Phantom, le masque de l'ombre

The Phantom was one of my favorite comics when I was a kid, so my excitement was understandable when I sat down to watch this movie. Alas, the excitement waned almost immediately. This was not a movie worthy of the comic strip, it hardly had anything to do with it whatsoever. It was overly 'modernized', apparently in order to adapt it to the 21st century... Why on earth would you want to do that? It looks more like a music video than an action flick.

Another major problem is the casting of the main character; Ryan Carnes would be much more believable impersonating a teenage MTV pop star than he is starring as the Phantom. And then there is the costume... Suffice it to say that it looks totally ridiculous, and it has nothing to do with the Phantom. The set decoration is rather tacky (I believe due to budgetary restrictions), the cinematography and sound are average, so there is really nothing that really stands out in this movie. Large TV productions have accustomed us to much better products in recent years. It's a pity really, the idea to film the Phantom was a good one, but it should have been done in a different way, a completely different way.

The Phantom (starring Ryan Carnes in the title role) tells the story of a superhero who serves as the defender of justice for all.

The mini-series, which also serves as a pilot for a potential television series, has enough action and romance to make you forget its length. The adaptation of the Phantom gives us a superhero with a clear-cut and unbendable knowledge of right and wrong that has been mostly lacking in the modern superhero movie era.

Those already familiar with the comics will find enough of the comics' elements in the mini-series to satisfy the spirit, if not the absolute letter. However, purists of the comics and those unwilling to suspend some disbelief will find extreme difficulty in enjoying a mini-series that brings the franchise into the 21st Century.

If there are any defects to this show, it is at times when the mini-series works too hard at looking like a pilot, having many scenes throughout to serve as the background for future plots and character development. Especially the final scene (Which I won't give away) that could have served well as the cold opening for the first episode of the first season.

This series is well worth watching. Here's to hoping SyFy can make a cut in the Roger Corman Knockoffs Deptartment to give The Phantom chance it deserves. After all, no one refuses the Phantom.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable show. So often both the television directors and the television critics feel that television must deliver some kind of message or have some type of grand esoteric meaning, but most television programs are simply just for entertainment. Thankfully, this particular program does exactly what it is supposed to do--entertain. Additionally, I really like the characters, Guran (played by Sandrine Holt) and Renny (played by Cameron Goodman), so this show works for me on more than one level. This is only television, it is not theater class at an expensive university. Others seem to have unrealistic expectations of just what television can and does deliver to the masses.

I never knew the old Phantom before, so I watched this with an open mind, I usually know nothing of the movies I'm about to watch not even genre. I kinda guessed that this was a comic-book adaptation and i was right.

Okay, so this is a B-flick. the characters are neither very deep nor engaging, the actresses are, while nice, not really very stunning. Everything breathes second rate.

But what is really disturbing is this trend that remakes of old 70s themed movies, comic books, TV shows turn out to be slightly racist, in it's casting and in the story lines.

The evil villain here is Singh. Singh is probably the most common of names in India, like Smith or Lopez or Popov. And in the cast, to replace Guran, an African with an Asian woman??? I like pretty girls as much as anyone, but this is part of a worrying trend that started with Battle Star Galactica, when they replaced colonel Thigh with a white guy.

I guess we have to be thankful that B.A. Barracus isn't some Bubba from Alabama in the new A-Team movie.

The Melancholic Alcoholic.

The most reoccurring complaint I see in the prior reviews of this Phantom TV movie is "He's nothing like the old phantom". I am inclined to retort: "So what?" Times change. Crime and injustice evolve, so does the technology that can be used by evildoers. It's only normal in terms of escalation that the Phantom evolves as well. In the old times, the spandex outfit was the Phantom's choice because it would confuse the enemy as well as conceal his real appearance, only nowadays Walker has to take armor piercing rounds and automatic weapons as a potential annoyance too. So yes, he'll wear something different. Same goes with that visor. It has to be both concealing and useful. What is true for technology and attire is also true in terms of psychology. This Phantom reflects his own time. Tradition is not totally forgotten, the whole ritual experience on the lair island is there to remind of all that makes the Phantom who he is. The horse? The dog? You wouldn't bring these to a modern fight, unless you want them minced.

Bottom line: Suck it up buddies, the Phantom we grew with did the same thing we all do. He aged, he died, he got replaced. What is immortal is the concept of the Phantom and in order to survive, all things have to adapt. Including the Ghost Who Walks.