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by Drew Deitch
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the phantom There was a lot going for it. It was a handsome production, there was a strong marketing push, and it positioned itself as a perfect summer superhero movie. Unfortunately, none of those helped him clean up at #6 during his opening weekend.
why did the phantom Can’t catch the crowd? And almost twenty-five years later, is it time to reassess this fascinating adventure?
Let’s end some evil when we look back the phantomA film that is much more enjoyable than its reputation would lead you to believe.
Why the Phantom got better
Before we dive into the phantomWe need to contextualize this unique piece of comics history. Originally appearing in a 1936 newspaper strip by Lee Falk, the Phantom was a pulp superhero from the Golden Age of pulp superheroes. Predating Batman by three years, the Phantom had a trusted butler, a secret cave as a hideout, and used the cowardly and superstitious feelings of criminals against them by pretending to be a real ghost. Yes, the Phantom was a clear inspiration for Batman.
So it seems clear that Tim Burton’s massive success Batman In 1989 there will also be interest in this predecessor. eventually came to fruition in 1996, the phantom was one of many pulpy action heroes who got feature films to follow Batman.
what does the phantom Such a delightful experience is how serious this processing is. Set in 1938, director Simon Winchester and screenwriter Jeffrey Baam treat the material as if it were going to be produced in 1938. Raiders of the Lost ArkThere is no trace of irony or self-satire in the bones of this film. From the Phantom’s accurate costume design to the period-appropriate performances, it wants to be the truest rendering of the character and his world possible.
This means that the cast plays things in a warm but admittedly old-fashioned way. It’s easy to read as cheesy, but it’s essential for the film to work. Each operation is on the classic comic wavelength of the film. It keeps the tone light, fun and healthy. Yes, this is not a film with heavy thematic resonance or super complex characters. And that’s fine. Her goals are simple and she meets them every step of the way.
Don’t take that to mean it doesn’t have good performances the phantom. The cast is loaded with notable stars and excellent character actors. Billy Zane plays the Phantom, also known as Kit Walker, like Clark Gable or Errol Flynn. There are perfect supporting teachings of Catherine Zeta-Jones and James Remer About two of the minor villains. Christy Swanson plays the romantic lead, Diana Palmer, with old-school promise. The always amazing Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa shows up late in the film as an evil pirate and it’s a delight. It’s also nice to see veteran actor Patrick McGohan appear as the ghost of Kit’s father, the former Phantom.
If there’s one cast member who threatens to steal the show, it’s Williams as the antagonist, Xander Drax. Williams relishes every moment he can be a scenery-chewing badass. You can almost see his teeth marks on the set. This is the kind of independent and delightful bad guy that we just don’t see enough of in these types of movies anymore.
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Perhaps the most admirable feature of the phantom is the production design and its tactile nature. Like I said, it looks like a 1938 movie made in 1996. The sets, the stunts, the costumes and the cinematic approach reinforce the fact that this is a movie that knows it’s a movie. Realism is not what it aspires to. If you understand this, the film is allowed to look staged and not try to exaggerate with modern effects. Instead, it can be as pulpy and cartoonish as it wants in every way.
This may be one of the reasons it was ejected.
Why this pulp adventure failed
One of the most important points This ongoing column is that the failure of a film is rarely the fault of the perceived quality of the film. It’s always a multitude of factors that contribute to a film’s initial failure.
with the phantomIt is likely related to a change in what the audience enjoys in relation to action cinema. by Michael Bay the rock Opened that weekend and won first place. Mission: Impossible and twister were number 2 and number 3 and they were in the third and fifth week of release, respectively. Audiences have seen action movies become an even bigger spectacle thanks to advances in special effects. the phantom Just looks too dated compared to everything else in the theater.
There’s also the matter of these pulp adventures never quite connecting with modern audiences. the rocket, the shadow, and Dick Tracy (all of these have their merits) did not succeed. Moviegoers don’t seem to have been drawn to these characters and their period (or period-inspired) films.
A facet of the same issue is recognition. The Phantom hasn’t had the same level of cultural saturation or widespread nostalgia as a character like Batman. Truth be told, the feature film was the first knowledge I ever had of the character. It’s likely that a lot of these superhero characters needed some baked-in familiarity with the audience for them to appear.
It’s a shame about that the phantom Didn’t hit big at the box office. The brilliant film critic Roger Ebert gave it three and a half stars his review and called it “one of the best looking films in a long time”. If you’re looking for a movie that captures the basic spirit of comic book adventure, the phantom He is for you. Expertly crafted in its simplicity, this is not a film to be ignored or underestimated.
