"All murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets."

-Voltaire

"Traitor" is another movie in the line of Iraq war movies. And while this film does not directly deal in the actual war, it does deal in the war against terror, which I am pretty sure are the same.

Reminding me immensely of last year's "The Kingdom", "Traitor" follows the story of a Muslim man, Samir (Don Cheadle) who is actually a deep cover operative for a branch of the US government.

How does this remind me of "The Kingdom" you ask, well if you have seen that movie you know that it casts a sympathetic light on the otherwise slandered name of the Muslim. Both of these films show that not all Muslims want to blow Americans up.

Samir is a deeply religious man, who wants only to serve God, after being caught while trying to sell detonators to, who we can only call Terrorists, he is sent to prison. Now before I get to ahead of myself I have to let you know that the story gets sort of confusing at times, at least for me.

For instance I am not sure why, out of all of the people there, the FBI chooses to interrogate Samir, but maybe I just wasn't paying enough attention.

Without revealing too much I will just say that Samir escapes and gets caught up with a radical terrorist group that tests both his faith in God and in man in general. And of course the FBI is after him at every turn.

The FBI are Guy Pierce and Neal McDonough ,who to their credit do a very nice job, although it was a just a little too "Good cop, Bad cop" for the entire film. Perhaps my favorite character has to be Jeff Daniels who plays Samir's US contact. But that is just because I am a huge fan of his.

In summation this is a great thriller, if you can wrap your mind around the plot, with great acting. Unfortunately I do not foresee any Box Office records being broken, or Oscars being won, but if you are in the mood for a good ride then I would recommend "Traitor"


Is Don Cheadle a terrorist or an undercover operative? The suspense is killing absolutely no one. By the numbers thriller with predictable outcome. Cardboard characters, clumsy emotional manipulation, implausible storyline and cliché twists weigh against decent production values, competent acting and a reasonably balanced portrayal of participants in the war on terror. Terrorist Thriller #0988047 should turn a moderate profit. Hey, Hollywood is a business so one can't fault the producers for not taking risks. Nevertheless, it'd be nice if they threw in a few curveballs so we'd know that the script wasn't written by computer. Steer clear of this poor man's 'Syriana' if you're looking for something new.


"Traitor" works well for what it is trying to do, but is not breaking a lot of new ground in any one area. If you're looking for a thought provoking suspenseful thriller that covers some political controversy, well, it suits this need perfectly fine.

OK, so you can tell I am not super hyped about "Traitor", but I don't want to overemphasize that. In the areas where it excels, it does so marvelously. The cinematography, with the super low-depth of field close-ups and interesting bokeh, really helped create a unique mood for the movie. The pacing was decent and the acting all top notch. The musical score didn't interfere with the experience, and helped heighten the perspective of the film.

The movie does a fairly decent job of humanizing the U.S. agencies as well as the terrorists and their motivations. I see a lot of people feel the views of U.S. policy as presented in this movie as being controversial, I more feel they are pointedly obvious and find it sad people find this "alternative" perspective unusual or shocking. But, I guess if you can approach the film objectively, it does offer a very sympathetic and humanizing perspective to all of the characters, regardless of their malicious intentions.

Overall, I recommend the movie, but also feel there are a lot of other films in the theater now that should be seen first. I guess it depends on what sort of experience you're looking for.


This movie was ridiculous.

I found the story to be pretty weak to say the least. It's about an Islamic man, grouping with some terrorists in Jemen, to plot attacks throughout the western world.

The movie was obviously created as a scare tactic for the viewing public.

It should be noted that most acts of terrorism are done with ideological motivation, rather than religious ones, but still in this movie you see the 'terrorists' praying to the east every other ten minutes, and in almost every line they speak about Allah, and their devotion to Islam.

Besides the blatant anti-Muslim propaganda, the movie even contains parts where flashy images show regular looking people traveling on public transportation, who according to the movie really are terrorists who could be carrying a bag, a notebook, or simply people with an Arab appearance.

After the movie was over I couldn't believe the actors actually agreed to cooperate with this, but then I figured the Pentagon must be sending really big cheques to buy their souls.

I do not advise anyone to view this movie, because the brainwashing techniques used, will probably scare the average viewer into submission.

If you happen to be studying Propaganda Techniques used in Hollywood Movies, then this one is one to watch for you.


If you're a liberal looking for some anti-American propaganda then be sure to rent this movie. All the reviewers who claim it makes you think and has a message are correct but it only makes you think for about two seconds - then you realize the attempts of moral equivalence between us and the terrorists are totally unconvincing.

The movie wants you to "think" about all kinds of unlikely scenarios that are more likely to confuse you than give you insight into the world of terrorism. 1. Samir's background is so odd. He's born in Sudan, watches his father murdered in a car bombing, is raised in Chicago by a full-on Muslim mother, then joins the US Army, then leaves the army and joins the Mujahadeen (terrorist group), then is an moderate Muslim working undercover helping the US government fight terrorism? It just makes you scratch your head. 2. One point made in the movie is that Americans were once terrorists to the British - yeah right! What a profound thought. The colonists were so well known for killing civilians deliberately. 3. Did you also know America is a racist country? "America uses bombs on innocent people, too. They just have darker skin." I have no idea what that means. 4. Because America treats Muslims badly is why they get involved in terrorism. We're the cause. Very original. 5. When Samir makes the FBI ten most wanted list (or whatever it is), the terrorists tell him American put a fatwah on him. So again we're just like the terrorists. 6. The Klan burns crosses and calls it Christianity, so you see all religions have their fringe elements. So don't single out Islam. I don't even know how you could accept this argument. Maybe because there isn't one mainstream church that would speak in support of any Klan activity while no Muslim leader that I've heard has condemned Islamic terrorism.

I'm usually good at not renting movies I'm unfamiliar with unless I've read some reviews, but I got this one solely based on the cover and got burned big time. It was only a dollar but out of principle I still feel dirty having supported this movie in any way.


That's a very convincing point you made. So let me get this straight, you didn't say wow, it was great for adults and teenagers (so they've killed their chances at the toddler and senior citizen market?), it was above average but failed at being a really good movie, BUT kept you on the edge of your seat. Very concise and to the point, good job. I'm definitely gonna go and probably see this movie or another one.

Traitor was very edge of your seat thriller. The movie just doesn't really ever make you say wow. The whole movie was the SAME from beginning to end. It was just mostly bombings. The story was way to confusing and was jumping all over. Despite that the movie was ABOVE AVERAGE. If the movie wasn't so confusing and boring it would have been great. This movie had so much potential to be a good movie but failed. This was a GREAT MOVIE for adults to see though. I think most teenagers wouldn't enjoy it as much. So I do recommend this movie to adults. The acting was very good and Don Cheadle didn't fail once. He was great and really was a blast to watch in this movie. Overall though the movie was alright with very good acting. Go see it if you like thrillers.


I think that this kind of movies is unreal, and why is that.... its because this kind of movies makes all the muslims terrorist but the truooth that the Islamic religion is peaceful religion, like any other religion and muslims people which they are 1.5 billion are good, in the most, yes there are some bad people like any other race or religion, the people who makes the films just want to deform the image of Islam, for there own purpose, the stupid who judge people or religions and he don't knew nothing about the truth, movies are made to tell you what you wanna hear not the truth (wake up and see the real news and not only what western says see what eastern says to be a judge).


Who is Samir Horn (Don Cheadle)? The FBI wants to know that too, especially after a visit from Agents Clayton (Guy Pearce) and Archer (Neal McDonough). Is he an opportunist selling weapons to the highest bidder? Or, is he something more? Maybe he is a plant by some US agency. We really don't know.

While Homeland Security is tracking down a bomb threat in the US, Horn is involved with Muslim extremist overseas. The interesting thing about this is that we visit the motivations behind the extremists in reaction to the American presence in the Middle East, and the racial profiling and religious prejudice in the US.

Cheadle is perfect for this role. he presents as a truly converted and religious man who only wants to serve Allah. Is it all an act? The tension is ratcheted up as the massive and ambitious operation in the US is set in motion. Will he make it happen or stop it? Will they catch him in time? Saïd Taghmaoui as Omar was also excellent, as was Pearce. The tension never lets up as the mission comes to the end.

A great thriller that gives us insight into both sides.


Gripping but derivative thriller about terrorists and the people trying to stop them. Don Cheadle plays a Muslim who is a secret agent with the United States, under the supervision of a single man in the FBI, played by Jeff Daniels. No one else knows his true intentions, but he is connected to a terrorist organization by two other FBI agents, Guy Pearce and Neal Mcdonough. Cheadle has infiltrated these terrorists, lead by Saïd Taghmaoui, who also played a terrorist earlier in 2008 in Vantage Point, so deeply he's afraid that he'll have carried out attacks against the U.S. before Daniels gets what he wants. Traitor is clearly indebted to The Departed in its plot  no points for guessing what happens to Daniels eventually  and the Bourne movies in tone and style (although not nearly as shaky). It never transcends its influences, and is thus, in the end, generic and forgettable. I don't want to be too harsh, however. For a bit of mild entertainment, it's well worth seeing. The final twist is great, if initially confusing and unintentionally hilarious. And the performances are quite good. I saw it mainly for Cheadle, who, as far as I'm concerned, can do no wrong. Pearce is quite good, too.


A good character study (excellent rendition by Don Cheadle), a well crafted story, an action thriller film mingled with ingenious espionage and conspiracies. The greatest line of the film, perhaps the morale of the story, I think, comes at the very end: "The Qur'an says that if you kill an innocent person it's as if you've killed all mankind", but "it also says that if you save a life it's like you've saved all mankind". Any gospel can be used to justify anything, but all affirm God, as the one who gave us all, regardless of religion, ethnicity, political affiliation the most precious gift of all, the gift of life. And no matter how we imagine the "after-life" (Paradise, eternal life ...), we should respect and protect life, for as long or short it's given to each of us.


