Well it's been ten years since the release of this one, and I've only just got around to seeing it. Why? Well probably due to its reputation of not being anywhere as good as Mask of Phantasm, Subzero or Batman/Superman: Worlds Finest.
However, I can't help but feel that this film is underrated, it maintains the the feel of the Animated Series very well, despite Bruce Timm not having any involvement, and while some would complain that it isn't as dark as the others, it is important to remember that TAS was intended for both children and adults, while Phantasm was certainly aimed more at the latter, Mystery was aimed more at the prior. This isn't a bad thing though, it contains a lot of the quirkyness of some of the more light-hearted episodes, a lot of which were brilliant, while still having a lot of content that adults could enjoy as well.
The animation for this one is superb, it really shines through, particularly on facial expressions and even the explosions look great. The mystery had me guessing for the good first 2/3s of the movie, but in the end once it's all revealed, the motives seem a little hazy, and while I did enjoy the several love interests happening at once, it did seem a little unnecessary and the very ending seemed a tad off. The music was great, but the Quentin Tarantino-esc credit scene was a little out of place. All in all a good movie:
7 out of 10
However, I can't help but feel that this film is underrated, it maintains the the feel of the Animated Series very well, despite Bruce Timm not having any involvement, and while some would complain that it isn't as dark as the others, it is important to remember that TAS was intended for both children and adults, while Phantasm was certainly aimed more at the latter, Mystery was aimed more at the prior. This isn't a bad thing though, it contains a lot of the quirkyness of some of the more light-hearted episodes, a lot of which were brilliant, while still having a lot of content that adults could enjoy as well.
The animation for this one is superb, it really shines through, particularly on facial expressions and even the explosions look great. The mystery had me guessing for the good first 2/3s of the movie, but in the end once it's all revealed, the motives seem a little hazy, and while I did enjoy the several love interests happening at once, it did seem a little unnecessary and the very ending seemed a tad off. The music was great, but the Quentin Tarantino-esc credit scene was a little out of place. All in all a good movie:
7 out of 10