Batman Mask of the Phantasm was intended to be a straight to video release, but Warner Bros. thought it had box office potential and gave it a theatrical release. I would imagine the writers must have panicked when they got the memo, but they certainly delivered. The movie failed at the box office but it has done very well on home video, and rightly so. With the writing staff and cast of the excellent Animated Series, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm became the first Batman movie where Batman was not overshadowed by the villains since the Adam West era. <br /><br />The Phantasm is a vigilante who systematically kills all of Gotham City's mob bosses. Witnesses mistake the Phantasm for Batman, and Batman finds himself pursued by the police, despite Commissioner Gordon's support. Batman hunts down the Phantasm to clear his name, but soon his arch-nemesis, the Joker, is hired to take out the Phantasm first! In the meantime, Bruce Wayne's ex-flame Andrea Beaumont is back in town, and this news leads to some flashbacks into Wayne's past. When they are reunited Wayne must choose between Andrea and Batman (which certainly happens a lot in superhero movies). We learn that the Phantasm has a very personal motive for killing these mob bosses, as well as a connection to the Joker, which keeps Wayne devoted to his duty for at least a little while longer. <br /><br />Mask of the Phantasm was really the first Batman origin story on the big screen, and in many ways it tells the story better than Begins. The flashbacks are interwoven throughout the movie but they don't feel like they are slowing the movie to a halt. We learn how Bruce Wayne began his crime fighting career and designed his costume. Alfred's reaction to the costume was perfect: "My God..." The cast is perfect. Kevin Conroy is still the best actor to play Batman (IMO), and Mark Hamill (!) of Star Wars fame makes a surprisingly good Joker. I was shocked when I learned Hamill was the Joker. My parents didn't even believe me when I told them, they thought it must be another actor with the same name! He is a dark villain yet just right for kids and adults to enjoy. This movie proves that a Batman movie can be made where Batman and the villains really balance each other out. Batman, The Phantasm, and The Joker all have compelling stories. The dialog is a lot better than the usual superhero cartoon, and the 1940's art deco design of Gotham City is my favorite. The love story actually does not feel like a distraction, which is a refreshing change. If I had one criticism it would be that the Phantasm is a little similar to Catwoman in Batman Returns. <br /><br />Find this movie on DVD. It is one of those really good movies that you can find really cheap, but I hope they come out with more special features in the future.