This film has caught me off guard a few times. At first I thought Samir Horn(Don Cheadle) was trying to infiltrate the terrorist organization who are suicide bombers that believes in something like the Qur'an by earning there trust, but later it seemed that he was actually loyal to the terrorist organization or even a double agent. And thought it would show the film in the terrorist point of view from the main character, which probably wouldn't have sit right with most Americans. But later it is revealed that he does work for a organization that is trying to take down the terrorist group leader Nathir and get a hold of the terrorist plans. Even while playing this guessing game, I didn't feel cheated because it was well crafted and gave some clues. I found the whole premise of Samir going to prison in order to befriend Omar who is a member of the terrorist organization a bit over the top, but there is way more over the top stuff that happens in these types of genres. I found the joke about how the suicide bombers are on a mission to get laid with 72 virgins pretty funny. Since it is pretty much the truth, but the film shows that not every people that believe in Allah are bad people and even the revealing of Samir's past shows this, who is also a firm believer in Allah. In fact I didn't necessarily hate Samir or Omar, even if Omar is a real terrorist for some reason. Maybe because of his honorable ways while being courageous, although being courageous isn't necessarily a good thing. So basically agent Roy Clayton investigates a dangerous international conspiracy responsible for a prison break in Yemen, a bombing in Nice and a raid in London. And all clues seem to lead back to a former U.S Special Operations officer, Samir horn. But soon contradictory evidence emerges, forcing Clayton to question whether his suspect is a disaffected former military operative or something more complicated, like the movies tagline. I was expecting some flashy fast paced spy movie but it turned out different from what I expected in that, it has some good drama to go with the action in fact the film has more drama than action. The first hour of "Traitor" was simply great, but after the first hour it started to lose it's entertainment value and became a bit tedious. The parts after the first hour wasn't bad, but just wasn't good as the first hour of the film which kept me guessing. After the first hour, things start to get predictable, not that I knew what the ending was going to be or Samir's last plan, but I knew what direction it is going. The stupid character decisions that jeopardize the mission got a bit irritating as well, it just seemed illogical and irrational. It was a decent espionage thriller with few glitches to sum it up.

7.4/10


The ever-watchable Don Cheadle, who has turned in so many fine performances, here does it again, though he slightly overdoes the conscience-stricken angst (an emotion he has not yet learned to portray convincingly enough, perhaps because in real life he has not done anything bad enough to regret it sufficiently). This is a step by step depiction of infiltration into a Qaida terrorist cell at a very high level indeed. The film was written and directed by Jeffrey Nachmanoff, who clearly has considerable talent. The film is uniformly exciting, nail-biting, and fascinating. For most of the film we do not know whether Cheadle is an infiltrator or a terrorist. Some of the Arabs in the film do excellent jobs of acting, though it is a bit difficult to keep them straight, especially in retrospect. The one who really stands out is Said Taghmaoui, who was born in France of Moroccan ancestry. He plays the intense character named Omar, whom Cheadle genuinely befriends.


When it comes to films about terrorism, the Hollywood market is one dominated by the exploits of cowboys and tough-headed, no-crap Americanism that one might get a kick out of every now and again if it doesn't take itself too seriously (Die Hard), but too often submerges any substance and truth to the situation by trying to please the popcorn-munching audience members too eagerly. Such ventures into the often complex and extremely conflicted area of politics, war and current social prejudices are subsequently left alone by those the film ostensibly tries to draw in (those looking for intelligent, insightful political drama) and instead adopted and loved by people riveted by your average Michael Bay movie. It's just about safe to say that those movies have their place, as most movies do, but that when you start mixing real-life affairsand especially those linked to such acts as terrorism and religionyou begin unravelling something that really should be left alone if you're not going to deal with it in a dignified manner.

Traitor, which comes from director Jeffrey Nachemanoff (known for his script The Day After Tomorrow), certainly doesn't shy away from this sense of action that permeates the average political action thriller, but it isn't ruled or dominated by it either. Instead the movie exists as a tightly wound, exciting experience, but one that draws far more of its compelling moments from elements grounded in reality through both ethical discussion and the characters that drive the thing forward. The usual twists and turns in narrative are here (so much so that I'm consciously going to avoid giving any form of a synopsis for the sake of preserving vital turning points), but they refuse to submit to banal contrivances and absurd mystery tangents that take far too long to reveal themselves. Rather, Nachemanoff fools the viewer many times and keeps them guessing as to where all of this is going, yet never neglects them to being mere witnesses to a bunch of calloused details and bullets flying around the screen. The script is well paced and focused, with plenty of time-out segments that develop character and plot significantly, with little excess.

One could argue that perhaps Traitor is a little too long for it's own good; there are moments where the movie slows down to snail's pace for the sake of filling in plot holes and making sure the viewer is up to speed with what is going on, but such instances never become overbearing, nor do they drown out any tension developed up until that point. Yet without these points, Traitor wouldn't be quite the experience it is, mainly because a lot of the movie's ability to draw you in through its central characters, their moral dilemmas involving what they feel they have to do, and the repercussions of such actions. By tackling such detailed issues head-on, Nachemanoff makes sure to avoid the pitfalls of your common political thriller; the decisions presented here are presented exactly as such; there are consequences, there are doubts and there are conflicts inside and outside said people that manifest throughout and permeate the entire feature; Traitor dances with the people behind the FBI suits and the skull-caps, and it makes sure that they aren't mere action-movie caricatures for the sake of preserving its ultimate drawing pointreality.

Of course, a large portion of the movie's ability to suspend disbelief is through the performances of the central cast who embody their characters with a convincing sense of realism throughout. Here, nobody is safe, and a few important characters bite the bullet, yet often they will come and go without melodramatic excess, imbued with a dramatic but grounded temperament. While I could go on about each of the actors' performances here, it must be stated that the key portrayal comes from lead man Don Cheadle who reminds us once more of the talent he has for nuanced subtlety that he so obviously possesses. In the end however, it's this consistency in grit and cerebrally engaging tone that makes Traitor a far greater whole than the sum of its parts. By no means is it a perfect motion picture; as a movie it lacks an immediately definable structure that meanders from time to time, and the eventual conclusion does feel a little half-baked, but for the most part, Nachemanoff does well to craft an intelligent and subdued take on a genre too often obsessed with gung-ho escapades and mawkish sentiments.

- A review by Jamie Robert Ward (http://www.invocus.net)


Hollywood may be comprehending that the movies with political and war subjects saturated the taste and they left the unhappiness from North American people satisfied.The ones who are already convinced do not need any more; and the ones which match with the aggressive foreign policy from the United States will not stop supporting the "pro-America" practices.However, that has not stopped many filmmakers from looking for new material; in other words, they are more interested to focus on the peripheral aspects of war, instead than focusing on the war itself.

So, we have seen movies like In the Valley of Elah and Stop Loss, which offer discouraging visions of the soldiers who came back from war; movies like Lions for Lambs, Rendition and Syriana, which examine the ideology behind the conflicts; and finally, movies which could belong to the action genre if it was not because of their political message, like The Kingdom and Body of Lies.But we had never seen the conflict from the enemy's point of view, and because of that, Traitor is a refreshing and fascinating portrait of the causes which motivate the rebellion and disgust against the North American expansion.

The screenplay from this movie has unsuspected levels of intellectual and emotional provocation.Screenwriters Jeffrey Nachmanoff (who is also the director from this movie) and Steve Martin (the famous comedian) refuse to bring us easy answers about the ideological conflicts, and they portrait a discouraging vision of international politic, where concepts like "loyalty" and "treason" are neither good or bad, but only useful tools for manipulating opinions, public perception or legislation.

Traitor is a truly audacious movie which goes more far away from the easy complaints of patriotism and human rights which other movies make, showing us that in fact, the world works on a grey scale, and not on the simplistic "black and white" the politicians want to make us believe.

But, besides of all the ideological background from this film, Traitor work perfectly as an ambiguous and incredibly tense thriller, which has perfectly developed characters who occupy their ambiguous positions without revealing their clear porpoises, provoking a delicious suspense on the spectator, at the same time it is difficult to know where the story will take us.Nachmanoff's direction is sober, something which works very well on the context from this movie.The performances are excellent, not only the one from the great Don Cheadle, but also the ones from the supporting cast, where the members who mostly stand out are Saïd Taghmaoui as a terrorist and Jeff Daniels as a security contractor, which is a role where this underrated actor shows his wide range, which goes more far away than the family films where we usually see him.The only fail I found on this movie is that the ending could have been a little more polished.But, in spite of that, I recommend Traitor with a lot of enthusiasm, because it is an excellent movie which does not only entertain very much, but which also leaves the spectator thinking.


traitor has just been released in here..so i have just watched it..i found it on good intentions..especially surprised when i saw Steve martin's name as a writer..Don Cheadle was great..so Said was... but as a Muslim

being in mostly Muslim country(Turkey) i can easily understand there r many people are being used because of their faith..but most of Muslims have normal life..rare of them in those kind, though Islam; as every religion forbids to kill anyone even anything...the first important thing is being human...i know this, i can see this from here..but a European or a Japanese or an American person who has no knowledge or cultur about Islam what does he or she think?i accept as a Muslim we weren't able tell ourselves rightly to whole world but i think if Hollywood or the film makers want to seem pretty to Muslims or to understand and tell the world about real the Muslims, re-sit and re-think...when they r making films about Islam or Muslims; they should quit to write about agency, terrorism, bombs, poorness,weakness,revenge, sleeper agents.......etc..there r real Muslims never confirms because ıslam never confirms anything of these..normal lives r being lived...obey the rules..no "takıyye"..its forbidden..its seem however u r..pls quit showing Muslim women ugly..as a good example look at Turkey..u can see really good looking but covered women...please read "Mevlana", "Said Nursi"..u will find great stories to take or adopt...please keep on taking films on this way so u can contribute the tolerate..understanding..


