"They made this mess for him. That's the punchline. " Joker's laugh scored by that amazing music has always been epic and spine chilling. But this time... Seriously, amazing stuff.
This movie is an underrated masterpiece. It’s also worth noting that the lyrics Shirley Walker put with her movie score for this film, are actually stressed-syllables of all the credits of people involved with the movie sung backwards. It’s a clever trick, executed masterfully that gives you an other-worldly, ‘not-quite-latin’ language sound that has you wondering what you’re listening to while perfectly placed to emphasize the action and plot of the film.
I think what was so dissapointing about Arkham Knight was how little payoff there was for the hype. For example Rocksteady kept trying to hype up the Arkham Knight as not only "a brand new villain" but as "the ultimate Batman villain". But then it turned out that not only was he not a brand new villain, his identity was the most obvious choice they could have gone with: Jason Todd. Essentially The Arkham Knight was nothing more than a glorifed proto-Red Hood.
I believe this is the best Batman movie because of how it depicts Bruce Wayne. As you pointed in the video, the scene at the Wayne's grave is outstanding.
Batman Returns is my favorite film in the Batman franchise because of just how weird, dark, and stylized it is, but Mask of The Phantasm is the best "Batman Film". There's a difference.
I always saw that Bruce slowly losing his playboy characteristics and becoming more like Batman as the series went on reflected how much of a toll his career was taking on him. It’sa path that leads him to the Bruce we see in beyond whose basically just Batman inside & out.
I think the animated series is helped a lot by its creative staff which is composed by a lot of comic book professionals. Like Rhas' creator basically wrote all the episodes he's in.
9:47 Perhaps this is why live-action adaptations of anime haven't been successful; we all want it to be made in live-action in order to feel justified in what we like but in the end of the day the medium of animation already captured what there was to capture in said stories that live action has yet to fully capture.
What a great video. The Nolan films always sat wrong with me and you hit the nail on the head - the characters all analysed themselves by blethering on for ages. It felt like they were nervous that we wouldn't think they were clever enough, and you can't have that attitude without betraying just a hint of self-doubt.
Yeah, I'm sure I'll come off as a pretentious ass for saying this, but I think a lot of Nolan's recent stuff is made to /feel/ like a thinking-man's movie instead of actually /being/ one. That said, I can still enjoy his movies. Either I'm easily entertained, he's a good director, or both (probably both).
I think one could criticize most of Nolan's filmography for having dialogue that sounds like first-year philosophy debate class instead of normal conversations people have.
Crowley9 I don't think that's inherently a bad thing. Movies, plays, etc. will always be a heightened form of reality anyways. Realistic dialogue can be a choice, and it can be done well, but that doesn't make it the only right choice.
Certainly, but in Nolan's case I think it goes further than just sounding unrealistic, which I probably should have elaborated on in the first place. After all, Shakespeare's dialogue is obviously not realistic, but people rarely complain about that. With Nolan, his dialogue tends to be weighted far too much in favour of intellectual discussion and lacking in other aspects like eloquence or emotional weight. And the treatment given to the heavy topics tends to be very shallow and simplistic. I feel these shortcomings highlight each other. When the only thing in dialogue that engages you is the intellectual content, you give it your full attention and realize that it barely goes anywhere.
@@Crowley9 I remember one year of school where my English class were studying a novel while another (possibly lower level or possibly more specialist) class was studying the Dark Knight. I was super jealous at the time, not only because they got a flashy contemporary movie while we got some stuffy classic, but also because we had to do our own analysis, while they essentially had theirs pre-written by the movie itself.
I suppose one thing with Animation is that you usually can take suspension of disbelief a tiny bit further than you can with live action. So, it's good for stories where you need people to take a more ridiculous premise a bit more seriously. A good example would be Scooby-Doo. It has a silly premise, but I can take it a bit more seriously in animation than in live-action. Same goes with Batman: at its core, it's a serious story, but has a slightly silly premise with a guy dressing up like a bat to scare the criminal underworld. In animation, this is a bit easier to pull off.
I love this movie, You can make an hour long video just on Andrea alone. Bruce Wayne is the Mask Batman wears to hide his true self and Andrea is the Mask the Phantasm wears
Well....he claims to like watchmen. Problem is he liked the visuals and the sex and violence and never stopped to consider what the story was actually saying.
What I love the most about this and Under the Red Hood is the ending, the missions are accomplished but it's never really a happy one. Phantasm has Batman solving the mystery and stopping the Joker but the love of his life has left and has become a dark take on Batman. Red Hood has Batman stopping Red Hood and finding out Jason is alive but it doesn't change the fact that Jason died and Batman couldn't save him and Jason has also gone down a darker more dangerous path.
