--- title: "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/batman-mask-of-the-phantasm/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/batman-mask-of-the-phantasm" critics_score: 81 critics_reviews: 10 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993): what the critics said Critics' score 81 from 10 reviews: 9 positive, 0 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics like this a great deal, and the praise gathers in the same place: the film treats Bruce Wayne’s grief and his failed romance with Andrea Beaumont as the story, and keeps the costumed business in service of it. Several reviewers rank it above the live-action Batman films of its time for plotting and sincerity. Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill’s voice work is singled out repeatedly, as are the art-deco Gotham backgrounds and Shirley Walker’s mournful score. The brisk 76-minute running time is counted as a virtue. The spread is wide at the bottom, though the dissent is old. The Los Angeles Times, writing on release, finds the animation stiff and the voice acting campy, too dull for adults and too violent for small children. Variety, positive overall, agrees the animation is clunky and thinks the film suits adults better than its intended young audience. The later reviews, from 2011 onwards, contain almost no reservations at all. ## The AV Club — Oliver Sava Rating A. 18 April 2011. The critic praises the film as the ultimate expression of the series creators' vision, highlighting its sweeping romantic tragedy, psychological depth, strong voice performances (especially Mark Hamill's Joker), and how it expands on Bruce Wayne's mythology through flashbacks and emotional conflict. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/batman-the-animated-series-mask-of-the-phantasm-1798168006) ## Little White Lies — Greg Evans Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 18 September 2016. The critic calls it the most accurate and nuanced Batman portrayal on screen, praising its focus on loss, grief and Bruce Wayne's inner conflict over spectacle. Kevin Conroy's voice performance is singled out as arguably the best in the role. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/article/batman-mask-of-the-phantasm-animated-movie) ## RogerEbert.com — Matt Sigur Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 7 November 2018. The film is the best live-action or animated Batman movie of its era because it takes the character seriously and focuses on his emotional life and origin. It excels through tight storytelling, noir flashbacks, and animation that enables dynamic action sequences impossible in live-action. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/features/in-the-90s-batman-was-at-its-best-in-mask-of-the-phantasm) ## Slant Magazine — Jake Cole Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 22 September 2023. The critic calls the film a beloved crystallization of Batman: The Animated Series, praising its retro-future aesthetic, hard-boiled detective roots, and focus on Bruce Wayne's romance with Andrea Beaumont as a tragic, emotionally resonant story that has aged well. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/batman-mask-of-the-phantasm-review/) ## Empire Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. This spin-off from the Batman animated series is the best cartoon feature of 1993. It is better-plotted than Tim Burton’s live-action films, shares their semi-tragic characterisation of the conflicted superhero, and celebrates the art-deco gothic of Gotham. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/batman-mask-phantasm-review/) ## Variety — Leonard Klady Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 27 December 1993. The baroque animated thriller is a sophisticated throwback more appealing to adults than its youthful target audience, with strong voices and pulp storytelling but clunky animation that limits its theatrical appeal. It offers a fun, fatal romp with a high-pitched drama and earnest characters. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1993/film/reviews/batman-mask-of-the-phantasm-1200434663/) ## Los Angeles Times — Charles Solomon Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 27 December 1993. The film looks best in its stylish Art Deco backgrounds but suffers from stiff, Saturday-morning-style animation and campy voice acting that will bore adults while the violence may scare young children. It is a dark, convoluted story aimed squarely at adolescents who watch the TV series. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-12-27-ca-5964-story.html) ## Den of Geek — Kyle McManus Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 18 February 2016. The critic calls Mask of the Phantasm one of the very best and most emotionally satisfying Batman films, a criminally overlooked classic that explores Bruce Wayne’s romantic life, sacrifices, and motivations more effectively than many live-action entries. It praises the tight plotting, romance, score, voice performances (especially Conroy and Hamill), and how it humanizes the character in a brisk 76 minutes. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-best-batman-movie-youve-never-seen/) ## Polygon — dylan-roth Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 25 December 2023. The critic maintains that Mask of the Phantasm is still the best Batman movie, citing its superior emotional depth, compelling romance, mournful score, and focus on Bruce Wayne’s inner conflict over more technically ambitious live-action entries. He contrasts it favorably with the 1989 Batman, The Dark Knight, and The Batman in terms of sincerity and character texture. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/24007816/best-batman-movie-mask-of-phantasm) ## Paste — Kenneth Lowe Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 14 September 2022. The critic calls it the best Batman origin story on film and a worthy addition to the series, noting its tragic personal stakes and mature tone compared to most other Bat-films. He praises the cohesive art style, Shirley Walker score, and how it balances small-scale mob intrigue with deep character drama. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/batman-the-animated-series/batman-mask-of-the-phantasm-tragic-origin) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/batman-mask-of-the-phantasm.md