It sure took a long time for this film to debut here, and if memory serves me right, it took almost a year, and the DVD has already been released. If not for a press screening already held, I would have thought that the film would be one of those that are difficult to pass by the censors and required some lengthy debate as to the merits for its theatrical release. That's because it deals with the current topic of terrorism in an unflinching manner, with the hijacking of religion to further the terrorists' extremist and violent ends being told in a style yet unseen from films such as The Kingdom, Syriana, The Siege and Body of Lies, to name but a few films dealing with the topic.

I am a keen admirer of Don Cheadle's film performance, especially in dramatic roles, and here he plays Samir Horn, a devout Muslim and US citizen caught up in a web of intrigue and international terrorism acts. We see how he employs his skills of bomb-making, honed from his US Special Operations days as an officer, and seemingly looks like a rogue, US domestic terrorist aiding foreign groups in their operations to harm the world. But there's more than meets the eye to Samir, and here's where Cheadle excels in putting that level of ambiguity into a role that raises moral questions about doing something for the "greater good", no matter the costs.

Chasing him around the world are FBI counter-terrorism agents Roy Clayton (Guy Pearce) and Max Archer (Neal McDonough), who are clearly like fish out of water when operating outside their legal jurisdictions. Unfortunately for the two actors, their roles here as the downright good guys are always a step or two behind the terrorist cells, which in some ways mirror that in real life. Without good intelligence, you're always reactive, and it takes a lot to be on top of the game, especially when tactics employed are normally innovately discharged. We get to see a number of "no-brainer" tactics that the cells employ which are effective if you think about it, which makes it all the more dangerous should they be used because they actually can be.

But the most dangerous game to be playing from the side of the good guys, is the refusal to share intelligence or to combine resource, drawing lines in the sand and setting up turfs. The bickering between agencies all point to missing out on the bigger picture on one hand, while on the other the need for confidentiality also brings up operational sensitivity in order not to jeopardize any current missions, and this need to know service also stems from being overly cautious of any internal moles that would betray efforts in progress. In some ways, this is like Infernal Affairs being played all over again.

I suppose that without the balanced view and very verbatim statements made toward the end renouncing violence and misguided teachings, this film would probably not be given the green light. But it did, and presented a very though provoking thinking man's action thriller set in this age of cloak and dagger terrorism. Sure it has some loopholes and the unnecessary (and unavoidable) collateral damage, but watch this for the performance all round and an engaging storyline that might not keep you guessing all the way once the cat is out of the bag, but does enough.


Out of all the Batman films so far, including all the live action films, this one is still the only one to really explore the character of Bruce Wayne/Batman and examine what drove him to becoming Batman.

It has a great story that flashes back to just before Bruce took up the mantle of the bat and the woman he was involved with at the time, then skips forward to an unknown assassin killing Gotham City's mobsters, and we see how the 2 story's meet. The writing is top-notch, in no-way predictable and the voice acting by Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill as the Joker truly amazing and bone-chillingly scary.

The only complaints is that the animation could have been better at some points, but that is because it was originally meant to be a straight to video release before Warner's saw what a masterpiece they had created, and also it should have run for a little bit longer, but oh well. If you haven't yet seen it i highly recommend it.


This is just one of the greatest animated movies of all time. No exaggeration. From the almost poetic opening sequence, accompanied by a great, great score till the very ending this movie will not disappoint. A dark story, darker than in Batman Returns, but also an excellent portrayal of Batman. The characters are nicely drawn (the female character is very attractive looking) and the voices are perfect. The origin of my favorite superhero has been overdone so many times and yet the filmmakers easily succeed to bring new insight and depth to the man that is the bat. I feel like I should write something more about it, there's definitely a lot of stuff I forgot since seeing it, but this was definitely an overlooked movie.

8/10


Mask of the Phantasm is one the best Batmans movies ever conceived. It gives that dark brooding look of the batman TV show, throws in an amazing original score, excellent voice acting, and a storyline that encourages us to look at the Batman story in a more human and emotional way. We have well established bad guys instead of just having a guy escape from prison, we have strong inner-conflict dilemmas and very well drawn action scenes. The only downside is that it could have been longer, although the rather short (compared to most movies) length does a good job of not making the flow feel dull or boring.

I highly suggest this movie.


Not only the best animated flick but one of the greatest Batman movies ever made!

Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, and Bruce W. Timm are without doubt the best creative team of any involved in a Batman film or/television show. In this first animated film based on the animated series, the creative team does both a prequel and a sequel to the show as it introduces the characters of Andrea and Phantasm. Which both have an enormous impact on Bruce Wayne's journey to becoming Batman. And the character of Andrea helps us understand Bruce Wayne a little better. And know him a little better before becoming Batman.

Inspired by Frank Miller's "Year One" comic and Tim Burton's 1989 Batman film, Burnett/Dini/Timm create a magnificent Batman movie and a great movie as well!

4(****)out of 4(****)stars

AN ANIMATED MASTERPIECE!!!!


From the dramatic scroll through Gotham city in the opening theme to the duel with the joker, mask of the phantasm is an incredible ride, following the origins of how Bruce coped with the loss of his family.

SPOILER the BEST scene in the entire movie was after Andrea returned the ring to Bruce. the music saddens a bit, the camera scrolls to Bruce's parent's portrait. then, a chilling upbeat song begins as the camera then scrolls down into the bat cave. we see Alfred with a saddened face as he watches Bruce donning his destiny. after putting on his utility belt, he extends his hand for his mask. Alfred hands it to him. the main theme starts up and there is a pause as Bruce stares at the mask briefly, possibly thinking, this is the only way now. the camera goes to a close view of Bruce's lower torso, Alfred still in the background watching. Bruce puts on the mask, Alfred looking a bit unsure. Bruce turns and Alfred gasps in shock. the main theme picks up into more of a choir theme and batman's eyes are shown up close, those white eyes in the darkness. he narrows them. Alfred cries out "my...god..." as batman walks past him and out into destiny...

i get tears each time i see that scene you MUST see this movie if you are a batman fan. your life depends on it.


But it's way too short. At only 76 minutes you begin to wonder why they bothered. The story is barely given a chance to be intriguing and it is told in a very confusing way with too many flashbacks and flashbacks that go into their own flashbacks. But it still retains that dark edge the 2 previous movies had and many visual thrills.

This movie tells the tale of how Bruce Wayne became Batman in a little more depth than the live-action films and gives us the discovery of the Batcave in a slightly different way than that in Batman Forever. The Joker is as crazy as ever, the thugs and hoods are as nasty as they have always been and the identity of the Phantasm surprised me.

Although much of Danny Elfman's theme is missing the music is still powerful and involving. The animation is very good and has many elaborate 'sets' and locations. The visual style still sticks to that of the comic book like glue and it all makes for a very exciting film. Even if it is a bit of a confusing one, especially for kids. But this animated incarnation of Batman is truly the best.


i bought this because it was cheap and i had read up on it and i realised it was a continuation of the 90s Batman cartoons i had grown with.

I've always liked the character of Batman and i enjoyed this muchly. the use of flashbacks to show Bruce Wayne's life before he took up the bat and the woman he was with. then another flashback shows Bruce starting to want to fight crime but not knowing how to go about it right.

there is a mysterious killer that is going around Gotham that is murdering a gang of now old gangsters and Batman is being blamed. The Joker is also involved in this movie and is very entertaining to watch. voiced by Mark Hamill. oh and Kevin Conroy was a great voice for Bruce Wayne/Batman.

the movie has a good twist, decent animation, good voice acting and great plot. all in all a great edition to the Batman collection.


Batman: Mask of the Phantasm stands on its own feet extremely well, when at least compared to some of the lessor Batman animated movies (Batman vs Dracula anyone?), and packs a good punch for fans so many years later. The original series was in its own other region- taking what more stories from the comics (if not overall style and atmosphere like Burton or Nolan)- and was able to cover some fine ground with our troubled hero the Dark Knight. This story tells of a character, not ever quite named but called here as 'Phantasm', who is killing off some of the high-rolling gangsters in town. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne meets an old love of his, Andrea, and old wounds are opened over a brief and untimely ended engagement. And then there's also Andrea's father, who... OK, not much to try and spoil here, lets just say at some point the Joker gets involved, and everything jets into a 'laughing matter'.

Even as it was meant originally for TV, the directors Radomski and Timm, through their writer collaborators, have applied a drawing style that is distinctive amongst other cartoons of its ilk from the period: very direct lines and sharp, jagged edges, lots of smoke at (specific) times, the right blend of noir when it comes to revealing the caped crusader when he enters a room in the dead of night. In a sense they're stylists as are the (good) directors of the franchise live-action films. Only here there's a catch: the running time is short (originally the filmmakers thought it would be meant for TV before WB changed their minds), so there's only so much time to dig into the dilemma Wayne is caught in in the movie, where his identity is being cross-checked all over as the killer of the gangsters, and then the personal connection with Andrea and her father. Its some fairly significant probing into the character, if not the deepest there's ever been.

But also, aside from the slightly darker impulses, Mask of the Phantasm is a lot of fun, even up to a point if you didn't watch the series much. Just seeing Hammil ham it up as the Joker is a blast, even though he doesn't appear (almost, one might think, as a lark) until halfway through the movie! But he (via the filmmakers trying their best to give fans the best of the animated basics) supplies a hugely entertaining climax, one which involves a big fight among an immense diorama of Gotham City, rigged with explosives!


