For those who came in late… Last week I wrote a review on a 1994 film called The Shadow, about a pulp detective comics vigilante created in the early 20th century. This week I’ll be writing a review on something that’s not far off from that film and was actually put into production to ride on the string of comic book movies that was coming out at the time. It was distributed by Paramount Pictures and although The Shadow was released by Universal, these movies almost go hand in hand.

The Phantom was created by Lee Falk in 1936, as an adventure comic, instead of the detective comics that were so popular back then. The Phantom was originally Christopher Walker, a young man who was on a ship that was attacked by pirates and overrun. His father died in the skirmish, but he swore an oath to fight evil acts. He donned a costume based on a tribe’s demon god and made a cave with a skull shaped entrance his home. He became known as “The Ghost Who Walks” for his ability to live for centuries, which was actually due to the fact that he wasn’t actually one man, but many. Over the years, the current Phantom would pass the mantle on to his son whenever he was unable to keep going due to death or old age. The most famous of these men is Kit Walker, the 21st Phantom. Kit’s goal was to find Rama Singh, the man who murdered his father and avenge his father’s death. The Phantom wore a purple skintight bodysuit with a black bandit style mask and had completely white eyes in the comics. He was actually the first comic book hero to use a skintight suit which would become a mainstay of other superheroes later on and also the first to use completely white eyes, later famously used by Batman. He was skilled at hand to hand combat and also used two Colt pistols, similar to those of the Shadow.

Most people know of The Phantom due to the 1996 film, directed by Simon Wincer and written by the late Jeffrey Boam, who had written screenplays for films such as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Lethal Weapon 2. It stars Billy Zane as Kit Walker/The Phantom, who in my opinion, did a great job with the role. Zane had researched his role and captured all the characteristics and mannerisms of the comic book character he was to portray. Kristy Swanson plays Diana Palmer, Kit’s past love interest who he had to leave to avenge his father. She does an average job in the role, mostly because it’s as if the director wasn’t sure if she should be a rebellious woman who could hold her own or a damsel in distress, so she falls somewhere in between. Treat Williams plays the main villain Xander Drax (the most villainous sounding name I’ve ever heard, too) and unlike Shiwan Khan in The Shadow, we don’t get much back story on him. All we know is that he’s rich, evil, insane, and wants to take over the world. Drax is a villain that could have been my favorite, but the lack of any history or back story on him just doesn’t give me enough. The performance by Treat Williams, a terribly underrated actor, is great. He plays the type of maniac who doesn’t look like a maniac until he reveals his plan. He also delivers some great comedy, which instead of having comedic actors cast as comic relief, the main actors deliver their own. We also have the sexy Catherine Zeta-Jones who plays Sala, a pilot for Drax who attempts to kidnap Diana, James Remar who plays Quill (the killer of Kit’s father in this adaption), one of Drax’s henchmen.

The story revolves around Drax searching for three special skulls known as the “Skulls of Touganda”, each of them scattered across the world. The Phantom discovers the henchmen searching for one of the skulls, and decides to go back to New York to stop them from acquiring the rest. If the skulls are ever brought together, the one who possesses them will have power to control the world. The plot feels rushed at times, and has some holes in it. I think the story should have focused on the Island of Bengalla instead of bringing the Phantom to New York. Throughout the story he gets visits from the ghost of his father (played by the late, great Patrick McGoohan) who offers guidance to Kit.

In the technical department, there isn’t much CGI. Aside from a few simple effects for the skulls, that’s pretty much it. The action sequences are what fill this movie. Some are quick, some are more drawn out, but they’re pretty entertaining and remind me of the fights in the old Phantom serials. The music is great to listen to, giving the movie a tribal feel in certain parts and always feeling adventurous. I also liked the fact that they kept the costume looking just like how it was drawn, and even improved on it by adding detailed markings all over it that don’t distract from the main outfit. Some people say it’s ridiculous to be a vigilante with an almost completely purple costume, but I think it’s different and also helps remind us that this is a comic from a time where colorful superheroes were just beginning to emerge. At the very least, they didn’t try to re-imagine the costume like the more recent SyFy miniseries remake of The Phantom did, which made the costume into a horrible looking outfit that resembled that of a bomb squad technician’s outfit. The SyFy costume also gave the wearer increased strength and durability, which for me, just takes the fun out of the actual character. It’s the Phantom we want to be amazed by, not his suit, but that’s a review for another time perhaps.

In the end, The Phantom didn’t do good at the box office, but VHS and DVD sales have done favorably well with it. It goes to show that this was a movie for comic book and superhero fans. It’s a fun adventure film that kids would love and adults can enjoy as well. It’s not amazing, but it isn’t bad at all. If you have the opportunity, give it a watch, because it might just be the last good adaption of The Phantom for a while. There’s a new film in the works, but who’s to know if they won’t ruin the entire story of the Phantom? We’ll have to wait and see, and hope that they remain faithful to the source material while letting someone who is enthusiastic about the project, direct it.

© BRWC 2010.