Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is the 362nd episode of Screen Junkies comedy series Honest Trailers. It was written by Spencer Gilbert, Joe Starr, Danielle Radford and Lon Harris. It was narrated by Jon Bailey as Epic Voice Guy. It parodies the 1993 animated superhero film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. It was published on September 8, 2020. It is 4 minutes and 29 seconds long. It has been viewed over 700,000 times.
Watch Honest Trailers - Batman: Mask of the Phantasm on YouTube
"Suit up with the Batman, a collection of rectangles and feeelings, as he takes on a new baddie: the Phantasm... I think. They never actually say it out loud." ~ Honest Trailer - Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Script[]
From the character who will be rebooted every few years until all movies are Batman (a post from The Series Regulars with the title "Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton Will Both Play Batman in the Flash Movie!" pops up), comes the feature-length version of the cartoon that babysat an entire generation of latchkey nerds. Thank you, Bat-Daddy.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
You've seen the story of how Batman began. (shows 1989 version of Bruce's parents' murder) A lot. (shows Batman Begins version) Okay, once more for good measure. (shows Batman v Superman version) Okay, that's enough. (shows Joker version) I said, enough! (shows Gotham version) Now, strap in to learn the cost that breaking bat took on Bruce's soul, because this cartoon is less about gadgets and beat 'em ups and more about the scars of a man who took on an impossible burden.
Bruce: (while kneeling at his parents' grave) I didn't count on being happy...
How much of this movie takes place in a graveyard? (montage of scenes set in a graveyard) ...Most of it. Fun!
Enter the seedy underbelly of Gotham, where the skyscrapers are tall and the World's Fairs go ham (shows a sign that reads "Go Ham World's Fair"), to suit up with the Batman, a collection of rectangles and feeelings, as he takes on a new baddie: the Phantasm... I think. They never actually say it out loud. They're a grim reaper with the power of atmospheric farts (fart sounds play as the Phantasm runs away in a cloud of smoke), who uses their martial arts and crab claw to take out some of the oldest, fattest mobsters in Gotham. (shows a shot of Valestra wheezing) Thrill as Batman rekindles an old flame in Andrea Beaumont, another classic entry in Bruce's "we're too damaged to make it work" dating history (Vicki Vale from Batman 1989, Dr. Chase Meridian from Batman Forever, Catwoman from Batman Returns, Miranda Tate/Talia al Ghul from The Dark Knight Rises), even though they both share a love for jiujitsu and dead parents.
Bruce: Who are you talking to?
Andrea: (pointing at her mother's grave) My mother.
What would a Batman be without a Joker? Unprofitable, so Mark Hamill shows up halfway through this one. Watch his take fall somewhere between Heath Ledger's chaotic intensity, Cesar Romero's gentlemanly warning before he tries to blow you up...
Joker: (over the phone) --I'm sending you a fun gift: airmail! (a bomb explodes close to Batman)
Joker: In five minutes, everything goes up! (laughing)
Joker: (over tape recorder) Whoops! You're not Batman after all. (the Phantasm leaps out as a bomb explodes)
...and Jared Leto's plausibility that he would be banging a robotic maid for fun.
Joker: You get in the mood and company shows up...
Come on, you really think they'd do the first animated Batman movie with an original villain? We live in an infinite universe, with an infinite capacity for more Joker stuff. (multiple articles pop up detailing hypothetical future Jokers in Batman movies)
So return to the art deco nightmare of Paul Dini's Gotham, for an animated classic that deserves to be at the top of your "Best Bat" list, by proving the best way to make Batman for adult audiences isn't with violence -- even though the blood in this is pretty sick (Joker wipes away a nosebleed) -- or by porking Batgirl for no good reason -- although this Batman definitely f*cks (shows Bruce embracing Andrea) -- but by pulling off what creators have been trying to do since the beginning: make a cool noir story about a guy who dresses like a bat that reflects on how sad it is that he can't stop doing so much awesome punching. <sniff> It's just... (punching) so... (more punching) very... (even more punching) sad! (still more punching)
Starring: The Batchelor (Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne/Batman); Phanta Phanta, Don't You Want A Phanta Phanta (Dana Delaney as Andrea Beaumont/The Phantasm); You Ever Dance with the Devil at the Abandoned World's Fair? (Mark Hamill as The Joker); Lord Business (Stacy Keach as Carl Beaumont); RIP Abe Vigoda (as Salvatore "The Wheezer" Valestra); Fast and the Furious 6. Or Was It 7 When They Did That. Maybe 5? (a car driving over a parking garage into another building); Zim's Mom (Joker's maid robot); Put a Sock on the Door Bruce! (montage of Alfred walking in on Bruce and Andrea kissing); The Ending of Hot Fuzz (Batman and Joker fighting in a model city); and Bat Squints (montage of Bruce/Batman squinting his eyes).
Batman Forever Alone
The honest title for Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was ‘Batman Forever Alone’. Titles designed by Robert Holtby.
Mobster: (looking at counterfeit money) Geez, Mr. Sol, I can't tell the difference!
Charles "Chuckie" Sol: It's identical, down to Ben Franklin's stubble.
Huh. This seems like the kind of thing the FBI could probably handle, rather than, you know, a violent vigilante? Didn't realize Batman even had a white collar crime division.
Viewer's Comments []
Please say: "I found their weakness! Without their heads they're powerless!" - Geralt of Rivia
Say, "you are depriving some village of their idiot" - Klaus - Akasha Snow
Please say, "Wakanda Forever" for Chadwick. - Clint Barton
Trivia []
- The final comment on the viewer's comments pays tribute to Chadwick Boseman, best known for his role as T'Challa/Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, who passed away on August 28, 2020 at the age of 43 due to cancer.
Reception []
Production Credits[]
Voice Narration: Jon Bailey aka Epic Voice Guy
Written by: Spencer Gilbert, Joe Starr, Danielle Radford & Lon Harris
Produced by: Spencer Gilbert & Joe Starr
Edited by: Kevin Williamsen
Post-Production Supervisor: Emin Bassavand
Supervising Producer: Max Dionne
Associate Producer: Ryan O'Toole
Executive Producer: Roth Cornet