-A mysterious dark figure with a cape makes some mafia heads swim with the fishes and of course Batman gets the blame for it. Meanwhile the love of Batman's alter ego comes back in his life and the two rekindle their broken romance so the dark knight has to balance his love life and also find out who's responsible for all the murders and clear his name, because when you walk around in a cape and mask you need all the good PR that you can get.

-This being an animated tale I was expecting a kid level style of story here but was very surprised to find how mature the movie is. The tone, the action, the sensual stuff is all not exactly kid friendly which is why the movie works. They didn't waste their time having the cheesy annoying one liner that superheroes often have but just gave all the characters great and memorable lines. The story structure isn't exactly one sided either as we go through a list of events that slowly reveal the great mystery of everything that's going on. This is a very intelligent movie that stirs pretty close to Miller's comics than anything of the past. The right thing for WB to have done was to have these amazingly talented people work on the live action version of the Batman movies after Burton left but instead they got Schumacher and we all know what happened after that.

-Kevin Conroy has the absolute coolest voice in the entire world and makes Batman such an unbelievable badass. Whoever discovered him should be given a medal and have his birthday made into a national holiday. His Bruce Wayne voice isn't that great though, but hey he's an awesome Batman and that's all anyone really cares about. Luke Skywalker voices the Joker and I still stand by the claim that he should have been cast as the joker in the next Batman movie. his voice work on the joker to me is the definitive one and just works perfectly.

-Breathing new life into Elfman's iconic Batman theme is Shirley Walker who just does an amazing job with the music here. I really love the choir music she plays at the end when Batman is on top of the roof and springs into action after seeing the bat signal. It's so good it gives one goosebumps. The other highlight in the score is the opening music in which Walker just unleashes some operatic choral pieces to massage our ears. The best part of that music is around the 12 second mark she plays this wondering choir and brass right before the operatic choir kicks in. I just can't express how much I love that piece. Without Walker the movie would still have been good but not great so I hope that more people give this amazing woman the respect that she deserves.

-It joins "Batman Begins", "Batman Returns" and "Subzero" as the best Batman movies to date with music so good it'll make you feel like proposing to Shirley Walker.


Phantasm puts the live action movies to shame. It depicts Batman as what he is supposed to be, the Darknight Detective. The live action movies leave out the detection and concentrate on the action. This is also one of the best animated movies I have ever seen. The quality of the artwork is amazing.


Another great addition to the animated series. Haven't seen it in theaters, I decided to rent it. And boy did I enjoy it. Oddly enough it was intended as the series finale, but thankfully it wasn't as later on in that decade we were treated to another series which was also great. It's everything like it's serialized counterpart but a bit more with adult situations and dialog that are by far appropriate for this kind of film. And the end song "I Never Even Told You" performed by Tia Carrere is nicely well done. Aside from being an actress, I never knew she could sing!!! I only wished that the film was longer and more ambitious in it's subject matter and dark violence. Get this along with the animated series and The Dark Knight to really get your Batman fix. I recommend it for all who want to enjoy.


A mysterious serial killer is taking out mob bosses one by one and Batman is pinned for the blame. Batman does more research into this mysterious figure but at the same time an old love interest of his comes back to Gotham, flashbacks of his past haunt him.

This was a pretty well done animated movie, and certainly exceeds expectations. The relationships and psychological tones in the film are not low and does not disappoint, they should keep up the intrigue of the viewer to the max. It is also very mature and very graphic at times, plus twisted as heck. The script is pretty well-written and is quite clever at times. The voice acting is also fantastic.

As a kid I always looked at this as more an epic to watch, it was so watchable and on top that the musical score is so addictive and beautifully dark, sad, daring, and sometimes heroic. RIP Shirley Walker.

As I said before, it is a graphic piece of animation, very dark too, it's not kiddie and doesn't play along the guidelines of a "Family film" although there is no cursing involved in it. It depends on the child, yes, but I would urge that at a parent should watch this with a kid. It has both the appeal of what a kid wants and what an adult wants.

Overall, this is fantastic. And definitely one of my favorite Batman movies.


This Batman is the one from my childhood however it's been a long time since I don't watch an episode from the animated series and frankly I don't remember a lot of it. Now I have been adding some Batman titles; I began with the Batman and Superman movie, a movie that I found just good by the way (later I will be writing on here a complete comment for that movie), and later I began to watch Batman Beyond, a series that I never watched before and that right now I'm enjoying a lot (soon I will be writing a full comment for Season 1). This was my next step and I must "confess" that I had never watched this movie before, now I'm really glad I watched it. This one does feel like a feature film; very soon there's a new problem for our Dark Knight since Chuckie Sol, a crime boss, has been killed and our hero is the one everybody is blaming of that killing. The past will come back to Bruce's mind and with that we will watch a love story before the Batman days, a love story that for Bruce ended in a very surprising and painful way, ended in the Dark Knight. Here we see again why Batman is quite unique since we see another person similar to Bruce Wayne. Both suffered the killing of their familiars and both were looking for revenge. That character is Andrea Beaumont, the girl of that love story before the Gotham Knight days. One of those important differences between Bruce and Andrea is the fact that Bruce at a point was going to stop being a vigilante for love. for the woman he loved. Andrea after suffering the killing of her father could not think in other thing but justice just like Bruce after she leaved him, then for an unknown circumstance, but the other difference is that Batman doesn't kill, the Phantasm does. There are great flashbacks but you may be wondering something like "when does the fun begin?" well the Joker is enough for you? Here the Joker has also an important place on the flashbacks, he is one of those that the Phantasm is looking for. Definitely when the Joker appears is when the fun and the best part of the movie begin. He is also another aspect to think by watching this, "this one is actually something very special".

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is like everything we could have expected from an animated movie of the Dark Knight. The beginnings of Batman, a present with gangsters fearing of Batman and the police (except Gordon of course) wanting to catch our hero, a mysterious new "enemy", a love story, a story about the family, justice, revenge and the Joker. What else you want?


I grew up watching the animated series as a kid so all you other fans probably know the excitement I went through. When your a kid you don't really care about the story you go to see it just because it's Batman, but when your older you can really get involved and begin to sympathize for the character's. All the music by Shirley Walker really heightens the brooding and operatic feel to this movie. Now the design, the whole art deco look is just spectacular to look at and sometimes you can lose yourself just in the visuals. All the performances are top notch, Mark Hamill is wild and crazy as The Joker and he really goes to town and has a lot of fun like Nicholson in the first movie, and Kevin Conroy is absolutely stunning as Bruce and Batman, his voice is so intimidating and kinda scary. I'm sure a lot of other fans would agree with in saying that Kevin Conroy IS Batman because he's been doing it for so long. To this day this is still my favorite Batman movie, in my opinion it dwarfs all the live action movies, yes even The Dark Knight! So go buy it, you won't regret it.


Not long after the new animated series of Batman started they made a movie. Batman is suspected of murdering a gangster after a mysterious dark man does it. The police are now on the lookout for Batman (Kevin Conroy). Bruce Wayne (Batman's real name) meanwhile is having flashback's of a previous love, Andrea 'Andi' (Dana Delany) that he misses. When he finds her she obviously finds out he's Batman and they get back together. Unfortunately, he also finds out that she is this mysterious dark man, The Phantasm. Also, The Joker (Star Wars' Mark Hamill) is trying to find 'Andi' to kill her before he is next. A good animated film with some good action, and it almost warmed up towards the TV series. Batman was number 84 on The 100 Greatest Pop Culture Icons. Very good!


This was a decent movie, but the one thing that annoyed me the most was that the phantasm was hardly in the movie. The phantasm didn't try to kill batman, and it didn't take long to figure out who the phantasm was. It also didn't seem like a very big challenge for batman either. I was hoping for batman to finally meet his match. I didn't get that. Joker was also the only villain we know in this movie. There just didn't seem to be any surprises in this movie. Just a movie filled with flashbacks, action, and batman moping about his parents. All batman movies are the same. Batman begins is like this movie, but it's better. This just seemed like another generic batman movie. Go see batman begins.


Batman: The Animated Series was one of the best animated shows of all time. It was one of the cartoons that defined the 90s and, thanks to that very animation, will eventually become a timeless classic. Mask of the Phantasm was one of its defining moments. An executive decision to put the film on the silver screen instead of straight-to-video or leave it for the time slot on television shows how good this really is. And for any Batman fan, this is simply not-miss stuff. An alternative take on how Batman found the Bat-Cave and put together his suit, topped off with one of the definitive Joker appearances and, simply put, Mask of the Phantasm is a must watch film for any fan of Batman, animation, movies, you name it.


This was the first Batman cartoon I have seen I first seen it when i was about 5 years old and this is how i got the cartoon batman also staring Kevin Conroy as batman and mark hamill as The Joker. The things that make this movie so good are that there is lots of action in it the storyline is great. The Cartoon effects are really good. The way the movie is set like it is really dark and it just makes the movie a classic. Also the voice over actors are really good such as Kevin Conroy as batman, And Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Alfred. And the villains are great such as mark hamill as The Joker, and Dana Delany as The Phantasm. So I am sure that you will not be disappointed with Batman Mask of The Phantasm because it is really good. So make sure that you rent or buy Batman Mask of The Phantasm because it is a great movie.

Overall score: ********** out of **********

***** out of *****


Batman (voiced by Kevin Conroy) has been accused of the murder of several mafia members. The former love of his life Andrea Beaumont with her father comes back to Gotham as Bruce Wayne falls for her again, however there's trouble stirring in town as an unknown and mysterious villain called The Phantasm is killing off gangster members one-by-one and The Joker (voiced by Mark Hamil) is next on his list as Batman must find this mystery killer or still be romancing his love.

