Drew Dietsch Published
phantom There is a lot to do. It’s a beautifully made film with a strong marketing push, and it’s positioned as a perfect summer superhero movie. Unfortunately, none of this helped it drop to sixth place in its opening weekend.
Why phantom Having trouble engaging your audience? Nearly twenty-five years later, is it time to reassess this swashbuckling venture?
As we look back, let’s slam some evil phantoma movie that’s a lot more interesting than its reputation would lead you to believe.
Why the Phantom deserves better
before we dive in phantomwe need to contextualize this unique piece of comics history. The Phantom first appeared in a 1936 newspaper comic strip by Lee Falk and was a pulp superhero from the Golden Age of pulp superheroes. The Ghost predates Batman by three years, has a trusty manservant, has a secret cave as a hideout, and uses criminals’ cowardice and superstition against them, claiming to be a real Ghost. Yes, the Phantom was clearly the inspiration for Batman.
So it seems obvious that Tim Burton would be a huge success. batman Its birth in 1989 also sparked interest in its predecessor. Finally achieved in 1996, phantom One of many action heroes who were made into feature films after their feature films batman.
what makes phantom What a serious adaptation to such a delightful experience. Set in 1938, director Simon Wincer and screenwriter Jeffrey Boam treated the material as if it would have been made in 1938. Lost Ark Guidethere is not a trace of irony or self-deprecation in the film’s bones. From Phantom’s accurate costume design to its period-appropriate performances, it hopes to be the most authentic adaptation of the characters and their world.
This means the actors are acting in a warm but undeniably dated way. This could easily read as cheesy, but it’s crucial to the working of the film. Each performer fits the film’s classic comic book style. This keeps the tone light, fun and light-hearted. Yeah, this isn’t a movie with strong thematic resonance or super complex characters. It doesn’t matter. Its goals are simple and it achieves them at every turn.
Don’t think this means there’s no good performance phantom. The cast is made up of famous stars and great character actors. Billy Zane plays the Phantom aka Kit Walker, just like Clark Gable or Errol Flynn. Catherine Zeta-Jones and James Remar are perfectly cast as the two minor villains. Kristy Swanson plays the no-nonsense romantic lead Diana Palmer with old-school confidence. The always great Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa shows up as an evil pirate late in the film, which is a real treat. It’s great to see veteran actor Patrick McGoohan playing the ghost of Kit’s father (the former Phantom).
If there’s one actor who threatens to steal the show, it’s Treat Williams’ antagonist Xander Drax. Williams enjoys every moment of being a scenery-chewing bad guy. You can almost see the marks of his teeth in the set. This is the kind of unhinged, delightful bad guy we don’t see enough of in these types of movies.
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Perhaps the most admirable trait phantom is its production design and tactile nature. Like I said, this is like a 1938 movie made in 1996. Realism is not what it strives for. By realizing this, the film can look staged rather than trying to overdo it with modern effects. Instead, it can be as thin and cartoony as it wants to be in every way.
This may be one of the reasons why it failed.
Why this pulp adventure failed
One of the most important takeaways from this ongoing column is that a movie’s failure is rarely a question of its quality. There are always many factors that lead to a film’s initial failure.
and phantomthis may be related to the change in audience preferences for action movies. Michael’s rock Opened the same weekend and secured the #1 spot. Mission: Impossible and tornado Ranked second and third, respectively, and are in their third and fifth weeks of release, respectively. Audiences have seen action movies become more spectacular due to advancements in special effects. phantom It looked so old-fashioned compared to other stuff in the theater.
There’s also the problem that these pulp adventure stories never really caught on with modern audiences. rocketeer, shadow, and Dick Tracy (All of which have their merits) Poor performance. Moviegoers don’t seem to be drawn to the shots of these characters and their period (or period style).
One aspect of the same problem is recognition. The Phantom doesn’t have the same level of cultural saturation or widespread nostalgia as a character like Batman. To be honest, this feature film was my first introduction to this character. It’s likely that many superhero characters will require some familiarity with audiences before they can appear.
what a shame phantom The box office performance was not ideal. In his review, distinguished film critic Roger Ebert gave the film three and a half stars and called it “one of the best movies in a long time.” If you’re looking for a movie that embodies the basic spirit of comic book adventure, phantom It’s for you. This film is so well made and concise that it doesn’t deserve to be ignored or underestimated.
