'Batman: Mask of the Phantasm' image courtesy of Warner Bros.
We are one week away from
The LEGO Batman Movie. To mark the occasion, and because I'm seeing the Warner Bros./Time Warner Inc. film tomorrow and wanted to have this done beforehand, I'd like to take a moment to run down a quick list of the five best Batman animated features. As you probably know, there have been a lot of them, especially over the last decade since the DC Animated Universe direct-to-DVD brand launched in late 2007. Since titles with Batman, Superman and/or the Justice League tend to sell better on the home market than other character-based offerings, the vast majority of the DCAU titles feature or outright star the Dark Knight.
So in that sense, The LEGO Batman Movie is merely one of a bunch and Warner Home Video branch has had a number of LEGO titles based on DC Comics characters within the last four years. But in the sense that The LEGO Batman Movie will actually be playing in theaters, it is a rarity. We don't get a lot of theatrical animated releases based on existing superhero properties, especially not since the late 1990's/early 2000's. But that may be a conversation for another day. In the meantime, let's take a look at the best in the ever-expanding world of animated Batman features.
5. LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League: Gotham City Breakout (2016)
There have actually been six LEGO movies based in the DC Comics universe, and this sixth one is arguably the best of the bunch. The comic adventure concerns our overburdened Caped Crusader who gets egged on by his surrogate family to take an all-too-rare vacation while Superman guards Gotham in his absence. Unfortunately said sabbatical occurs concurrently with a mass exodus from Arkham, which pits Superman against all of Batman's worst enemies. Oh, and Batman's would-be vacation ends up becoming an adventure in-and-of-itself as a trip to his former dojo becomes a battle of wits and brawn with Deathstroke. Egad!
All of this is played for kid-friendly comedic effect, but the good-natured ribbing (Superman complains that Gotham is too dark-n-gritty) is in full effect. I am not going to give away the best jokes, but the movie is a genuine laugh riot from beginning to end. It scores a tricky balance of being a kid-friendly action adventure, an adult-friendly comedy (without resorting to actual adult content), and a firmly satisfying character drama. As noted, I am seeing The LEGO Batman Movie tomorrow. I can only hope it's as much fun as Justice League: Gotham City Breakout.
4. Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (2016)
This very recent release is exactly what it promises, an original animated film set within the universe of the 1960's Batman television show, with surviving cast members Adam West, Burt Ward and Julie Newmar coming back to voice their iconic roles. But this is no mere nostalgic throwback. Written by Michael Jelenic and James Tucker and directed by Rick Morales, the film concerns what happens when Batman is poisoned with a drug that brings out increased aggression and borderline authoritarian tendencies in our most friendly of Caped Crusaders. The film operates firmly within the world of the TV series (no, Batman doesn't kill anyone), but has great fun portraying Adam West's iconically do-gooder Batman as a much darker knight.
The picture operates as a rebuttal to those who would decry the 1960's camp variation of the character, offering both a full-throated defense and a subtle admonishment for those who would prefer that their superheroes be less heroic. It is a commentary on the irony of the last 27 years, how we've come from having to justify a darker version of the character to now having to justify a more overtly heroic version. Those of us who thrilled to Tim Burton's Batman as kids are now old enough to truly appreciate the inherent decency (and cutting satire) of the 1960's television show. The film was a VOD/DVD release, but it did get a Fathom Events one-night-only theatrical release as well as a brief release in Australia and New Zealand, where it made a whopping $57,343.
3. Batman: Under the Hood (2010)
Yes, there is way too much Batman in the DCAU features. But if you must watch only one Batman DVD animated feature from the last ten years, make it this one. Most of the earlier DCAU films are adaptations from popular comic arcs. They've since moved to adapting current comic book arcs over the last few years. This is not only the best of the many DCAU Batman movies, it is actually one that improves on the source material. Yes, it's still the same absurd "Jason Todd is back from the dead" stuff which pits a newly resurrected Robin against Black Mask, the Joker, and Batman. But since this is just a one-off story, it's not invalidating 15 years of comic continuity in the bargain.