This is in my humble opinion the second best "Batman" movie next to "Begins" which is number one for me while "Batman (1989)" is number 3, this is one of the best animated movies of all time and truly captures the dark essence of the character from his DC comics roots. Bruce Timm (Executive producer, writer and director of the Batman Animated Series) has made the Dark Knight the way he was meant to be in on film but only in animated form as he crafted Bob Kane's famous comic creation into a very special animated movie. It's not just for kids but it's more for older children, teens and adults due to some dark themes, elements and some violence much like the popular animated series, Andrea is a total animated babe and really reflects what Bruce's inner-frustrations lead to once she left him originally.

A wonderfully animated and brilliant animated motion picture to captivate both adults and kids alike even the most hardcore Batman fan.


I cant find any obvious flaws with anything in this superb Batman film with a fast-paced story that never gets boring.

the animation is completely stylized just like in "Sin city" which of course look perfect in a Batman movie. The script might be silly and childlike at times but it's hardly noticeable and I find myself thinking how a simple story like this can be both interesting, smart and above all very emotional.

The amount of violence couldn't be better it walks a fine line between being a serious action-thriller and just a good cartoon which in my opinion makes it timeless.

Speaking of timeless the music should get every award i could possibly get because this is THE best part of the movie and if i find the soundtrack I will buy it for sure.

I shall wrap this up by saying that this is a movie no ACTION fan should miss because of its brilliant cinematography, tempo and the excellent orchestral score by Shirley Walker. just do yourself a favor see this movie NOW I promise you that you will LOVE it.


Spoilers Ahead. This has to be the greatest Batman film ever made. It may be a cartoon but sometimes a great story is strong enough however it is delivered and this is a great example of this. It makes all the live action films look painfully silly, particularly the later ones and is truly worth hunting down.

This is what and who Batman should be. Someone who is driven by vengeance, who cannot reconcile love and his obligations to protect, someone who uses physical violence and intelligence, not a plethora of gadgets that he just carries around to bail him out of that one in a million tight spot, to fight crime and restore order.

The animation is good, it's the only cartoon drawn on black paper to aid in its dark feel, the music score is powerful, dark and brooding, the voice acting is top notch with Batman and Andrea played wonderfully by Kevin Conroy and Dana Delaney although the film is stolen by the Joker who is played by Mark Hamill from star wars fame. He brings something magical to the role, perfectly nailing the mix of being cool, funny, evil and sinister. Like the film, this is the perfect embodiment of who the Joker should be. The story is excellent keeping up with the mystery surrounding the phantasm and also telling Bruce Wayne's back-story, how he discovered the bat cave, bat car and what drove on his hunger for revenge.

The ending with him standing dejected having lost his love and his foe and the world seemingly in flames is pure poetry. Batman is a character that should have everything but still not be able to obtain the small things that we normal folk hold dear. Someone that carries on his fight alone and doesn't 'get the girl' every time. We as the audience want to feel a connection to him and I feel I understood more of what was going on in this character then any of the live action versions.


An unfairly forgotten film, "Mask of the Phantasm" is not only a great animated film  it is also the best of all the Batman films after Burton's original. The animation is not very detail-oriented, but it does a very good job of showing the emotional drama and turmoil of the characters. Bruce Wayne is a man who finds himself torn in two: as Batman, he's a fearsome avenger of the night who is always alone and as Bruce Wayne, he's a rich fop and a womanizer who is also always alone. At a party, he thinks back on his first romantic love with a beautiful heiress named Andrea Beaumont and what his life could have been like with her. Andrea's reappearance coincides with the sudden arrival of (another) masked avenger named the Phantasm who is killing the mob bosses of Gotham  and letting Batman take the blame for the murders. The last mob boss, convinced that Batman has gone nuts and is murdering his old compadres, offers the Joker $5,000,000 to kill Batmanan offer that the Joker gleefully accepts. So, you've got Batman battling the Joker, the Phantasm, and the Gotham PD who want to bring him in for murder. On top of that, he's got the emotional turmoil of reliving his first love and the reasons she left himand the fact that maybe he's tired of being Batman, that he wants a normal life but he still feels driven to work off the guilt of his parent's death and the pressure of the vow he made to them. It all collides at the old Gotham's World Fair in a spectacular animated fight sequence between Batman, the Joker, and the Phantasm. This is an animated film with an unusual amount of emotional weight and resonance that is balanced with a strong dose of action  a gem all the way.


Throughout the years, people have been waiting to see the perfect "Batman" movie; people complained about the live action versions that there was no relation to the Bruce Wayne character but about the villains. I remember staying up all night in the summer of 2001 for no reason, I was bored so I decided to go to the living room and find a movie to watch. I remember seeing the tape on the front of the living room set, so I pick it up and watch it and it was breathtaking in every direction, and finally gave "Batman" fans something to care about.

This is the first film from the "Batman: The Animated Series" in which the film's plot involves Batman being framed for killing a group of gangsters; but here's the catch, the new villain is identical to Batman in terms of the cape.

The villain is known as the Phantasm in which he makes his appearance in a gray cloak, a blade for a hand, and a silver mask (almost identical to Doctor Doom) in which his weapon is not only hand-to-hand combat, but also uses smoke as a weapon as well for distraction, and that's what he uses to kill off the first two victims in the story; by leading one to crash his car on the street from a garage to crushing a mobster with a headstone at a graveyard (this might not be suitable for young viewers); and yet, both the gangsters and the cops work together to kill Batman and the only person who believes that the caped crusader isn't a murderer is Commissioner Gordon. Even the District Attorney Arthur Reeves, wants him dead and yet he's working with the same gangsters that are involved with the Phantasm.

Throughout the film we encounter a beautiful woman name Andrea Beaumont who makes a fool out of Bruce Wayne, and in a flashback of Bruce Wayne, its explained that the woman was the first love of Bruce Wayne, but it tears him apart when Andrea abandons Bruce by leaving with her father to France after in tides with a local mafia. The flashback also shows how Bruce Wayne started out as the caped crusader by going through different fights with criminals disturbing the peace. He uses smoke bombs and jacks to stop the bad guys and vehicles along with different techniques of combat. He discovers later in his mansion that he has a cave and in one scene of the film he's at the funeral of his dead parents and tells him that he doesn't want to fight crime; I felt Bruce's pain in this movie, unlike the other films because all he wanted to do was lead a normal life.

With people believing Batman killing the mobsters, there is one gangster who is scared to death, Sal Velestore, who pays a visit at the old Gotham Exhibit, which the Joker lives there. Sal pays him two million dollars to get rid of Batman. The Joker makes Sal laugh to death while getting the Phantasm on tape, and now The Joker knows the true identity of the vigilante.

During the film, Batman discovers that the gangsters who died are related to the same mafia that Andrea's father was working with and discovers that The Joker used to work for the organization. Realizing that Andrea comes back into town, he realizes that he will do everything to protect his love and try to reveal who the killer is before it's too late.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm proves to be one of the greatest animated films ever and the best Batman ever made.


Never heard of this movie, well not surprised.And yes this is real. In 1992 a batman cartoon was made. It was more serious than any other children's cartoon on TV at the time. The success of this children's TV show was later made into a film in 1993 called Batman Mask of the Phantasm. A new supervillian is killing gangsters in Gotham city and everyone is thinking it is Batman. Meanwhile Batman's old love interest is back in town. A lot of the movie is told in flashbacks of Batman's affair with his love interest as well as in the flashbacks it is giving the question if batman should lead a normal life or if he should don the mask of the batman. The movie is kinda of like the animated version of batman begins, but I think it's better than Batman Begins. It has some good action scenes, possibly the best storyline of any batman movie and a great voice cast. Most of the actors returned as their roles from the show. One of which is Star wars's Mark Hamil who voiced the joker in the show as well. If you're a superhero fan (espically a batman fan) then try and find it on DVD and give it a watch.


The animated series makes the leap to the big screen with its qualities intact: stylish animation, depth, strong characterisation, and a sense that its makers really get what makes the characters tick. This is a classy, exciting movie that cuts between Batman's battle with a remorseless vigilante in the present day and flashbacks that fill in his back story and pile on the mythos. Wonderful interaction between Bruce and Alfred ("You think you know everything about me, don't you?" "I diapered your bottom, I bloody well ought to!") and a hilariously unhinged Joker mix with intense action sequences and an air of realism that wouldn't be out of place if this was a live action film. Even the sound effects suck you in. The best of the animated movies and a terrific Batman movie full stop.


There have been few entertainment franchises that have as successful and impressive as Batman. He is one of the most iconic comic book characters of all time and has thrived in almost every media source the series has adapted to. Of these extensions the most famous is the film adaptations. Tim Burton's Batman pushed the limits of what is considered to be children's entertainment and intense adult action and drama. Christopher Nolan reboot series has been equally influential, showing that a comic book film can take place in a realistic environment. However, one Batman series which is often overlooked in the character plunge into the animated world. Batman: The Animated Series is considered to be one of the best cartoons shows of all time and Batman: Mask of the Phantasm does for film what the cartoon show did for television,

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is able to fit two well developed stories into only 76 minutes. The first and primary plot focuses on Batman tracking down The Phantasm, a mysterious vigilante who has been systematically killing off mobsters while Batman is blamed. The second story focuses on the young fledgling crime fighter Bruce Wayne and how close he came to quitting in order to have a normal life with his love interest, Andrea Belmont.

The movie begins with Batman breaking into a mob runs counterfeiting scheme, Batman deals with the henchman while the boss, Chuckie Sol, makes a beak for it. Before Batman can catch him he is murdered by the Phantasm. Batman is blamed for the killing and is forced to track down his imitator. Things grow more complicated as Andrea interest returns to Gotham City and Bruce believes that her father is somehow connected to the murders. This triggers Bruce's reminiscing about how his life would have been if he stayed with her. The film does a great job in juggling these to plots without ever being terribly predictable.

