The Phantom
Although 1996's The Phantom wasn't a big success with critics or audiences of the time, I had a grand old time seeing in theaters. The adaptation of Lee Falk's classic character unapologetically leans into making a comic book movie accepting the ridiculousness of the premise and championing it rather than forcing such bizarre concepts to appear more realistic. Set in 1938, with a focus on practical effects, if anything the nostalgic charm of the film has made it age even better with time. Revisiting it every few years, I always end up having a good time and appreciate it even more 30 years later.
Billy Zane stars as Kit Walker, the latest in the long lineage of his family to take up the mantle of the Phantom and defend the island of Bengalla. Dispensing quickly with an origin story distilled into two-minutes, the film gets us right into the action with the Phantom taking on a group of grave robbers, one of whom (James Remar) escapes with the prize of a jeweled skull returning it to New York to the deranged businessman Xander Drax (Treat Williams) who plans to unite the skull with two others and unleash an unstoppable mystical power.
The script also throws in two female characters with Kristy Swanson cast as the love who got away, who Kit is reunited with when returning to New York, and Catherine Zeta-Jones as our bad girl and leader of the all-female fighter pilots known in the comics as the Sky Band. Both are well-cast, and deliciously dressed by costume designer Marlene Stewart who also manages a fairly good version of the Phantom's admittedly awkward costume (even if the pivotal mask removal late in the film is a bit odd).
The jungle shots are lush and vivid and make a fun contrast with 30s New York City all beautifully shot by David Burr. We also the Phantom's cave and the lair of the Singh Brotherhood for our climactic battle between our hero and villains. I also quite enjoy the film's score by David Newman. Tightly wrapping up the story, after introducing the character, the film offers the Phantom avenging his father's death, reconnecting with the love of his live, and defeating the generational nemesis of his ancestors. That's pretty good work in only 100-minutes.
Given its tone and its staging as a nostalgic period piece adventure, the film pairs well with both The Shadow and The Rocketeer (both of which were also released around this time). The new 4K released includes the movie on both 4K and Blu-ray, new audio commentary from director Simon Wincer, a new interview with Zane, featurettes, and the film's trailer.
- Title: The Phantom
- IMDb: link
