Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm
Reviewed by Justin Bielawa
March 12, 2006

To me, there are three great superhero scores: John Williams's Superman, Jerry Goldsmith's Supergirl and Shirley Walker's Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm. Yes, I'm not counting Elfman's various works nor John Ottman's - heck, I'm even leaving out David Newman's The Phantom which would be listed if I had said top four scores, not top three.

By 1993, Shirley Walker had composed a number of hours worth of score for the highly respected Batman: The Animated Series for Warner Brothers and the Fox Kid's Network. The show was hailed as being intelligent, well-drawn, moody and even dangerous at times - Fox had a very big problem because of the gun play in so many of the episodes. Despite their wary attitudes, Batman lasted for three strong seasons before the crew moved on to a direct-to-video movie that actually went direct-to-theaters in a surprisingly bold move by the studio. The movie didn't fare so well but critics enjoyed it for it's mature story - a ghost-like villain killing off old mobsters in an act of vengeance. And with the mature story comes Shirley Walker's magnificent score.

The score opens with one of the best fanfares I've ever heard - a gigantic brass fanfare followed by a heroic, almost antihero theme sung by a gothic choir. It effortlessly expands on the Danny Elfman approach to the Dark Knight - as good as the score to the 1989 movie was, the sounds and approach of Mask of the Phantasm are fresh and new. It's not Shirley Walker mickey mousing the Elfman score - instead, it's almost as if she's saying "this is how it should be done, Danny"! There are a number of big action sequences - "Ski Mask Vigilante" with it's rising sense of tension, "Phantasm And Joker Fight" with it's Carl Stalling -style approach to the Joker's antics.

But the big surprise is the emotion and heart found in the score. There is a delicate, very innocent love theme in the appropriately titled "First Love" which is light and magical without being saccharine. Given that this was to be a direct-to-video cartoon about superheros, it's utterly disarming and completely charming. It's later used with a great deal of yearning in "A Plea For Help" and even torment in "The Birth Of The Batman" - which culminates in a gloriously epic if all-too-short rendition of the title theme.

The score's linchpins are it's two big action numbers - "The Big Chase" and "Batman's Destiny". They're big orchestral movements that would be worthy and welcome in any major summer blockbuster. Shirley favors bold percussive hits in alternating meter, huge choir blasts and some profoundly heroic flavor to the on-screen action. Why wasn't she hired for Batman Begins? Anyone?

The score is a rousing success on both disc and in the film. Sadly, the CD is a touch short at 30 minutes - provided you cut out the chalk-and-cheese sax stylings of the Tia Carrere(?!) love song "I Never Even Told You". Shirley Walker is hands down one of the best, brightest composers not being used in Hollywood. Her sound is fresh and has a timeless quality to it that seems to be lacking in most scores these days. This score has my highest possible recommendation.

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