Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a classic for fans of Batman: The Animated Series. The 1993 film was mostly ignored during its brief theatrical release, and we’ve talked about that at quite some length before. Over the past two decades, the film has been rediscovered and reevaluated as an unmissable entry in Batman’s cinematic legacy.
However, the film has never been released in high definition. Not anymore! Warner Archive announced that Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is finally headed to Blu-ray this July!
What Can We Expect from the Blu-ray?
The Blu-ray will feature a brand new 1080p HD remaster. You’ll also have both the original theatrical aspect ratio (16×9 or 1:78:1) and the open matte transfer (4×3 or 1:37:1) that was on VHS releases of the film. Unfortunately, the only special feature listed is the theatrical trailer (also an HD remaster).
That might stop some fans from picking this up but it shouldn’t. Seeing a large demand for this release will show how motivated fans are for this film. If this does well, it’s likely that Warner Bros will spring for a special edition. It would be amazing to get a tricked out version of this release, but purchasing this Blu-ray is going to be the first big step in making that happen.
Regardless, this is phenomenal news for Batman fans. If you haven’t seen Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, definitely pick this up. It’s easily the best animated Batman film and could stand toe-to-toe with most of the live-action releases. If you have seen it, pick this up and show Warner Bros that the huge support for this movie proves that fans will get behind this new HD transfer. I recently got to see a film print of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm at the New Beverly Cinema and it’s a film that deserves to be seen in the best way possible. Right now, this Blu-ray is it.
