal Filmin its 2011 list of the best animated movies ever made.Again, the late Kevin Conroy’sperformance elevates the filmbeyond the scenes that made Bruce Timm “cringe”.
Well, we can rightfully say that the co-director ofBatman: Mask of the Phantasmis the only person who is permitted to view the film’s shortcomings.To all others, however, it represents the pinnacle of the franchise and explains why Batman has endured for more than 80 years of storytelling.
So, whether you love it or cringe at it,Batman: Mask of the Phantasmremains a fascinating and intricate part of the Batman lore that attracts the attention of both creators and fans alike.
“He looks a little too good”: Bruce Timm on the Actor Who Should Play Old Bruce Wayne in Batman Beyond Live Action Movie
StreamBatman: Mask of the Phantasmon Apple TV.
Siddhika Prajapati
Senior Journalist & Content Head
Articles Published :3310
With over 3,300 articles carved into the digital walls of FandomWire, Siddhika Prajapati excels at creating, curating, and elevating engaging stories. She takes pride in giving these stories a home and, of course, she’s got a Google Knowledge Panel to prove it!Whether it’s reviewing the latest drop on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Apple TV+, or analyzing the cultural echoes of a streaming hit on Paramount+ or Max, Siddhika is always writing three steps ahead of the discourse.
