Batman: Mask of The Phantasm (PG)

This criminally overlooked entry in the Batman film franchise stands tall with the best of them, just because it’s animated doesn’t mean it doesn’t qualify as one of the greatest.

Batman (the late, great Kevin Conroy) is pitted against a mysterious figure who is rubbing out Gotham’s most dangerous criminals, and who many believe is the caped crusader himself. Bruce Wayne is about to get married to Andrea Beaumont (Dana Delany), who helps him recover from his need to avenge his parents' murder -- meaning that his crime-fighting days may be numbered.

During the peak of the ‘90s animated series, this was conceived as a standalone tale; it tells a surprisingly heartfelt and character-driven story of lost love and, indeed, the veritable flip-side to Batman's own vengeful vigilante persona. The film leans into the show’s retro-future aesthetic and doubles down on its fondness for the hard-boiled 1940s detective era that birthed Batman in the first place.

Remarkably mature and cinematic in its non-linear narrative structure, and rich in its understanding of its source material and the superbly drawn characters, Mask of the Phantasm is top tier Batman, and absolute classic for any age