The latest Honest Trailer takes on the classic DC animated movie Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, calling it the best Batman movie ever. The 1993 film, which was initially released in theaters to modest returns and then found significant success as a home video release, was a movie version of the Batman: The Animated Series TV show, which began airing in 1992. The film is considered a modern classic of adult-themed animation for its treatment of the character of Bruce Wayne and how he deals with being Batman, as well as for its film noir-style visuals and for introducing an intriguing new villain.
The new villain, The Phantasm, is a fellow vigilante who begins murdering gangsters in Gotham. Batman is accused of the murders and sets out to figure out who is behind the mask. Dana Delaney stars as Bruce’s love interest, Andrea, who turns out to be The Phantasm, while Mark Hamill also appears in his iconic voice role as The Joker. The film is often hailed by Batman fans as one of the best movies featuring the character, and for telling his origin story the best.
Now, Screen Junkies’ latest Honest Trailer takes aim at the movie and treats it with uncharacteristic reverence. There’s still space for the jokes, though, with the trailer starting by mocking the fact that the character keeps getting rebooted so much that soon every movie will feature Batman. It also teases the movie’s dark tone, joking that most of it takes place in a graveyard and that Batman is a hero made up of rectangles and feelings. But it also drives home the quality of the beloved animated classic, saying it deserves to be at the top of your list of Batman movies. You can watch the trailer below.
The best joke is saved for last, though, when the Honest Trailer re-titles the movie Batman: Forever Alone, referencing not only the much-maligned Joel Schumacher film, but also Bruce Wayne’s incredibly fragile emotional state throughout this movie. However, overall the trailer rightly pays tribute to a beloved film that is considered one of the finest animated movies ever.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is arguably one of the highlights in the superhero’s screen career, and certainly a better film than any of the live-action efforts released in the 1990s, including Tim Burton’s Batman Returns. The fact that it never got a proper sequel still rankles with fans, who were hoping to see the animated series get the send-off it deserved. Nevertheless, it remains a favorite and stands tall above all other animated Batman movies.
