Batman: Mask of the Phantasm | Full Movie | Movies Anywhere

Rather than being either a thrilling detective story or an action-packed adventure, it’s a pensive, thoughtful exploration of the schism that exists within Bruce Wayne.

This animated addition to the Batman myth is that rarity -- a mystery that is genuinely absorbing, suspenseful and moving.

The film is beautifully drawn in a stilted, halting style that fits perfectly with Bruce/Batman's stiff personality, and well directed by Eric Radomski and Bruce W. Timm.

Based on Fox Broadcasting's daily TV series, the movie shares many of its virtues, including superb animation, a stylish "Dark Deco" look and an understanding of the psychological underpinnings that drive the man in the bat suit.

The Caped Crusader makes his second leap from television to the silver screen in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, an unusual animated film that gives us Gotham City's savior the way he was meant to be.