Rating: 
Summary: A great movie that's even more enjoyable with DTS sound.
Review: The Shadow is a crimefighter that uses his ability to "cloud" minds to confuse and strike fear into criminals (his chrome .45s help him out with his crime fighting efforts as well). He also uses his ability to recruit the victims of the crimes, so they can help him with his crime-fighting efforts. I thought this movie was written well and had excellent sets and special effects. The casting in this movie was done well. Alec Baldwin was perfect as the Shadow and Penelope Ann Miller was perfect as the love interest who had her own powers of persuasion. I think the critics were a little tough on their reviews of this one, paying more attention to the art deco styling than the plot.I decided to purchase the DTS sound version of the movie since I remeber the movie having great sound effects that were muted in the VHS version. To my surprise, the sound in the DTS version was actually BETTER than in the movie theater. You can hear the Shadow's laugh circle around the room, like you're actually there. The movie gets five stars. The DVD as a whole gets 4 stars because I felt that the movie would be even better if it was in the original widescreen format. At the time this DVD was made, the DTS encoding took up most of the avalable space so there were no extras on this. Unfortunately, Universal has not made any announcements to re-realease this now that DVDs can hold more information.
Rating: 
Summary: AS GOOD AS WE'LL EVER SEE...
Review: Sure, it could have been longer, more character-study, more this and that. But you know what? This production put as much as it could in the lavish sets and into the story that it could. What we got was pretty damn good. Alec Baldwin did a Fine job, if not Great. I can't see anyone else doing the SHADOW, but him. And, if by some odd miracle, there should ever be another Shadow sequel, I would hope Alec would do it again. I love every scene that is shown, every shot, every angle, and every word spoken. Sure, there is a tad of campiness here and there. But not much. Jonathan Winters is a crack-up! John Lone was superb. But the real magic is in the tone of the film, and how the SHADOW is portraid. I'm grateful that there is even a Movie to watch. The music is Fantastic and haunting. Just like the SHADOW himself. So some night, pop up some popcorn, start watching the SHADOW, and have FUN!
Rating:
Summary: saw this many times. it always pleases and entertains
Review: I remember the toys they made from this movie. awesome. and cards and various other memorabilia. Baldwin makes the perfect Lamont Cranston/Shadow hero. and the rest of the cast is brilliant. see Beetlegeuse (or Beetlejuice) if you like Baldwin, Geena Davis, and other great actors actresses. quite an action packed and some humor parts movie. worth the watch every time in my dvd player. see this. I saw it tons of times on tv. it's a great movie.and to think before my days this was a story on radios told before we even had tvs. amazing. great job everyone who made or contributed to this movie
Rating:
Summary: TRUE TO THE TIME PERIOD -- ONLY THE SHADOW KNOWS
Review: I can't remember if the laugh used on the DVD is anywhere close to the radio personation but it still intrigues me.
Lamont Cranston as THE SHADOW was a radio program that was barely allowed to be heard by the young group.
The comic book was an upgrade in visual action.
The movie was a coming together of memories from across the years.
Alec Baldwin gave an intrigueing and convincing man about town as the SHADOW [which is hard to do with so many preconcreived ideas of the character]
The tone was set in the right era which denies all of this modern fancy work. The characters were well matched to the actors portraying them [or visa versa]. It is a movie I will enjoy watching again.
Penelope Ann Miller was excellent but not as I imagined Margo Lane. The villians were excellent - the photography great and the illusion of the Hotel tickled me.
Yup! Definitely added to my collection as a Classic.
Rating:
Summary: this shadow fans is very pleased
Review: i've followed the shadow's adventures for decades and was thriled with this version! just wish i'd seen it on the big screen.
Rating:
Summary: The clouded mind sees nothing
Review: THE SHADOW is an opulent and spectacular treatment of `30's pulp and radio crime fighter Lamont Cranston, AKA The Shadow. The movie's evocation of Depression-era Art Deco New York City is most impressive. Add to the mix the inspired casting of Alec Baldwin in the title role and this one should be a genre classic.
I think THE SHADOW'S spectacular nature serves to undermine it a bit. The Shadow arose from the pulps, not comic books, and Cranston's "power to cloud men's minds" falls a league or two short of super. His battle against the forces of evil includes the evil within himself, although that's an aspect of his character little explored in the radio series. Baldwin's Shadow acknowledges the existence of that internal evil, but the plot is too big and loud to travel long down that road.
The loud plot involves a resurrected Shiwan Khan (John Lone), disappearing buildings, a hypnotized city, prototype atomic bombs and a secret army of Shadow warriors. Lone is good as the ambitious dead, and his taunting scenes with Baldwin are among the highlights of this good movie. Although I was disappointed by the approach this movie took, I have to admit that it carries it off with great gusto and style.
Unfortunately, and inexplicably, the movie has been released on dvd by Universal in full-screen format only.
Rating:
Summary: What Evil Lurks in the Heart of Men...The Shadow Knows!
Review: "The Shadow" was a popular radio program (before television sets were made for the home). It began on the Dectective Story Hour on July 31, 1930 as a character in the story. James La Curto was the voice 1930-31 and then Frank Readick Jr (1931-37). The program became known as "The Shadow" on September 26, 1937. Also providing the voice of "The Shadow", Orson Welles (1937-38), Bill Johnstone (1938-43), Bret Morrison in 1943, John Archer in 1944 and Bret Morrison again in 1945-54. The last radio program of "The Shadow" was broadcast December 26, 1954.
Two motion picutres were made with Rod La Rocque as "Lamont Granston"/"The Shadow", THE SHADOW STRIKES (1937), INTERNATIONAL CRIME (1938). They also made a movie serial in 1940. In 1958, Richard Derr played the role in INVISIBLE AVENGER (1958).
In 1994, they tried to resurrect the character of "Lamont Cranston" with Alec Baldwin in "THE SHADOW" (1994). Imagine the Invisible Man and Kung Fu in the land of film noir. And oh yes, the rainy mist and full moon. While on a case searching for the chinese and there taste for opium, Lamont is captured by the "emperor". He is spared and taught mystical powers. he is now able to continue finding and fighting the crooks and keeping his own identity a secret.
Also in the cast: Johnathan Winters, John Lone, Penelope Ann Miller, Ian McKellen and Tim Curry.
No extras, no bonuses on this DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: It's FULL SCREEN.
Review: Let's say the movie deserves 4 stars at least. It's beautiful and the plot stays true to the original characters. Whatever you may think of Alec Baldwin's acting ability it's still a good movie. But the DVD is an old style, barebones, FULL SCREEN version. It's crap. The only reason you should buy this is that you can't wait to see it one more time and it's cheap...otherwise get the even cheaper serials like the Invisible Avenger and wait for the Special Edition.
Rating:
Summary: "The Shadow"
Review: A film of grandiose design with a camera that can't capture it. From beginning to end, we're constantly (and painfully) aware of the great film it might have been had it been directed with more patience and a better sense of rhythm. As it is, the film simply has no drive, no forward charge to it; it's as if it's standing still throughout the entire running time. Alec Baldwin, in the title role, is as bland as he's ever been, though it's not as if the script gives him anything real to work with. There's nothing plot-like here, and things are not helped by groan-inducing attempts at humor. It's not an utter loss: the production design is marvelous, and the scene where Tim Curry confronts the Shadow in an abandoned hotel has a genuine intensity that you'll wish had been present throughout the film entire. Also featuring Penelope Ann Miller, Ian McKellen (who's largely wasted), Jonathan Winters, and Peter Boyle.
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