* AcclaimedFlop: The film received [[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/batman_mask_of_the_phantasm/ critical and audience acclaim]], but flopped when it was originally released in theatres, which was due to a last-minute decision to release it theatrically.
* BadExportForYou: It had this treatment in France.
** Initially, due to its poor box-office performance in the US, Warner decided to release ''Mask of the Phantasm'' straight-to-VHS internationally, including France, where it received a complete dub with the cast of the animated series. For a long time, this release was the only official one here...
** In 2006, Warner announced a Z2 DVD release. After being pushed back to 2009, it was finally cancelled without explanation, leaving again the film only available on VHS.
** It was finally released in Blu-ray in 2018. Finally, fans could enjoy a good quality release of the movie... but this Blu-ray contained the Quebec dub instead of the much more popular European French dub. Many fans were angry, leading to complaints to the local Warner aftersales services. After months of silence, the studio decided to press a new run of Blu-ray with the correct dub and to offer them at free exchange. It turned out that those Blu-rays either malfunctioned or did not work at all, shredding any possibility to find the European French dub of the movie in other releases than the now out-of-print VHS.
* CreatorsFavorite: Creator/KevinConroy cited the scene where Bruce visits his parents' graves begging them to be released from his promise to avenge them as one of his personal favorite moments with the character.
* CreatorRecovery: As detailed in his autobiography ''ComicBook/DarkNightATrueBatmanStory'', Creator/PaulDini had just experienced a traumatic robbery around the time he was given the assignment of co-writing the film. What doesn't make this a CreatorBreakdown is that penning the script helped him get over his physical and psychological trauma.
* DeletedScene: One scene would have shown that Batman was cleared of the murder charges due to the Phantasm murders due to a photograph by a journalist, the same one who approaches Andrea on the yacht. This scene is retained in the Novelization.
* FranchiseKiller: Not for animated DC films as a whole, but it was the only animated DC film to receive a wide theatrical release until ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoBatmanMovie'' in 2017.
* InMemoriam: Following the passing of Creator/KevinConroy in 2022, the film's 30th anniversary 4K release includes a special tribute to the actor.
* PlayingAgainstType: Creator/StacyKeach voicing a sympathetic businessman who breaks the law, and later voices a violent vigilante, will be a major surprise to people who know him from playing law enforcement officers or detectives.
* RealitySubtext: Andrea is named after Andrea Romano, voice casting director for the series. The entire romance plot came about because of Creator/KevinConroy ad-libbing an "Oh! Andrea" after a series of grunts. It was originally intended to be Batman getting punched, but the ad-lib made it sound [[ImmodestOrgasm a little different]].
* RoleReprise: Given that this movie was released in theaters, this is the only DCAU production to receive a Quebec French dub, as TV series and direct-to-video movies produced by Warner Bros. are rarely dubbed in Quebec. Said dub features Éric Gaudry as Batman, reprising his role from both the [[Film/Batman1989 1989 film]] and ''Film/BatmanReturns''.
* ScrewedByTheNetwork: The film did ''[[NotScreenedForCritics not]]'' [[NotScreenedForCritics have a pre-release screening for critics]], which hurt it badly, since when a production company does that, it indicates that the film is probably awful. The reviews that did come out were generally positive, but they were on a ''Saturday'', instead of the launch day, and generally, movie reviews on a Saturday are passed over by readers.
* SpoiledByTheMerchandise: Creator/{{Kenner}}'s figure of the titular villain revealed that [[spoiler:"he" was actually Andrea Beaumont, Bruce Wayne's LoveInterest]].
* TroubledProduction: Most of the movie production went smoothly...but according to Paul Dini's memoir ''ComicBook/DarkNightATrueBatmanStory'', he got mugged and badly beaten up, which nearly killed him and caused him to have a HeroicBSOD. After a long surgery, Dini needed more time to hand in his parts of the script, mainly focusing on the Joker. It's quite amazing that the finished product is solid.
** The decision to release the film in theaters instead of direct-to-video was a last minute decision, which meant large portions of the film had to be re-cropped from the series usual 4:3 aspect ratio to widescreen.
* VindicatedByCable: It turned a ''huge'' profit when available on VHS, earning ''millions'' more than it did while in theaters.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** The film was supposed to be released direct-to-video before Warner Bros. decided to give it a theatrical release. When the movie bombed, they made sure not to repeat the mistake with ''WesternAnimation/BatmanAndMisterFreezeSubZero'', which ''was'' released direct-to-video.
** The film was going to be completely computer generated, but that was dropped for traditional cel-animation. The CG buildings during the opening credits are an artifact from that plan.
** It was originally planned as the series finale for ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', which explains why Joker seemingly dies at the end.
** The plot was mostly taken from two unproduced episodes of the animated series; a two-parter called "Masks" featuring ''Batman Year Two'''s villain Reaper, and a standalone, "Vigil", which detailed Batman's origin from Alfred's perspective.
** One of Kenner's figures was "Retro Batman", who sported a costume [[EarlyBirdCameo that looked more like the one from ''The New Batman Adventures.'']] Perhaps this iteration, seen only in shadow for a few seconds (the belt looks chunkier), was supposed to get more screen-time.
** There were a few ideas passed around for the movie. One was called "Two Timer", where Two-Face's attempt at rehabilitation is ruined due to the Joker deciding to {{troll}} Harvey. This ended up becoming the first two issues of the comic series ''Batman and Robin Adventures''.
* [[YouLookFamiliar You Sound Familiar]]:
** Andrea is voiced by Creator/DanaDelany, who later became more famous as the voice of Lois Lane in ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries''. In fact, WordOfGod has stated that it was her stellar performance here that caused them to pursue her for the role of Lois in the first place. Bruce even had a brief relationship with Lois.
** Dick Miller, who provides the voice of Phantasm's first victim Chuckie Sol, would provide the voice of Boxy Bennett in a few episodes of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''' second season the year after the movie came out and later Oberon in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Unlimited''.
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