The voice acting is equally admirable. Kevin Conroy's portrayal as Batman/Bruce Wayne is one of the most overlooked performances ever. He gives both Batman and Bruce Wayne different voices and speech patterns. He even makes the younger Bruce Wayne speak more energetically and innocently. The same can be said for Dana Delany who plays the young Andrea Belmont as naïve and playful while the older version is more dark and isolated. The one performance that stands out, however, is The Joker, voiced by Mark Hamill. The Joker one has a few scenes but steals every shot that he is in, perfectly balancing the clown and the killer.

However, as good as the story and acting is, it is the drawing style and animation the really stand out from the rest of the animated features. Unlike other animated films, Mask of the Phantasm focuses on a dark art deco design to show the vastness of Gotham City and to show the range of character emotions.

The only negatives about the movie would be that the stories are very tight, which causes some scenes to feel rushed and less significant than it should, such as when Bruce first suits up as Batman. That and a few corny lines and cliché morals really stick out from the high quality of the rest of the film. Still, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a terrific piece of entertainment that should not be skip by anyone that is a fan of Batman, animation, or film in general.


Before Christopher Nolan came along and redefined Batman for a new generation, it was Batman: The Animated Series which was the definitive adaptation of the Batman mythos. With its timeless anachronistic 40's feel, its well-scripted plots (many of them inspired from the Batman comics of the 70's and 80's) and its well-maintained balance between the heroic optimism and darkness of this protagonist, Batman TAS was essentially a pioneer in the field of more mature action oriented cartoons. And Mask of the Phantasm captures the best of what made this series tick.

The main storyline is pretty interesting, though nothing particularly remarkable. Batman is framed for the murders of a series of mob-bosses, which were actually carried out by the titular Phantasm (not named as such in the film itself). However, the real charm of this film is in the flashback scenes which delve into Bruce's past and how he eventually ended up donning the cape and cowl. This film was the only on-screen adaptation of the mythos (until Batman Begins) to depict Bruce's transformation into the Batman, which is one of the most powerful scenes in the TAS ever. His doomed relationship with Andrea Beaumont and the role it plays in his metamorphosis into the costumed vigilante further adds depth to the character, in ways we have never seen before, as we realise exactly what Bruce had to sacrifice to live the life he has chosen. And as the story moves forward, the past and present of the Dark Knight begin to merge... Watch out especially for the subtle hints towards the Joker's background and a nice brief flashback scene which foreshadows their legendary enmity!


This film was overshadowed by it's live action counterparts by Burton and Schumacher, but this goes beyond any of them. For an on-screen adaption of a cartoon series, you'd think it'd just be eye-candy for kids. But this is true film-making, with a romance tale that rivals even the stuff of Shakespeare. The animation and art style doesn't feel like a cartoon, but more like a moving- better yet, living-painting. Just the poster for it feels operatic, and when Bruce Wayne becomes Batman, it truly feels so. The film really stays true to the comics, with an at times shocking and thought provoking origin story. The performances are pretty spot on, with Kevin Conroy delivering a true Batman, and Mark Hamill being show-stealing as the Joker despite his small screen time. It's much better than Burton's and obviously better than Schumacher's Batman films, and over all it's my 3rd favourite out of the franchise.


Ah, God bless the 1990's, frankly, it rocked growing up in this decade. I had The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, X-Men and Batman: The Animated Series. I remember waking up early every Saturday morning to see the new episode of Batman, it was such a great series was different against all the other cartoons, it was extremely dark and edgy, especially for a children's cartoon. That's one of the reasons I adore Batman, he's unlike any other super hero's we know, he not only has a reason for his dark side but can kick butt naturally, sorry, had to say it. So I didn't even realize that there was a movie that was made around the series called Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and I saw it on sale for five dollars and figured I'd give it a shot. One thing that confused me was how this movie was overlooked because it's such a terrific movie, the only thing I could assume is that during this time Batman Forever was also being released and this was animated so just disregarded sadly. But this is one of the best animated movies I have ever seen.

During a conference of crime bosses held in a Gotham City skyscraper, gangster Chuckie Sol is killed by a mysterious cloaked figure shortly after Batman bursts in on the meeting. Batman is blamed for the death. In a flashback to Bruce's college days, we see him meet his old girlfriend Andrea in a cemetery while visiting his parents' grave. Bruce has vowed to avenge his parents' murder by dedicating his life to fighting crime. He dons a mask and black ninja-styled outfit and foils an armored car robbery, but is discouraged that the criminals do not fear him. Around the same time, he begins a romance with Andrea. Eventually, Bruce decides to quit his plan on becoming a crime-fighter and proposes marriage to Andrea. However, Andrea mysteriously leaves Gotham with her father, ending her engagement to Bruce. Believing that he has lost his only chance of having a normal life, Bruce finally dons the mask of Batman. In the present, the killer finds and kills another gangster, Buzz Bronski. Batman discovers evidence linking Beaumont with a number of organized crime figures. He discovers there may be more to the story of this masked phantom then he realizes.

The whole feel of the film, if you were to just take the animation alone, this was superbly made. That's one of the reasons that the series was so well loved as well, just the whole atmosphere of the story was on track and you felt like you were in Gotham City. Even the acting was very good, this had a real old detective film feel to it, the love story between Andrea and Bruce was a perfect addition and it didn't over do their love, it was just perfect and had a good close to it. It was also great to have our beloved Joker in the mix of the story, how could we not include him? He's one of the greatest villains of all time. If you do get the chance to see Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, seriously take it, this is a very overlooked film and deserves all the credit it can possibly get.

8/10


Batman Mask of the Phantasm was intended to be a straight to video release, but Warner Bros. thought it had box office potential and gave it a theatrical release. I would imagine the writers must have panicked when they got the memo, but they certainly delivered. The movie failed at the box office but it has done very well on home video, and rightly so. With the writing staff and cast of the excellent Animated Series, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm became the first Batman movie where Batman was not overshadowed by the villains since the Adam West era.

The Phantasm is a vigilante who systematically kills all of Gotham City's mob bosses. Witnesses mistake the Phantasm for Batman, and Batman finds himself pursued by the police, despite Commissioner Gordon's support. Batman hunts down the Phantasm to clear his name, but soon his arch-nemesis, the Joker, is hired to take out the Phantasm first! In the meantime, Bruce Wayne's ex-flame Andrea Beaumont is back in town, and this news leads to some flashbacks into Wayne's past. When they are reunited Wayne must choose between Andrea and Batman (which certainly happens a lot in superhero movies). We learn that the Phantasm has a very personal motive for killing these mob bosses, as well as a connection to the Joker, which keeps Wayne devoted to his duty for at least a little while longer.

Mask of the Phantasm was really the first Batman origin story on the big screen, and in many ways it tells the story better than Begins. The flashbacks are interwoven throughout the movie but they don't feel like they are slowing the movie to a halt. We learn how Bruce Wayne began his crime fighting career and designed his costume. Alfred's reaction to the costume was perfect: "My God..." The cast is perfect. Kevin Conroy is still the best actor to play Batman (IMO), and Mark Hamill (!) of Star Wars fame makes a surprisingly good Joker. I was shocked when I learned Hamill was the Joker. My parents didn't even believe me when I told them, they thought it must be another actor with the same name! He is a dark villain yet just right for kids and adults to enjoy. This movie proves that a Batman movie can be made where Batman and the villains really balance each other out. Batman, The Phantasm, and The Joker all have compelling stories. The dialog is a lot better than the usual superhero cartoon, and the 1940's art deco design of Gotham City is my favorite. The love story actually does not feel like a distraction, which is a refreshing change. If I had one criticism it would be that the Phantasm is a little similar to Catwoman in Batman Returns.

Find this movie on DVD. It is one of those really good movies that you can find really cheap, but I hope they come out with more special features in the future.


I, personally, cannot understand why so many people have left negative comments about this film. When it was released, many of us were young children and we all enjoyed it, but now that we are older, too many people are pointing out the bad jokes and mistakes and clichés that they have found. The point is, this is a children's film, and we didn't see those mistakes when we were children because it's designed that way. Even so, people fail to see deeper into certain aspects of the film. Peter Pan was meant to be 'the boy who never grew up', so to have a tale of his adult life and to show how he forgot Neverland is a special and unique take on the story, one that won't be forgotten.

There have also been many complaints about the scene where Tink becomes human-size and expresses some kind of love for Peter. Although she is not a human per se, she can have human feelings, so why would she not love him? As the original story tells, she is often jealous of other womens' affections towards him, and this film just extrapolates on that theme a little.

There have been comments about the 'father-who-is-so-busy-and-can't-go-to-the-game' cliché. Well, here's news for you. It's cliché because it happens all the time, and it's a truth! Some parents are just too busy to care. Lastly, too many people are moaning that Hook was too comical to be the bad guy. Well, this is a kids film and if he wasn't a little bit cheery-in-a-maniac sort of way, you'd have parents complaining that their kids were scared.

The main thing about this film is that it is really good, but it IS designed for children, and adults who go back and watch it years later, then suddenly spot loads of mistakes are just ruining it for themselves and others.


Right, I can understand that Spielberg's previous achievements had set the bar really high, but by no means does this make 'Hook' a flop. The story is what is so appealing to a young audience and a mature audience for that matter. The sensitive undertones of such a celebrated story spark much joy and heartfelt moments. The 'what if' factor of the whole story is really adventurous, and the fact that this story stems from the original is brilliant. Its a story of love,family and identity. All three elements resonate with a lot of audiences. From a visual standpoint Spielberg triumphs again! And i don't understand why people beg to differ! For the purpose of entertaining young audiences, it fulfills the intention and more. I must say however, the film owes 50% of its credit to John Williams. His absolutely stunning score supports the story's tenderness. The flying sequence is so thrilling that it literally makes me get up and want to levitate!