2020, and hearing how its cast describes the coming Matt Reeves Batman movie, (dark, emotional, deep, moving, gorgeous), man. It gives me hope that we might get something like Mask of the Phantasm. 💓
Wow...this was phenomenal. Many subtleties and details I never even thought of before. I hadn’t seen it in years before the blu Ray came out a few months ago. Upon seeing it, it really blew me away. Although, I have a question, what do you think of other DCAU shows? Personally Justice League was always my favorite. I am also happy to see you got past the copyright bots for this video. My review had been blocked worldwide.
This was _the_ cartoon of my childhood and I just got through watching all four seasons again, for the first time in years. Agreed about season 4, BTW. Agreed with almost everything in this video. You've said it all already, but the BTAS crew just 'got' Batman, and the art of storytelling, in ways that live action and even other animated efforts didn't.
Regarding the portrayal of Bruce Wayne from season 4 onward, the only reason I can think they made him a more serious character was to help him contrast better with Clark Kent. I guess they figured they couldn't have two superheroes disguise themselves as clumsy goofs. Though I don't remember how clumsy Kent was in that show...
I'm here because of your extraordinary FF doc! Enjoyed this commentary! I like to think that the later Bruce Timm Bruce Wayne--the one that is only very subtly different from Batman--is that he has accepted his fate--one he deals with in "Batman Beyond." I disagree with you concerning Nolan, but probably agree with Synder.
Really, Timm, Radomski and co. were the geniuses. They were great at taking everything they loved and turning it into a style with its own name we all got straight away, never bettered in tv animation.
I'll admit as much as I love the Nolan Batman trilogy (well the first 2 films anyway) i think it would've been beneficial if they had reflected the comic book world more (especially in regards to Ras Al Gul and Bane). The Dark Knight gets away with it the most since the Joker is only human and you can get away with some realism. I'm not a fan of the Tim Burton films at all in terms of tone and character but they definitely look like Batman films. If we got the look of the Burton films mixed with the feel of the Nolan films, then that would be the ideal live action Batman film. Great video btw, Phantasm is brilliant. The Phantasm as a villain is what the Arkham Knight should've been. Disagree about Wonder Woman though, but don't worry I won't dislike.
This video deserves a million views. I've always said they've never done a good live action Batman (character). Phantasm really stuck with me as a kid, and I barely knew why, but when I got older I realized it was a cinematic masterpiece. Unlike almost every other Batman movie, it's about Batman, and doesn't lean of the spectacle of the villain to carry the story.
I loved the Batman the Brave and Bold's episode "The Super Batman of Planet X" They may have given one of the Batmen in that episode powers but the reactions the characters have is still the same. Earth Batman walk's a line between himself and a new persona, and the other tries to compensate for living in a world where such power exists and if he's necessary anymore. And I now have to rewatch Mask of the Phantasm to see what you see. Thank you, I'm looking forward to visiting this golden gem.
Great episode explaining advantages of animation, like comparing the Justice League animated series with Synder movies. Smaller productions aren't weighed down with inane inner politics of the studio system.
Thank the Owl-Boi for introducing me to this channel. Exceptional stuff mate, Animated Series is phenomenal and your analysis of Phantasm and the character himself are very interesting. Keep it up!
Dude, between your Sly Cooper videos (which is how I discovered this channel) and this, the quality is absolutely amazing. Definitely gonna check out the rest soon.
Goddamn, sir, is it nice to hear someone who feels the same way about the Nolan movies, especially in comparison to the animated series. Thought I was going crazy. Edit: This whole thing was brilliant! The amount of work that must have gone into this… One of the best takes on Batman I’ve ever seen, heard or read.
So I just found you today - stumbled upon you, in fact. I'm very glad I did. I'd like to sit and toss a few back with you in/over/with discussions just like this. Simply put; I couldn't agree with you more. From the first fight where Batman knocks someone out by stepping on the table that covers said someone's thugish body, to the greed and downward spiral of the crusading Arthur - the vapidity of Bruce's party guests to Sal's reluctant job interview and everything that surrounds them; this movie is one that simply never grows tired, never misses a beat, never, to date at least, finds itself outpaced by any other piece of Batman's history. Many thanks for the vid.
13:52 "The good guy who dresses like the bad guy" That seems to be an enduring concept. Both Batman and Berserk can eventually be boiled down to that concept and yet both are so much more. With fan-bases that happily celibate that "More-ness" too. A lot of similarities now that I think of it. Perhaps something worth looking into.
