Rating: Summary: Excellent Film Review: The movie portrays the Shadow as a human invidual versus a mystical personage. Alec Baldwin delivers a great performance. Recommended viewing for the whole family.
Rating: Summary: Great Popcorn movie. Review: This is one of those films I can watch over and over. It's too bad that UNIVERSAL didn't have the brains to release this as a Letter-box DVD. It would have sold a LOT better that way.
Rating: Summary: I LOVE THIS MOVIE! Review: I watched this movie so many times that I can say the dialogue before the actors do! Out of my top three favorite movies, The Shadow is number one. I also like The Shadow because my favorite actor, Alec Baldwin, is starring in it.
Rating: Summary: Excellent Noir Film Review: Perhaps not as good as the old radio shows, the movie in and of itself is wonderful and a delight to watch. If you are a "modern Noir" buff, then pick this one up.
Rating: Summary: A well done mystical adventure into the evil, men do! Review: The Shadow is well done movie bringing to life the early radios' mystical hero "The Shawdow". Holding true to the original plot Alec Baldwin plays the Shadow whos early deeds as a drug lord, lead him to a Tibetian mystic. There, he learns how to use his mind to control others. Alec surprisingly is able to relay the angst and dark side of the Shadows inner self, bringing depth to this dark hero. Set in 1930s New York the Shadow becomes a vigilante fighting crime in the city. However soon a dark visitor from the orient comes to the city. Knowing the the same mystcal mind control as the Shadow, he sets forth his plan to control the world. This is where the fun and adventure begin. Supported with a great cast. Penelope Ann Miller as the love interest, Tim Curry as the back stabbing inventor and Johnathon Winters as the Shadows uncle and comic relief to name a few, Add great cinematography and score and you have a first rate portrayal of the original "Shadow" radio show. The Shadow is a must see for those who like mystical adventures. For who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men, The Shadow knows!
Rating: Summary: Enjoyable Recreation Review: I've never really understand the bad rep this movie got. The plot, IMO, has a _lot_ going on; Cranston vs. his dark side, the Shadow vs. Shiwan Khan, prototype atom bombs, disappearing buildings, the Shadow's mysterious organization. Baldwin is only so-so, but any movie with Peter Boyle _and_ Tim Curry is already ahead on points in my book. It takes itself seriously (unlike the campy 70's Doc Savage), but there are still humorous moments in context. And great apropos music and F/X. Give it a chance.
Rating: Summary: Inexcusable embarrassment to the Shadow's legacy Review: The Shadow has had many re-incarnations since it's heyday as a pulp novel. It had a watered-down and bland (but vastly popular) radio show, a ridiculously revamped "Space Shadow" comic book in the 1960s, and a more conventional - yet modern day - revival graphic novel form briefly in the 1980s.This movie is not a very good reincarnation of The Shadow. At all. Even taken at face value, the movie's script is threadbare. While Baldwin physically makes a compelling Shadow, the movie is little more then eye candy - A colorful villian and art deco scenery can't distract you from the horribly bad script that both must be viewed with. If you must know, the plot has Genghis Khan reawakening and building a proto-atomic bomb. Guess who must stop him? This movie isn't even laughable. It's just plain awful. Considering that this classic hero partially inspired the creation of Batman, a darker, more serious tone based upon the original pulp novels would have been much more appropriate. Instead, what we have here is Hollywood trying very hard to be cheesy in 1930 settings.
Rating: Summary: Superb recreation of a superhero Review: Along with "The Phantom", "The Shadow" is a lavish showcase of Art Deco settings and opulent epoch recreation. Penelope Ann Miller's wardrobe is spiffy, Jerry Goldsmith's music is fantastic and the settings are plush in that quirky thirties fashion. John Lone excels in his feature of the evil Gengis Khan descendant and Alec Baldwin fleshes out a feisty and craggy Shadow. The plot is simple but provides the perfect backdrop for a film where special effects and a soigné production come uppermost. At the end of the World WarI, Lamont Cranston spends several years as an opium dealer and mobster of sorts in the Tibet. A decadent character, his life takes on a new course when a tulku teaches him how to control the evil that lurks in his heart and Cranston goes back to New York as the Shadow, a do-gooding superhero that strives to weed out evil. As said, the plot is effective but the general esthetic of the film is simply a feast for the senses.
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), 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 Cranston"/"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: The Weed of Hollywood Bears Mediocre Films! Review: Let me start by saying this isn't a terrible film,but it has many problems. Chiefly is Alec Baldwin,whom suffers the same problem all pretty boy actors in these type of films suffer, "I don't want to be the hero character the whole film,or wear a mask,or obscure my face". Well Mr.Movie Star......the film is called "The Shadow" not "Lamont Cranston".( Nor do we want a film called "Bruce Wayne Returns" or "Clark Kent The Quest For Peace".). While Alec Baldwin is in The Shadow personna he is great,not just his presence,but the cool special effects used to make him quite "shadowy"...but when he is Lamont Cranston,he is trying too hard for the Adam West style of campiness,that only worked for Adam West. That said...the film is based largely on a Shadow novel titled "The Golden Master",in which the decendant of Ghengis Khan is poised to take over the world,by any and all means,and using powers nearly surpassing The Shadow's own! Shiwan Khan is played brilliantly by John Lone,with just the right amount of evil and barbarian suave.The director does a great job with the look and feel of the film,and a bit of an homage to Tim Burton. Other Shadow character are here too... Margo Lane (Penelope Ann Miller),is a bit more ditzy than the original,but she works and Jonathan Winters puts in a great semi-comic performance as Commissioner Barth. The Shadow is limited to three operatives in this story, "Dr.Roy Tam" (Sab Shimono),who's induction we get to see,"Burbank"(Andre Gregory),seen in the shadows running the information bureau,and "Moe Shrevnitz",the taxi driving get-away man, a wonderful role for Peter Boyle! The bad news is the waste of Ian McKellan as the absent minded Dr.Lane,he just doesn't have the accent down,and it seems kind of forced,why not just use either an American actor,or have him be British? Speaking of which...yes Tim Curry is in this film....usually not the best of news. Tim tries really hard to be an American mobster,and it just doesn't work. Again...why waste a British actor? Oh well...the film starts off really good,with a look back at Lamont Cranston's early days,and why he MUST be the Shadow,and the basics of the story itself are fairly well presented,reformed evil/good vs. pure evil,and of course The Shadow conquers all.Comic in parts,on purpose most of the time,dramatic in other parts,mystical,and chock full of fist fights,and guns that never seem to run out of bullets! It would've been interesting to see what the follow up film would've been like.For now,only The Shadow knows!
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