The performances are equally stunning and convincing, Robin Williams encompasses both his comedic and dramatic skills towards a full blooded performance. Dustin Hoffman and Bob Hoskins are superb....really really astonishing.

This film has to be one of Spielberg's most overlooked and underrated films of all time. It holds so much promise and warmth that every time I sit back and soak up the high-flying adventure it sends shivers down my spine. I recently watched it after so many years of it lost in my memory that I felt like I had visited a historical landmark..its placed within a treasured set of memories on my part.

I cant express how moving this film is, its just enthralling in every sense of the word..the construction of the story is very clever and realistic - from a child's point of view.

Really guys hold the cynicism and unlock you imaginations and appreciate this work of cinematic art.


as is typical of reviews of most films at IMDb, 20% or so find films reviewed here as being bad.

Hook is no different. I never tire of seeing this film. Sure Spielberg gives us his take on the story and the "what ifs" abound, and there are imperfections. so what else is new about film-making?

do you see any films on this website that got a 10? NO!

no one film will EVER please everyone who watched it. so what's the point of giving your opinion? it obviously won't change the film. your opinion warns others to "stay away" from this film. "don't waste your time" blah blah blah.

point of my diatribe? take the wonderful parts and acting and visuals and music and whatever aspects of the film you like, and ENJOY THEM.

there are wonderful bits and pieces of Hook, and whole scenes, and the notion that people can change and try to make life better for those they may have hurt, and so on.

this film, if you have a heart, and some of you don't, speaks to that heart and moves it and makes you thankful for those in your life who really do need you.

am i a sentimentalist? so what if I am! get over it. and get a life.


I was 10 years old when I first saw this movie (and I was born in 1993), and it was one of my favorites. The 90's had a lot of very great movies, and I had to watch movies when I reached an age where I'd understand them. At 10 years old, I began to watch movie after movie to catch up to my older sister. Hook has many talented actors in it, and the plot was very good. The action scenes were very well done, the pirates were incredibly detailed in their clothes, and the whole island brought me back to the world of wonder that is Never Never Land. The Disney movie of it was what led me to watch this one, and because I watched the Disney one, it made me love this one even more. Sure, there are some of you who say it could have been better, and in some ways, I do agree, but for what they had to work with, I say it was a spectacular adventure.


Steven Spielberg's "Hook" is one of his far-less loved films, and even Spielberg admitted he was disappointed with the final result. This is quite understandable: "Hook" begins as a great movie, but ends only as a good one. I looked forward to it: Robin Williams, my favourite actor, in a Steven Spielberg (my favourite director) film? Bring it on, said I! Let's throw clichés out the window for once. This is essentially a movie geared towards kids, so clichés are rightfully ignored. The movie asks the question: What if Peter Pan grew up? This has never been done before, and this is why the movie stands out: it isn't afraid to explore the unexplored.

Robin Williams is perfectly cast as "Peter Banning" (who we all know, of course, is the grown-up Peter Pan). Bob Hoskins is positively brilliant as Mr. Smee, Captain Hook's right-hand man. He provides a lot of comic relief, which is fun to watch. Dustin Hoffman himself is a great Captain Hook. Hook is not a purely evil villain in this film, though. He is a comic villain, funny in a goofy kind of way (proof that "Hook" is aimed towards the kiddies more than anything). But Tinker Bell is poorly played by Julia Roberts, who played the character with an attitude, and unenthusiastically, and you can easily tell.

The first, say, 25 minutes of "Hook" are brilliant: Williams is a workaholic who has no time for his kids, when they are kidnapped by the villainous Cap'n Hook. Granny Wendy (Maggie Smith) tries convincing him he is Peter Pan, and later that night, he is visited by Tinker Bell, who takes him to Neverland. This is when the movie stops being amazing, and becomes just "good".

For once, I found a reason to criticize Spielberg's direction. He made a horrible directing choice when showing the first (non-bird's-eye view)shot of Neverland. I was expecting a breathtaking, sweeping, panoramic first view of Neverland (which is lush and green in my imagination). Instead, there was a confused muddle of an establishing shot. People, buildings, and ships are cluttered so close together, Neverland is revealed for what it is: nothing more than a movie set on a sound-stage.

Another criticism I have is about The Lost Boys: none of them are very good actors at all. (This is not to say they're terrible, but they're quite amateurish.) And one of them is alarmingly obese, so much so that later on in the film, his body doubles as a boulder for bowling pirates over.

And finally, the fight sequences are poorly choreographed, and the fencing is dull, nothing more than shuffle-thrust-shuffle-thrust, over and over again. Williams and Hoffman may be smashing actors, but they are probably poor fencers, to have their routines limited to such simple moves.

One more thought: as with nearly every Spielberg movie, John Williams composed the music for "Hook". I'm a big fan of Williams' work, and looking back on the movie, his score was the absolutely brilliant highlight of the film. If you're going to watch Hook for anything, watch it for the music. Williams integrates his music marvellously with what is going on, and the music itself is beautiful: melodic, fun to listen to, and pleasing. His opulent and recurring theme for Captain Hook is one of those tunes that get stuck in your head and refuse to leavebut not in a bad way.

In general, "Hook" is entertaining. However, it is one of Spielberg's more flawed movies. So why the 10/10? Maybe because this is a film that I truly enjoyed, even though its flaws stuck out a mile when I started writing the review. After all, what's wrong with a little dumb fun now and then?


Purportedly Steven Spielberg is not happy with the end product of Hook. I'm at a loss to know why because I think it's an absolutely charming fantasy, using his own peculiar take on the Peter Pan story and extending it.

Robin Williams as Peter Banning is a hard driving lawyer with a wife and two children Caroline Goodall, Charlie Korsmo and Amber Scott respectively. He was an orphan kid who married the granddaughter of Wendy Darling who was Sir James M. Barrie's inspiration for the Peter Pan tale.

But it's all real, Robin Williams doesn't know he's Peter Pan who left Never Never Land for reasons you'll discover in the film. But he left one nasty enemy there in Captain Hook and Hook captures his children to lure him back to Never Never Land where Hook can take vengeance upon him.

Spielberg got some great performances out of his cast which also includes Julia Roberts as the elfin Tinkerbell and Maggie Smith as the aged Wendy. But stealing the film completely in one bravura performance is Dustin Hoffman.

Captain Hook is one of those fabulous roles where the actor can just feast on the scenery and can just go to town with it. It's a role that it is impossible to overact in. I doubt if Dustin Hoffman ever enjoyed himself more in making a film.

Hook got five Oscar nominations in the technical categories, but sad to say did not win anything in 1991. I'm surprised that one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator films beat Hook out for Best Visual Effects, this one is clearly superior in that department if anything.

Robin Williams has his innings as well, trying to remember his past as Peter Pan and get back into Pan like behavior to defeat Captain Hook. As to why he left Never Never Land in the first place. Let's just say he took one too many trips outside his domain and something happened to him that happens to all young men at some point.

Hook is a great piece of family entertainment from Steven Spielberg and Dustin Hoffman's fans will really enjoy it.


All of you that are leaving comments are probably old farts that didn't grow up with this movie. This movie is a awesome fairy tale. It is a classic and probably my most favorite movie of all time. Very creative storyline. Its about Peter Pan forgetting his past and saving his kids. Robin Williams did a incredible job in this movie. I saw people dressed up as Rufio at every year at college parties. this movie was made 17 years ago and its considered a classic. I've never meet anyone that doesn't like it. So if you haven't seen it then go watch it! It has everyone one from the cartoon, like Wendy, peter pan, hook, the lost boys, tinker bell. And a new character Rufio!!!


When I first came to IMDb to look up this movie, I was very surprised at all the negative criticism and backlash that it had generated. I had watched the movie when it came out and found it very pleasant and enjoyable and, re-watching it again just recently, I still found it a very good movie

The movie's strong points to me are the scenery and design, the storyline, the music and the quality of acting by most of the cast. These factors combined ensure that the movie for the most part lives up to its potential and remains intriguing, gripping and heartwarming throughout. It has all the hallmarks of a successful Spielberg production and the movie is all the more better for it

Robin Williams's performance as Peter Pan/Peter Banning is very good in both his roles as a professional businessman too busy for his children andas the reincarnation of Peter Pan later on in the movie. I do understand where many critics are coming from when they say that he has a propensity to go over the top in his acting during some parts of themovie but he's good at portraying both a serious and funny side and I think that makes him the perfect choice for this role. Dustin Hoffman and Bob Smee are both delightful in their roles as the evil villains and Maggie Smith does a great job as Wendy.

There are some points on which I agree with the critics. Julia Roberts was a horrible choice to play Tinkerbell. I found her annoying from the start and she failed to give the character the charm and depth that it needed to succeed. The Lost Boys were terrible -they came across as bratty, overindulged hoodlums rather than young, innocent, mischievous children and it was quite impossible to feel any empathy with or them -they were good actors but badly written characters

Nevertheless, despite these flaws, this is still a worthwhile and enjoyable movie that I think young children will enjoy.


