The Phantom

lindaochopper wrote on IMDB:

I watched this movie on TV last night and found it great fun.In the best sense of the word.

Old fashioned film making, good guys and bad guys, clearly defined and a good tale, well told. OK there were flaws in there also(mainly the interior set pieces which look like sound stages), but they should be overlooked, as its not a serious film and is not pretending to be anything other than it is. Its a fantasy/adventure film, in the best tradition, the kind they don't make anymore,no special effects, to speak of, but good action, wonderful locations and some good acting, for this genre.

I expect in this day of high tech special effects, it may seem less alluring to the more high tech minded but if your looking for some good old fashioned fun, this is one to watch. Not my favorite film, by any means but worth a look and deserves more than 5 out of 10, I give it 7 and hope somebody enjoys it for what it is, rather than what they feel it should be.   [ show more ]

A film for the family to enjoy on a rainy Sunday afternoon. [ show less ]

ccthemovieman-1 wrote on IMDB:

An old-fashioned adventure yarn is the best description of this modern-day comic book-hero-come to life-story. This almost like one of those early Tim Burton directed-Batman type adventures without all the darkness. The language is mild (as it should be in these type of films), the special-effects are decent and the sound is good. Best of all is the scenery, some beautiful landscapes filmed in Thailand and Australia.

Instead of the city being where our comic book hero performs his heroics, this is out in the jungle, more like an Indiana Jones-type story. It's fast-moving, it's hokey, it's unrealistic but its generally fun to watch. Even the villain ("Xander Drax" played by Treat Williams) isn't really all nasty.   [ show more ]

The Phantom (Billy Zane) has the normal off-and-on corny romance situation with feminist-journalist (does Hollywood know any other kind?) "Diana Palmer" (Kristy Swanson) and the film gives you an entertaining 100 minutes. It's no award-winner but at least it's something you watch with your kids. [ show less ]

EnriqueH wrote on IMDB:

This 100-minute nugget of superhero charm was a lot more fun than I had expected. I subscribe to Netflix, the mail-in rental service, so I had forgotten which movie I had coming next. I groaned slightly when I saw The Phantom was it.

I started watching, feeling that I was going to be in for a dud. About a week ago, I rented The Rocketeer---a mildly entertaining movie with some good moments, but didn't really add up to a DVD purchase or repeat viewings. I thought I was in for more of the same, but alas.

The Phantom had all the charm, action and humor missing from Rocketeer.

I particularly enjoyed the two leads. Billy Zane delivered the one-liners with aplomb. He has the swagger, voice, demeanor and charm to carry the role successfully. He transcends a rather mundane superhero outfit. Treat Williams gave an amusing turn as the villainous Xander Drax, ("Starts and ends with X.") Not the typically evil superhero nemesis, he's more of a lighthearted villain in the "Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor" mold, but his line delivery is spot on.   [ show more ]

The movie definitely comes alive with the characterizations, a feel of a time and place early in the 20th century, and always on the move, but not too much in a hurry to make you enjoy these characters. I rather liked the idea of a superhero with a pet horse and wolf.

I'm not sure I've seen a recent superhero film that strikes a perfect balance of action, humor, sets and characters. Enough humor to keep me smiling throughout, but mildly serious enough to engage me for the duration.

Definitely worth a look for those who haven't seen it, and a future addition to my DVD collection. [ show less ]