30 not out..

I have something in common with Wayne Rooney ( a guy who is somewhat talented at kicking the ball around) , Cristiano Ronaldo (a good looking bloke who is also good at kicking the ball around) and  Keira Knightley (she is an actress, so say some people).. Know what? All of us hit 30 this year!!

What is so earth shattering about it, you ask? Well, searching “Batman animated movies” felt a little (only a wee bit) different suddenly. I will never get to use the phrase “When I grow UP”. From now on, it’s only about “When I grow”!

Was I a little reluctant to move on from 29 to 30? Yes I was. Because, if I was not,that meant that I did something wrong with the last decade of my life. Your 20s are, or at least should be, an incredibly fun time. Hell, when I was 21 when….. Something’s are best left unsaid... :) 

Turning 30 isn’t all that bad. Here’s the thing: You have absolutely no choice but to embrace aging. Fighting aging is like a wave fighting its own crash, a battle you have no shot at winning. 

I’m of the opinion that humans are like wine — that we get better with age. Ten years ago I was a total moron, and now I’m just kind of an idiot. By the time I’m 40, I may very well be smart. Never let your best days get behind you. That’s called giving up. I dig what I see in my rearview mirror, but I’m also pretty damn psyched about where my car’s headed

All things considered and said, turning 30 is fantastic. You finally know who you are (it’s absolutely OK if you don’t, as long as you are making efforts to figure it out), you’re starting to make serious strides in your career, and you’re generally kicking ass. See, you’ve got to be your own internal PR department and take on these life changes in the best way possible. You’ve noticed some gray hair in the beard? Well, that just means you look distinguished. You have an office and a real adult job? Well, that just means that you’re settled into a career. 

Here is my list of what every man should know or have done (in no particular order) by the time he hits 30!!

      Learn to cook - Making Maggi is not an option anymore. Learn to cook something else. Its therapeutic & keeps the wife happy!

     Get yourself a roof of your own – It sounds very “permanent”, but it helps if you have a house of your own. If it is in Mumbai, you may have arrived in life (only just, because, before on the 5^th of every month, the EMI arrives)

     Go on an international vacation / trip – It gives you something new to rant about for the next few years. Still talking about the college (those were the days) days?? Get over it.

     Save up – Yes, your dad has been saying this for a long time. Must mean something then, right? It helps to have money when it matters the most. Simple.

     Know when to call it a night – Walking into the class with eyes as big as saucers was fine. It isn’t cool anymore. Its 4 am & someone in the room says “We need to get more booze." "Great idea!" is the general & acceptable response. Except it's not; it never is.

      Hit the gym – Watch the saffola ads for additional details.

     Know how to choose a good bottle – Let it be a bottle of wine or aftershave, get to know what you want. It helps. Trust me. Just trust me.

      Know how to change a bulb / tube light / flat tyre - The general point I’m trying to make is that it is time you acquired some practical skills.

This is not a definitive list by any means, but just some thins that passed through my mind as I hit 30 yesterday. I have a whole new decade coming up. Gotta go and take it on...

*Confession: I haven’t  hit the gym yet. :)

Batman: The mask of Phantasm -The best Bruce Wayne movie ever made!

In 1939, National Comics (later to become DC Comics), was looking for a new super hero—a character who could build on the success of Superman (who debuted in 1938).  Bob Kane, a gag cartoonist, was asked to design a new hero. Kane conceived one of the most popular and enduring characters of the twentieth century—The Batman.

As the 10th Anniversary of Christopher Nolan’s Batman approaches, I went on a trip down the memory lane, watching some of the old classics. What I experienced was nothing short of fantastic. Of all the movies that I revisited, 3 movies stood out. This piece is about the finest (in my humble opinion) animation (or maybe better than the live action) movie that has bought the caped crusader alive on large screen, Batman: The mask of Phantasm (1993).

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, a feature-length film set inside the Batman: The Animated Series universe was the first animated Batman movie. Based in the nineties Batman cartoon universe, the film boasts much of the same cast and crew as the series.