Growing up I loved the movie. It made me cry at the end that Bruce couldn't be with Andrea. It was so very beautiful and intense. I was addicted to it.
The Phantasm might is a combination of 2 villains. The Reaper, which is we're the the skull mask and blade hand came from, and The Spook, a Escape artist criminal who makes people believe he's ghost using special effects.
One thing that always sat wrong with me about Nolans films was that Batman didn't do much detecting. Granted there was some in the Dark Knight, but that was finding out who the Joker was, and tracking a bullet. Not a simple "This man has been killed, but here's a clue" kind of thing. It's why I think the Riddler should be given another chance, but instead of the insanity Jim Carrey brought, we have someone who truely thinks himself better, who for years has left unsolved clues. Someone who at first left them by accident, but upon realising that no one noticed, began to leave them on purpose. This, of course, is why Batman wins, because Riddlers Ego gets the better of him, but that's the point. He's never had someone challenge him and win. We don't need another big name villain like Two-Face or Bane to be a side kick, instead we have someone smaller, like Calender Man or Zsasz, someone who is just another pawn in Riddlers game, but also a clue. Zsasz also gives Batman someone to fight, without it being cheesy. All in all, Nolans films are a product of great potential, but ultimately not fully realising it.
I have always felt Batman beyond: the return of Joker Was a sequel to this movie, and also it’s exact opposite. Yeah, yeah yeah I know it literally is a sequel, and in the same continuity, whatever. My point is that just as you said the other movies don’t really convey the same Heft or depth or scope, but BBTROJ does for me. If TMOTP shows us his beginning, TROJ shows us his end. as a counterpoint to Bruce Wayne, sobbing at his parents grave, I point out Bruce Wayne panicked and screaming in fear because he thinks Terry is going to die. One is his anguish at a promise he made, the other is his anguish over a promise Terry made to him. And of course TMOTP shows us Joker’s beginning, and TROTJ shows us his definite final end. While they are very, very different films, I feel a sort of emotional continuity between them that is absent in all of the others
"I say like there is only one (bad Batman)" * shows R.I.P ...Now I am curious on a review of that and/or Morrison's Batman as a whole, because while I am fond of it, I NEVER see much discussion of it on a review context.
but honestly, this film has 2 of my top three batman moments, 16:30 The laugh, 19:20 the grave pleading, and Batman beyond: return of the joker's Death of the animated series joker
About your zack snyder comments, he doesn't actually like superheroes. He once said in regards to iron man 2008, "Fans should be careful or we could end up with Captain America or Thor movies" I don't think that requires further information.
Nice video, as usual. I especially agree with how most of the live action movies don't have faith in what they're adapting and try to put on this fake persona. The Nolan trilogy had it's moments but it often felt very hollow.
This comment is two years old(as is this video) but I disagree strongly with this comment. I thought at least with the first two they were some of the finest superhero adaptions put to film. I much prefer them over Phantasm any day of the week but I respect the opinion.
Morrison among the bad ones ? Just for that, I would kiss you ! Words cannot describe the bile I'd puke at the thought of it.. As for ASBAR, I honestly find it too hilarious to be angry at it ... Oh just one thing; don't you fucking diss PartyMAN ! THAT section is PERFECT Joker put on screen ! And that's the reason why 70's - 90's Looney Tunes-esque Joker IS best Joker ! Diabolically entertaining with the pettiness and crackpot schemes that go with it !
Great video. I only disagree with Season 4, if you watch Batman TAS, then New Adventures, Justice Justice League and finally Justice League, you see a subtle arc. As Batman continues to fight, Wayne and Batman begin to blend together. He becomes a darker and darker character. There's a similar thing going on with Superman, he slowly becomes more street wise, a bit more cynical. That's what happens when you see so much darkness.
I’m glad someone else also doesn’t care at all for Gal Gadot’s take on Wonder Woman. I just don’t understand why people love her so much. Can anyone tell me?
nah don't worry about dissing wonder woman, it's only so high rated cuz of the political climate atm (along with black panther) both are rather ho hum movies thought to be "revolutionary" cuz of the lead actors/cast. And thanks for pointing out all the brilliance of mask of the phantasm, still to this day one of my favorite movies. Now to see how long it takes for my comment to get deleted/removed by the youtube thought police.
Nolan films are a villain character study more than anything else. Batman is just a vehicle in the narrative. At least in the DK and DKR. Batman Begins has bit of a confused identity.
