WesternAnimation It's a shame they didn't show that in the film
The biggest weakness of Mask Of The Phantasm, is that it treats it's second most important character as a plot device for Batman. The person has an interesting backstory and some very complex motivations and interactions, but they don't get an arc from their perspective. Someone is going around killing criminals, if they were the protagonist of the story it would be important to show the way this act is affecting and changing them. We could watch their descent into villainy or see their struggle to overcome their emotions and come to terms with who they are, maybe mend their ways.
This is all interesting stuff, but we see none of this. Batman solves his mystery, gives the person a trite line or too and then they're gone. Their purpose in the story is over. It's annoying that as soon as this antagonist is revealed they lose almost all the competence they had before because they're no longer required to be a threat for this story. Taken as part of an overall trend it's unfortunate as well as annoying.
The second biggest weakness is the difficulty of incorporating history and character motivation in comic books where the hero is meant to go on forever. It basically requires a reset button at the end of the outing, so we've had these hugely important personal motivations and... it doesn't really affect the hero at all in a meaningful way. There's a person in this story who needed to be an ongoing character entwined with Batman's life, but that's not how the film made it feel.
And on a personal level, I don't like it when Batman's motivations are too heavily dependent on his parents. I like the idea that he had a horrible experience and decided that he was going to dedicate his life to making sure other people didn't have to go through that. Him doing it because the guilt of his parents demands him too robs him of independence.
This does lead to the greatest part of Phantasm, it's an investigation of Bruce Wayne becoming Batman and the costs it brings his life. Is it wrong for him to be happy when the happiness comes at the cost of other people's? How do you balance your dedication to other people with your own needs. The film decides surprisingly on this issue and suggests that Batman still isn't emotionally stable and mature in his motivations here. It feels like a set-up for greater learning, or else The Dark Knight Rises retirement.
WesternAnimation The Heart of Batman
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is probably the single best portrayal of the character of Bruce Wayne/Batman I've ever seen. While not as stunning as Nolan's Dark Knight films, I still think that Mask of the Phantasm is the one movie that really gets to the heart of what makes Batman such a compelling character. In this film, we get a complex and fascinating murder mystery, a series of Casablanca-esque flashbacks that help tell a new side of Batman's origin story, and a frightening new villian who's creepy enough to rival the Joker (who also shows up, voiced by the delightfully hammy-yet-freaky Mark Hamill). Batman himself is in top form: we get to see his expert detective skills, fighting prowess, and numerous gadgets at work all throughout the movie.
This film also really delves into the specific circumstances of Wayne's transformation into the Dark Knight, and in doing so brings to light certain very powerful elements of his character: Bruce's quest to bring justice to Gotham makes him miserable and alone, but he does so out of an obsessive need to honor his parents' memory. In the early days of his crime fighting career, when offered an opportunity to abandon his "mission" and be with the woman he loves, we're shown just how desperately Bruce wants to be free of his guilt and obsession. One scene in particular - in which Bruce kneels at his parents' grave and begs them to let him live his own life - gets me a tad choked up every time I see it. This is powerful, serious drama, as any Batman story should be.
Anyway, the animation is excellent, including some of the most gorgeous animated explosions I've ever seen. Shirley Walker's musical score is extremely powerful, especially the opening credits, which features an extended shot of a CGI-rendered Gotham City backed by a chilling choir rendition of the Batman: TAS theme. Most of the action isn't especially high-octane, but it is enjoyable, and the story is so well-paced and the mystery so compelling I found myself not caring. There are a few touches of humor here and there, just to balance out the blackness of the story and theme, but it doesn't detract from the gloomy atmosphere.
To conclude: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a fantastic film, reccomended for fans of Batman, the DCAU, and animation in general.
WesternAnimation The Tragedy of Bruce Wayne
Mask of the Phantasm is a beautiful tragedy about two broken and lonely people. At any point they could've made different choices and built a happy life together. Instead they succumb to their circumstances and trauma, until all that is left of them are two masks.
The movie does a fantastic job of telling that story. It's heartfelt and moving, and the action comes in exactly when needed to shake up the mood. The performance from Kevin Conroy is some of his best work as Batman, and Dana Delaney plays a great foil to him. Mask of the Phantasm expertly tells the story it sets out to tell. I just wish it was a story I agreed with.
The heart of MOTP centers around a premise that I disagree with on a fundamental level: Batman is a tragic character. I'm fine with the tragic origin, but there's a difference between a tragic origin and a tragic character. Spider-Man has a tragic origin, but I doubt anyone would describe him as a tragic character. A tragic character is one who's fate we're supposed to lament. And that's the way this movie treats Bruce Wayne becoming Batman. Becoming Batman is treated like an inescapable curse in this film. He doesn't choose this life, it chooses him and refuses to let him go. And that simply does not work with the way I view the character.
To me, Bruce Wayne becoming Batman is his salvation. It's a way for him to take the pain and loss he experienced as a child and harness it for good. He doesn't do this because destiny leaves him no other choice, he does it because it's an opportunity for him to bring some light into a dark world. Batman is fundamentally an aspirational figure. We're supposed to want to be like him. That simply does not fit with the way this movie portrays his life. I also take issue with the idea that he cannot have a happy life and a family and be Batman. To me that's like saying firefighters shouldn't have families because they never know when they'll die in the line of duty. It's true that if he's serious about pursuing a relationship with Andrea he needs to tell her about his secret identity, but the two lives are not incompatible unless you believe the idea that Bruce can only be Batman from a place of pain. I think that idea is poppycock and dismissive of real life heroes like firefighters (again) who do what they do because they know it's right.
So here's the fundamental issue for me. I admire the artistry and beauty of this movie, both visually and in its writing. But for me, it can only work as a Batman story if there is a follow-up. The tragedy of Bruce Wayne's fate in this film must be answered with a triumph that shows he was wrong about what it means to be Batman in this story. And while there was obviously no intention by the creative team to do so when they made this movie, I do believe there is a spiritual sequel to this film. One that recasts being Batman not as a curse, but as liberation and redemption. But I'll expand on my thoughts on that when I review Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.