The movie  starts out with the Caped Crusader dropping in on some of Gotham City’s gangsters planning a money laundering scheme, only to have a strange new vigilante drop by and send one of the criminals to their death. When Mob bosses start getting bumped off by a guy in a cape, everyone assumes that Batman has gone off the deep end. Meanwhile, Andrea Beaumont, the one time love of Bruce Wayne’s life, returns to Gotham City stirring up memories including those of how he almost didn’t become Batman.  As all of this unfolds, and the Phantasm becomes a more imminent, lethal threat, the Joker is brought into the fold as a major wild card.  Now, can the Dark Knight elude the police, capture the Phantasm and clear his name?

Like any other Batman feature, there are certain things these movies always seem to have. First, we have the public (and then the police) debating the necessity of Batman, then we have Bruce Wayne pining over his parents death and then we have the the complicated love interest. Love interest? Yes, you read that right.

“Mask of the Phantasm” is a love story, of sorts, tracing Bruce Wayne/Batman’s relationship to Andrea Beaumont, who comes into his life at a time of self-doubt about the self-imposed burden of justice and vengeance. The tale is beautifully crafted and truly shows the emotional depth and humanity of Bruce before and after he becomes Batman.  Was this the woman who almost stopped Bruce Wayne from donning the mantle of the Bat, or did she push him over the edge?

Apart from this subplot, the movie is about a dozen times more complex than any of the live action movies. Part of that comes with dealing with an entirely new villain instead of just another nutcase pulled from the pages of the comic. We don’t immediately know who it is or why they’re doing what they’re doing, which allows for a lot of leeway in terms of plot twists and the like. Midway through, the Joker replaces the revenge-driven Phantasm as the villain. The Joker’s introduction and development into the main villain, however, does allow for the Joker’s trademark rants, raves, jibes, and bad puns, which is a total blast.

The extended climax inside the amusement park is only one of several well-directed action set pieces. This is the kind of action that one would want to see in a live action film. Others scenes include the Batman eluding a SWAT team along the rooftops and dark alleys of Gotham City (which takes you back to the scene from Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One). In one of the many  flashbacks, one scene set inside Gotham’s World Fair, not only informs us about Bruce and Andrea’s past, but also gives us a glimpse into the inspiration for the Batmobile’s design.

The animation style of this feature film is definitely one of it’s big pluses. It maintains the brilliant art deco noir style that Batman: The Animated Series was based on..  The opening title sequence even features a beautiful CGI fly through of the Gotham City skyline. The animation, though “very nineties”, still stands the test of time. It’s a quality film.

Coming to the music, the main theme from Danny Elfman for Tim Burton’s Batman movies lived on in this DC Animated Universe. For this feature, Shirley Walker, makes it even more gothic and haunting with a beautiful chorus.  It’s a fantastic score that rouses, and nails all over the wonderful. The rest of the movie sounded even better, stereo effects a-plenty. Helicopters, gunshots, squealing tires, all coming at you from the direction you’d expect, and they all sound fantastic.

As for the voice acting, could you ask for a better? It has the legendary Kevin Conroy, has been the definitive voice of Batman for over two decades now for legions of fans.  Conroy reflects all the best qualities of the character from the upbeat playboy, the serious businessman, the dark, brooding man in the shadows, and the powerfully imposing Dark Knight. And what about our favorite super villain, Joker? Mark Hamill nails it. What Hamill does is make the Joker this insane clown who will do whatever hits the biggest punch line in his own twisted mind. He brings the jovial zaniness meshed with a lethal intimidation that forges a colorful maniac that is endlessly fun and entertaining while still being a major threat. It will also be a grave injustice, if I did not mention Alfred Pennyworth (Voice by Efrem Zimbalist Jr), who walks away with some of the greatest lines and moments in the movie.

If I had to find a flaw in the film, well, for one, it is too short, running at just 75 minutes! Yes, as the movie is almost 25 years old, you may find faults with it, but , at the end of the day, it remains one of the finest features ever made on Batman.

Batman has been in many movies and maybe this incarnation of Batman isn’t for everyone. Mask of the Phantasm may not be the best of the bunch, but it is a classic. It’s a nostalgia ride for a generation of nineties kids. It is still awesome, still relevant and kicks ass, just like Batman does.

*Note: This blog / article was first published on www.madaboutmoviez.com