'The Phantom' is a film so filled with good cheer and infectious energy that I couldn't bring myself to dislike it. There's other stuff that makes the movie worth seeing, of course, but I had a huge, genuine grin throughout most of the movie.
After an opening prologue (itself proceeded by a "For Those Who Came In Late" card that made me smile) detailing the origins of the purple-clad justice seeker known as the Phantom (Billy Zane), the movie runs right out of the starting gate and never looks back. It has skulls, skeletons, dark caves, a loyal horse and wolf pair, biplanes, Pan Am clippers, ancient skulls of power, Chinese pirates, and a neat little mini-sub. The plot is nonsense, of course, but the lightning-fast pace makes up for that.
Billy Zane makes a good Phantom, allowing himself to have a sense of humor about things, and his cheerful demeanor is a nice break from angsty heroes like Batman or the X-Men. Kristy Swanson pretty much defines "spunk" as the sidekick/love interest; she gets kidnapped a lot, sure, but she's not a helpless damsel, and gets in on the action quite a bit. Treat Williams enjoys himself more than just about anyone I've ever seen as the villain Xander Drax, hamming it up with glorious abandon in the tradition of the best comic book bad guys. James Remar is solid as Drax's main thug, and Catherine Zeta Jones is cool as a bad girl who changes sides later in the movie. I also got a huge kick out of the appearance of Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa as a Chinese pirate warlord late in the film, who immediately proceeds to have a scenery-chewing contest with Williams.
While it's too bad Joe 'Gremlins' Dante didn't get to direct this, Simon Wincer (Free Willy, Lonesome Dove) does an admirable job, filling the screen with great-looking sets and fun action scenes. He also manages to make a purple bodysuit not look utterly stupid, which is a remarkable achievement. The script by Jeffrey Boam (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Innerspace) is tongue-in-cheek without being campy, and Williams and Tagawa get many of the best lines.
'The Phantom' is not a great movie, but it will certainly entertain those who love old 30's serials and comic books. It's just a darn good time.
After an opening prologue (itself proceeded by a "For Those Who Came In Late" card that made me smile) detailing the origins of the purple-clad justice seeker known as the Phantom (Billy Zane), the movie runs right out of the starting gate and never looks back. It has skulls, skeletons, dark caves, a loyal horse and wolf pair, biplanes, Pan Am clippers, ancient skulls of power, Chinese pirates, and a neat little mini-sub. The plot is nonsense, of course, but the lightning-fast pace makes up for that.
Billy Zane makes a good Phantom, allowing himself to have a sense of humor about things, and his cheerful demeanor is a nice break from angsty heroes like Batman or the X-Men. Kristy Swanson pretty much defines "spunk" as the sidekick/love interest; she gets kidnapped a lot, sure, but she's not a helpless damsel, and gets in on the action quite a bit. Treat Williams enjoys himself more than just about anyone I've ever seen as the villain Xander Drax, hamming it up with glorious abandon in the tradition of the best comic book bad guys. James Remar is solid as Drax's main thug, and Catherine Zeta Jones is cool as a bad girl who changes sides later in the movie. I also got a huge kick out of the appearance of Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa as a Chinese pirate warlord late in the film, who immediately proceeds to have a scenery-chewing contest with Williams.
While it's too bad Joe 'Gremlins' Dante didn't get to direct this, Simon Wincer (Free Willy, Lonesome Dove) does an admirable job, filling the screen with great-looking sets and fun action scenes. He also manages to make a purple bodysuit not look utterly stupid, which is a remarkable achievement. The script by Jeffrey Boam (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Innerspace) is tongue-in-cheek without being campy, and Williams and Tagawa get many of the best lines.
'The Phantom' is not a great movie, but it will certainly entertain those who love old 30's serials and comic books. It's just a darn good time.