Batman:Maskof thePhantasm

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is the first original theatrical film released by Warner Bros. Animation as a continuation to Batman: The Animated Series. And just like television show, the movie is one of the greatest tales told about the titular character, ever!

There's an irreplaceable quality when it comes to hand-drawn animation. Just take a look at the colors, shadows, blacks and whites — It's all visceral and punctuating! Accompanied by Shirley Walker's haunting score, the picture is truly terrifying in so many aspects. The pauses and emphasis on the intensity of the action sequences are amazingly pulled off too. Entire police force relentlessly chasing after Batman as he nearly escapes capture and potential death has got to be one of the tensest scenes in the history of Batman's tensest scenes!

In Mask of the Phantasm, we get to see how Bruce Wayne became The Caped Crusader. Him finding the actual bat cave, conceptualizing his future costume-to-be that would strike fear and the Joker's origin will definitely excite you! More than anything, the choice between crimefighting or living with the love of his life is a huge dilemma, and wait till you see both of these directly collide in a fantastic revelation towards the end! Solid reversals, foreshadowing and revelations are the strong suits for this Batman motion picture for sure!

Granted yes, the flick doesn't resolve Batman's (voiced by Kevin Conroy) reputation among the police. But it's a minor flaw in a feature that puts Kuleshov Effect to great use, with extremely rewarding plot, characters and universe! It's a film that allows you feel the vulnerability of Batman. He is unimaginably human just like the rest of us and that is the main prize here, ladies and gentlemen!