MovieChat Forums > Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) Discussion > When does this take place?

When does this take place?

posted 10 years ago by dalldorfw
14 replies | jump to latest

This flick is pretty inconsistent with whatever time period it's supposed to take place in; for the most part, it looks like it's supposed to be the forties, but then we see this futuristic theme park that's right out of the fifties and at some point they mention kung fu, a martial arts system that pretty much no one in the western world had ever heard of until Bruce Lee brought it to the states. Was this suppose to take place in any particular period or is it meant as a mish-mash of decades like Walter Hill's 'Streets Of Fire'?

[–] alpha128 10 years ago

One could say it takes place in an alternative 1990's where art deco never went out of style.

[–] dalldorfw 10 years ago

Good theory.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] dalldorfw 10 years ago

Oh, I wasn't aware of that. It would also explain the computer Batman uses and the fact that a black woman hits on him and no one gives them dirty looks.

[–] www1125 10 years ago

That's one of the things I love about the Animated Series. It's its own little universe, with stuff from so many time periods a part of modern everyday life.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] dalldorfw 10 years ago

You mean that the 40's NEVER went out of style?

[–] jakerutigliano 9 years ago

I had assumed that it took place before Dick Grayson was adopted and before the Joker met Harley. But novelization tells me otherwise that Dick is now a college student.

[–] gluserty 9 years ago

Like the creators have said in the commentary features for "Batman: The Animated Series", time periods and technologies are mixed and matched in an attempt to give the series and spin off films a timeless quality (I think they succeed; Computers with a film noir and art/dark deco look really works for me).

[–] joshwor1 9 years ago

This question is easy... Mask of the Phantasm takes place during Batman: The Animated Series.

MotP was the movie based on the animated series, which arguably best captured the spirit of the Batman universe out of all the various onscreen depictions.

If you are unfamiliar with the series (though I'm not sure how anyone could possibly find out about this movie without knowing about the series), it was developed with a "dark deco" aesthetic, while still depicting modern technology, for an overall feel that is timeless and hard to place in the real world.

[–] dalldorfw 9 years ago

"If you are unfamiliar with the series (though I'm not sure how anyone could possibly find out about this movie without knowing about the series)..."

I'm aware of it, but I haven't seen much of it.

"it was developed with a "dark deco" aesthetic, while still depicting modern technology, for an overall feel that is timeless and hard to place in the real world."

They did that very well.

[–] vicky_lc2001-1 7 years ago

It's the same with the Burton films or the new series Gotham.

[–] customerservice-51779 7 years ago

whatever it is, that is how i remember the 90s.
I grew up in the 90s and 90s is the best decade of all.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

I grew up in the 90s and I can't stand the 90s.