If that original poll I posted proves anything, is that Mask Of The Phantasm is still very underrated in most people's view.If anything is overrated, its Mask of the Phantasm. The animation and artwork looks old and dated at this point.
Mask Of The Phantasm is one of my favorite movies of all time. There's little wrong I find in it. And on top of it, if you consider it was made in 8 MONTHS when most animated movies take more than 2 years to get made, it's even more impressive.
I agree with ShadowStar, Gotham has never looked better than it did in Batman The Animated Series. There's just something about those backgrounds and that design that hasn't been improved yet.
New movies are digitally painted and have a cleaner feel to them, but that means it looses all the grit that a place like Gotham and the world of Batman should have.
My only 2 issues with MOTP is the whole fullscreen/widescreen thing, it's not as clear as ROTJ where it's clear that it was animated with 16:9 in mind. That, and the horrible end credits music. Product of its time I guess. Completely ruins the mood when you finish watching the movie to me.
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But still, going back to the original topic, no one really answered the question. No doubt Under The Red Hood is another spectacular Batman movie, but how is it considered SO much better than the others? What does it do THAT much better than the others? Where does it triumph where the other's don't?