The Phantom

Rating:
Summary: Most fun movie
Review: It has been many many years since I've seen
a more fun and beautiful movie than this. It's
the Best comic book inspired movie of all. This
is in my non-important non-oh-so-smug, pompous
movie reviewer opinion. Thank you.

Rating:
Summary: SLAM EVIL
Review: I love superhero entertainment and the Phantom is the best that I have seen. If you liked the Batman movie series or the X-men, you will love the Phantom.

Rating:
Summary: WHAT A MENACE!!
Review: Bloated, misguided attempt by George "Moneybags" Lucas to recapture the magic of his original STAR WARS trilogy. Strictly for the crayon set, who likely will have nodded off before the end of the opening titles scroll. The only thing the film has going for it is the delightful Jar Jar Binks, a character who sounds like Regis Philbin but looks like Seinfeld's Kramer.

Rating:
Summary: Wild Ride, Pure Entertainment, Slam Evil
Review: I was really impressed by Jeffrey Bowman as he captured the essense of the Phantom as I remember him on the comic strip. Billy Zane, Catherine Zeta Jones and Kristy Swanson do a wonderful job of bringing the Phantom to life. It is not a movie that will make you look for comparisons in classics but it is entertaining in its own way. I think it keeps well with the spirit and letter of the comic strip and the scenery and action scenes are slick. Lee Falk would be proud.

Miguel Llora

Rating:
Summary: purple is in fashion
Review: This is a good DVD. If you're into superhero movies, get this one. This move never got the recognition it desereved. Billy Zane is still a very under-rated actor. The Phantom is overlooked as a hero. It's got a lot against it, yet, here you are reading this. You made it this far. you've got step to go. Buy it. The story is good, and very close to the original. Once again, for a DVD, the extras are not the selling point, but it was a cool flashback to see the movie trailer.

Rating:
Summary: A hidden classic!
Review: Where to start?

Billy Zane, better known as Cal Hockley the evil fiancee in Titanic, is absolutely stellar in this movie. I realize that the sinking boat movie helps pay his bills, but the role was certainly beneath him. The Billy Zane in the sinking boat movie is a corpse compared to the Billy Zane in the Phantom. Yes, it is that different!

Second, the sets were superbly, beyond the sets seen in other 1930's films such as the Shadow, or even *gulp* Indiana Jones. Except for the Pirates of the Caribbean set at the end of the movies, but the city scenes are stelar for any art deco afficionados.

Thirdly, Hitchcock observed that heroes and villains are almost indistinguishable. We have created anti-heroes and gentelman villains (ie Wolf Larsen and Hannibal Lecter). You actually root for Zane/Phantom.

The Bad: There were several things wrong with the film. First, some of the stunts seemed to be rehashed Indiana Jones stunts. Writers, please try to stretch yourself and come up with new ideas! Second, Mr. Drax, the villain, beside using the name of a 007 villain (Moonraker), he was not believable as a criminal mastermind. He was too much of a mouth. Maybe different casting. Third, the cinematography was nonexistent. Good cinematography can maker a film, as n Lang's "M."

In conclusion, this was a nice surprise. They had a lot going for the film, the franchise/name recognition, a great actor, good sets, few if no anachronisms, no Nazi's. But the film didn't quite take it over the top. I would like to see a Phantom II, but that may never happen. Sigh!

Rating:
Summary: Ineptly written and directed
Review: The Phantom has one saving grace: Billy Zane. Without this fine actor, the film would have been absolutely horrendous, possibly unwatchable. The simple fact is that The Phantom could have been good entertainment, but it's so poorly written, directed, and acted, I have to wonder why the film was greenlighted in the first place.

Sure, the prospect of an Indiana Jones-type film is a fun idea, but it's nowhere in the vein of the the films in that series; it never generates any thrills or genuine fun. The action sequences are simply too routine and are occasionally terribly choreographed.

As for the script, it's been a while since I've heard dialogue this hackneyed. It makes the recent Mission to Mars look like something written by David Mamet in comparison. The plot's also fairly ridiculous and is done with a touch of camp, but nowhere near enough to at least make the movie so bad it's almost enjoyable to watch. I can't believe Jeffrey Bowman doesn't show any of the creative touches he put in The Last Crusade.

Performances, the less said the better. The only guy who does a fine job is Billy Zane, and though he never always convinces as a superhero, he's charismatic enough to make the experience bearable. Treat Williams as the villain overacts to an extent I would rather not describe. Catherine Zeta Jones also shamelessly hams it up with a cheesy accent; I bet she's taken this film out of her resume. As for Kristy Swanson, I guess we can tell why she won't nowhere. If anything, the movie proves she's not a very capable actress.

Rating:
Summary: Again the movie suffers from no plot.
Review: Billy Zane stars as the Phantom, based on the character created by Lee Falk, in a film that suffers from lack of a good plot. Looks more like a failed James Bond movie then a true effort to do a good film on the Phantom.

Rating:
Summary: Classic adventure!
Review: The main reason I decided to see this movie when it was released to theaters was the fact that the screenplay was written by Jeffrey Boam, a man who has demonstrated himself as a very competent action/adventure screenwriter with such films as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Lethal Weapon 2, and the televison series The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. (one of my all-time favorite TV shows). I couldn't get many of my friends interested in this, but thankfully my dad understood, so we had a fun time at the theater with this movie.

The movie immediately endeared itself to me with the fact that it is a period super hero film, a genre I am a huge fan of. (The Rocketeer is one of my favorite films, and I was even entertained by The Shadow, despite some obvious problems.) Also, it harkens back to the era of movie serials, yet another genre that strikes my fancy.

Yes, it has a hero who wears one hell of a goofy costume. Yes, Treat Williams completely overacts in the role of the villain. And yes, the plot seems recycled from countless comic books and b-movie adventures from yesteryear, but that's all part of the fun of this movie. Aside from that, the art direction for the film is very good and very atmospheric.

This movie fills a void that few films do, and I can only hope that the fact that movies like this fail (mostly due to the unsatisfactory advertising) doesn't keep these types of pictures from being made

Rating:
Summary: The Ghost who walks on your DVD player
Review: Excellent film whether or not you've read the books, comics or seen the 1943 Serial or not. I have only have 1 question. The DVD version seems to be a bit of an effort to get started. I don't know if it's a manufacturer's defect or my bad luck. Will follow this up by e-mail to anyone who reads this review and wants a follow up.