The Phantom (Billy Zane)

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

This movie, and the Shadow seemed to be missing something for me. They were both pretty good; but felt like there should be more of something. I"ve never been able to put my finger on it.

Don C.

[MIB41]

I thought it was a fun movie and definitely a perfect example of a "literal translation" from comic book to film. It's also a film you either 'get' or don't. I think the film would have pulled in a much bigger crowd had the director made the movie moodier with night sequences and placing the Phantom in shadow. Seeing him in broad daylight made it hard for the average movie-goer to understand why he should be feared by the local tribes. Had they stuck with a look suggested by the posters, which showed him on a throne lit only by a small ray of light, it would have enhanced him MEASURABLY. The film also took ALOT of allowances by believing the average viewer could understand why a guy would dress up in purple tights to fight crime in a jungle. The 30 second origin in the opening sequence was pretty puny and didn't establish any real emotional connection with the principle character to make you understand his motivation. My chief complaint was understanding why some of these "sacred" magical skulls existed in the very jungle where the Phantom lived, yet a total stranger unfamiliar to the jungle figured out their location before he did...? That was strange. But it was fun, kind of light-hearted, 40's flavor serial approach. So if you got that, the movie worked. If you were looking for an adventure like Indiana Jones, you were vastly disappointed.

[clemso]

I always thought Billy Zane would have made a great Captain Scarlet. I enjoyed the Phantom as well as the Shadow (although the nose thing was hard to accept)

[ctc]

>I enjoyed the Phantom as well as the Shadow (although the nose thing was hard to accept)

I think it's 'cos everybody in a movie HAS to be attractive. If I remember correctly the Shadow from the books and plays wasn't particularly attractive. SO they had to fudge it. (I didn't think Baldwin had the presence to pull the character off, either. Which led to weird scenes of people being terrified of a guy who really wasn't scary.)

Don C.

[Riffster]

any movie with Catherine zeta Jones before she was contaminated by Michael Douglas

[goldenryan]

love this movie.

[spotter]

I love the Phantom and Billy Zane is one of my favorite bad actors

[goldenryan]

I love the Phantom and Billy Zane is one of my favorite bad actors

not really a bad actor, he's actually got alot of range (watch CQ). he's definitely picks some strange movies to star in tho.