The streamlining of the story causes the occasional hiccup (we're supposed to buy that Ra's Al Ghul feels bad about Joker killing Robin, but not Joker killing countless other innocents on his orders), but the film is a better work than the original drawn-out comic book arc. Jensen Ackles is terrific as "the Red Hood", and the final third brings one of the more unabashedly emotional confrontations in the DCAU. Under the Red Hood makes the very best of a dumb story and is one of the most unabashedly entertaining entries thus far. It's exciting, obscenely violent (this would have been R-rated in live-action), morbidly funny and uncommonly satisfying. I wish the DCAU would go back to adapting "greatest hits" arcs as opposed to whatever comes next in the New 52, and to be fair the next one on tap is Teen Titans: The Judas Contract.
2. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000)
For those not-in-the-know, Batman Beyond was a 52-episode animated spin-off that ran from 1999 to 2001 which took place 50-years after Batman: The Animated Series where an old and alone Bruce Wayne finds himself mentoring a bitter young man whose father was murdered by the crooks running Wayne Enterprises. The show had its ups-and-downs, but to its credit it rarely leaned on the whole "Hey, here's the one where we meet future Riddler!" crutch. This direct-to-DVD movie, concerning the return of the seemingly long-dead Clown Prince of Crime, served as both a coming-of-age moment for young Terry McGuinness, a healing-of-old-wounds moment for Bruce and his former protegees, and an answer to just why Bruce initially stopped being Batman.
The film has some terrific action sequences and the usual strong vocals that we expect from the DCAU, but the kicker/reason-for-the-season is the film's big flashback sequence, which details just what went down during what would be the final battle between Batman and The Joker. And it was actually a while before fans got to see the whole sequence as intended. The film underset severe and controversial pre-release editing after the violent content was considered too much not for the home video market but for the Kids WB networks that would have wanted to eventually air the film sans edits. The cuts and release delays were so last-minute that video stores already had VHS screeners of the original version. Yes, I darn-well procured one, but that's a story for another day.
The PG-13 version, released on DVD in 2002, is obviously the ideal cut of the film, and I'd imagine by now that more people have seen the original than the altered cut. Yes, the flashback sequence, which is a corker, is the main event, but the rest of the film offers a mournful and moving character drama whereby the new Batman triumphs over an old foe by means unique unto himself. It is also the second film on this list with a terrific vocal performance by Mark Hamill as The Joker. Hamill has been doing the voice on-and-off for nearly 25 years now, and these (comparatively) early performances still make up some of his best work in what is often considered the definitive version of a pop-culture icon.
1. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
Batman: The Animated Series will be turning 25-years old this September. I'm assuming if you're reading an article about animated Dark Knight movies you don't need me to explain the artistic triumphs and cultural impacts of said Bruce Timm/Eric Radomski Fox Kids animated episodic. Mask of the Phantasm told a story of Bruce Wayne's former flame, a woman for whom he would have put aside his childhood vow while mixing in a present-day thriller with the Caped Crusader framed for the deaths of several mob bosses. as originally meant to be a direct-to-VHS offering before Warner Bros. decided, somewhat late in the game, to go theatrical with a semi-wide Christmas Day release.
The romantic drama/murder mystery everything great about the television show (gorgeous art-deco animation, emotionally poignant acting, a human-sized sense of scale that made Gotham feel like a lived-in city) with just a bit more in the way of production values, melodrama, and PG-rated violence. But no one knew what to make of the film. This was 1993 and the idea of a grim and somewhat violent extension of a kid-targeted superhero cartoon playing at a theater near you was downright bizarre. I saw the first Christmas Day showing in 1993 and I was among the only people in the theater. Cue a $1.1 million debut weekend and a $5.6m domestic total. There are those who will argue that
There are those who will argue that Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was the very best Batman movie of any kind until Batman Begins. I won't go that far (I adore the Burton films), but I will say that it stands tall alongside the very best episodes of what I consider the best adaptation of the Dark Knight in any medium.
And that's a wrap for this specific countdown. For those wondering, The Batman/Superman Movie is actually a three-part episode of Superman: The Animated Series while Batman: Assault on Arkham is actually a Suicide Squad movie. Both are noticeably better than their live-action variations, but that's a conversation for another day (also: Batman: Subzero > Batman & Robin). Oh, and The Last Frontier is more of a Justice League ensemble picture, as is The Flashpoint Paradox. Finally, Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman is an underrated gem. Feel free to share your favorites below.