I was actually worried when I saw the casting for Hook, but I watched it anyway. It is enjoyable, but I've seen better. Robin Williams is very likable and surprisingly good, but I personally wouldn't have picked him for Peter. Kevin Kline would have been a better choice. Julia Roberts is okay as Tinkerbell, but she has been better. Stealing the show, in a wonderfully pantomime performance as Captain Hook, is an unrecognisable Dustin Hoffmann, believe it or not. His performance was that good, that I was appalled that it wasn't nominated. He's not the first actor to be seriously robbed of an award.Morgan Freeman in Shawshank Redemption? Tim Curry in Legend and It? John Hurt in The Elephant Man? Bob Hoskins was amiable, and the music by John Williams was very good, but not his best score. The plot is simple but well-told, if marred by overlong and unnecessary sequences with the Lost Boys that were sadly poorly handled. The film's main merit, aside from Hoffmann's performance is the art direction, beautiful sets and lovely costumes, particularly the brief underwater scene with the mermaids. The part with Maggie singing on the boat deck was heart-rending, and the scene where Peter suddenly remembers everything was touching. Above all, every scene with Hook and Smee was extremely entertaining. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it very much, but the film lacked magic. All in all, a slightly disappointing but fun and under-appreciated film, that is a 7/10 from me. Bethany Cox


Love the cast first of all. From Maggie Smith a goddess in my eyes to Dustin Hoffman and Robin William to a strange inclusion of Phil Collins. They all fit in well together so well. A magical story of Hook which take me into a wonderful fantasy land of what kids should dream about. This superb production should not be pulled down, for it is essentially a children's film but I love it. My kids thinks I am a big kid but I don't care. Julia Roberts as Tinks id Fab ! I am not the biggest fan of Robin Williams but I do like his portrayal of Peter Pan.

A magical movie for the entire family.

Granny included !!


I absolutely love Hook. I can't find any part of this movie that I don't like. I don't understand the negative reviews. Yes, this is a kids movie.I'm 18 years old now and that would be prime age to hate a kids movie, yet I love it as much as I did as a youngster.

This is a unique take on the Peter Pan story and it proposes an interesting question; What if Peter Pan grew up? From there the movie takes you on a great mystical adventure in Neverland of Peter Pan re-finding himself and his youthful spirit, remembering his past, and rescuing his kids from the sinister Captain Hook. It is a wonderful story.

The casting of Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman was great. Bob Hoskins is perfect for the role of Hook's right hand man Smee. John Williams of course conducts a masterful score. The child actors play their part very well. Steven Spielberg made this movie people, I don't see why you need to compare this movie's success to say 'Jaws' or 'ET'. Because Spielberg makes many great movies I understand that he has set a standard for himself, but just because this movie wasn't groundbreaking doesn't make it bad. It is a great movie in my opinion.

This is my favorite movie of all time. I give it 10/10 without any reservations.


"You know you're not really Peter Pan, don't you? This is only a dream. When you wake up, you'll just be Peter Banning - a cold, selfish man who drinks too much, is obsessed with success, and runs and hides from his wife and children!" What if Peter Pan left Neverland and grew up? That is the premise behind Hook, when Captain Hook kidnaps the now adult Peter Pan's children and takes them back to Neverland. Peter must go back to Neverland to rescue them, but he doesn't remember how to be a kid which makes defeating, or even fighting, the dastardly Captain Hook difficult in that fantasy world.

There is a lot to be said about the importance of family in this movie and the relationship between a father and his children. And there are some jokes that will be understood better by those of us who are already adults. But my children also really enjoyed this movie-they found it funny and never found it boring.

It has a lot of action, colorful bright sets, wonderful performances by Dustin Hoffman (Captain Hook), Bob Hoskins (Smee) and Robin Williams (Peter Pan) and a "fun" tone that makes this enjoyable for the whole family.

I've watched this many times and like it more every time I see it.


Hook is one of those "what if?" stories that answers the question if Peter Pan grew up and stayed in our world and left the world of Neverland behind, and had a family of his own.

In the 1990's Peter Pan is now a middle aged man with a lot of work on his head, his name is now Peter Banning. Peter puts work ahead of his family and has issues with his own family, especially his son Jack. They return to England, Peter's wife's home country where they meet her grandmother, Wendy Darling, again. Wendy is older and much more wiser with the world, and grows a fear on Peter, he's no longer the nice boy she once had many adventures with, he's a hard working man who has a cranky attitude for the most part. It's heartbreaking for her. t is till the legendary Captian Hook kidnaps Peter's children that he is reminded by Wendy of who he used to be, of course Peter can't believe it, he can't believe it even more when Tinkerbell pays a visit and carries him off to Neverland where he meets Captian Hook after so long. Hook is in disbelief that Banning is Peter Pan, but Tinkerbell promises she'll have been back into shape in a week, then their war shall continue. Hook agrees and that leaves Tinkerbell and the Lost boys to train Peter into being the boy he once was.

The acting in this film is fantastic, Robin Williams embodies Peter Pan, Dustin Hoiffman embodies Captian Hook( tries to phone in on the Disney version), Bob Hoskins doe s great Smee, and Julia Roberts is decent as Tinkerbell.

The direction is fantastic, classic Spielberg, it also brings in his taste in comedy and juvenile essence.

The musical score by John Willaims is fantastic, as usual.

Despite being a box office hit, Hook wasn't the film that Spielberg wanted to make, in the end, he isn't fond of it and frankly neither is Julia Roberts for that matter( take a look at the trivia, clearly she didn't have a good time as it would seem).

Hook is undeniably a love or hate movie, but even after so long, I still like it, though I don't think I could call it a classic to be perfectly honest.

7/10.


I enjoyed "Hook" a lot; Dustin Hoffman and Julia Roberts really stood out in this film.

My only complaint is that there was too much silly playing between the lost boys and Peter in the middle of the film, and I feel that this became rather monotonous. I would have liked to see more interaction between Peter Pan and Captain Hook, and also more screen time for the Captain Hook character generally.

Also, Neverland is supposed to have pirates and Indians in it, and there WERE a LOT of pirates. But I never once saw an Indian.

Maggie Smith was a fine actress and it is always great to see her on screen.

I thought that the end of the film, with the old man flying out of the house, was kind of nutty and really unnecessary, a la the all-too literal ending of "Cocoon", in which the senior citizens are shown flying away in an alien spaceship.

My problems with this movie, though, are minor, and I generally consider this a very good fantasy film for kids and adults--at least those of us who never quite grew up--alike.


One of the main points that Barrie stresses in his "Peter Pan" is that childhood is a special time, but eventually there comes a time when everyone (except for Peter Pan) has to stop being a child and assume the responsibilities of adulthood. At the end of Barrie's play, Wendy cannot return to Neverland, even though she would like to, because Neverland is reserved for children.

This film is typical of the selfishness of many in the "Boomer" generation. They steal the specialness of childhood from their children by refusing to give it up themselves.

Barrie would have hated this abomination.


I try to make it a point to watch this movie at least once a year, or when I feel myself getting too cynical. This is because if you are looking for fun movie that really does pull at the kid inside you, then this is definitely it.

Robin Williams is just the right kind of goofy for my tastes, and makes an excellent Pan. Captain Hook was perfectly fit by Dustin Hoffman. I could have done without Julia Roberts as Tink. Actually, I can do without Julia Roberts all together. But Bob Hoskins made a great Smee. (I like to watch this and Who Framed Roger Rabbit, back-to-back) Anyways, I watch this movie once a year because the message of the movie, and the reason people watch it, warrants that. A movie where the message is to never lose sight of your inner child. Imagination. Belief in magical creatures. Sword fighting with pirates. All of these things that I'm sure you did as a child, as I did.

As far as I'm concerned, all of the people who have written bad reviews for this movie, saying things like "The characters weren't believable", and "Spielberg tried to answer a question that didn't need an answer" have lost sight of the kid in themselves, have become pirates, and should have their hands fed to crocodiles. It's a movie. A family movie. One that needs to appeal to both children and adults, which is a difficult task, to be successful. And I believe that this movie succeeds at that very well.


I was in first grade when I saw it for my birthday and I remember liking it then. I thought it was funny, scary and full of action.

But I am grown up now and it really struck a cord in me for some reason. It felt like a whole new movie with so much emotion. Yes, it's a great kid's movie but I can't explain why it's more emotional as an adult, Spielberg got some genuine performances out of everyone and the only thing that felt familiar was the amazing John Williams score. I remembered all the melodies somehow.

As for the story, you really feel that there's lots at stake, sure there may be plot holes or whatever but I don't care, this movie is a BRAVE new re-imagining of the legend.

Also Dustin Hoffman is still as intimidating as I remember him. In one scene he has this hilarious dramatic plea for attention where he pretends that he's going to commit suicide. I didn't understand it 18 years ago but it sure as hell is funny now!

This movie is so worth watching if you're looking for a family movie and have kids of your own now.


The score my John Williams is nice. The performances are generally good. The story could have used some more work early in development but it's by far the best Peter-Pan-grows-up-and-becomes-a-heartless-yuppie-Film.


Peter Pan is all grown up and has kids and has forgotten his life as Peter Pan. Well Captain Hook comes along and kidnaps them. It's up to Peter to go back and retrieve his children. It isn't easy to learn how to fight, fly and crow all over again.

I thought that this was a really magical movie. It's a nice family movie and I liked the part where the guy flew out the window in the end and was just so happy. He really did lose his marbles. Most of the movie was happy and magical. The voice of Captain Hook is awesome. It's deep and sinister. Dustin Hoffman did an excellent job as Captain Hook. I cannot think of anyone else who could play that part as well as he did.

Think happy thoughts and see this movie.


"Hook" is hands down one of the best movies ever made. It's got great acting done by Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman and Julia Roberts, and the others are all good too (although the little girl gets kind of annoying...).

This movie should definitely be considered a classic. It's funny, it's cute, it's sweet, and it's very quotable: "Ruf-i-o," "Bangarang..." and more.

And I love the man who "lost his marbles," literally. What a cute and clever little plot thing to throw in.

This is a great movie for kids to watch, and for everybody else as well.