User reviews

There's always a danger in bringing comic book heroes to the screen in that most are pretty bad. Some are satisfying, e.g., the Batman and Superman films come to mind. But, the Phantom was essentially a strip comic by Lee Falk that I used to read as a kid and which had been around long before me (I'll be 65 this year). I remember seeing the serial at the Saturday morning matinees and loved the comic strip. Time passes and the Phantom faded and then, in 1993, I went to Somalia as a consultant during the UNITAF occupation and was billeted with the Aussies. To my amazement, I discovered the Phantom was not only alive and well Down Under, but there were active comic books cults, conventions and the like there as well. So, no wonder the film enjoyed a revival of a defunct strip but, alas, there is much to be desired in the effort and the final product is almost a parody of the original. My wife and I saw it for a bargain matinee and I enjoyed it. However, I suffer few illusions that it could not have been done better. It was a romp and maybe, as one reviewer noted, Catherine Zeta-Jones was worth the price of admission. Well, for my part, I liked young Billy Zane's Phantom with the sheepish grin, Treat Williams's sardonic evil smile and Christy Swanson's Diana, a pleasant departure from her Vampire staking role as Buffy. It was also good to see Patrick McGoohan, former Secret Agent Man as the Phantom's predecessor. I think this film is worth the price of a rental for a rainy afternoon.

The Phantom (Billy Zane), descendant of a line of African heroes, travels to New York to thwart a criminal genius (Treat Williams).

A great cast, lead by Billy Zane, with Joe Dante producing (and almost directing). Could Bruce Campbell in the lead have made this film better? Hard to say. (I love Zane, but I have to admit he mumbles quite a bit through this film.)

What I find most striking about this movie is that it has received a terrible reputation on IMDb (ranking below 5 of 10 stars), but managed to pull a 3.5 of 4 stars from Roger Ebert. Wow. Has Ebert ever been more off the mark from the common viewer? I, for one, liked it and found it a visually appealing adventure film. I especially appreciate the setting of 1930s New York, a wonderful backdrop for a crime story. I must confess I never read the comic strip, so the accuracy is something I cannot attest to. But I would have gladly welcomed a sequel, rather than have Zane go on to make "Titanic".

Not many people realize that the Phantom is THE FIRST comic book hero, pre-dating Superman and pre-dating Batman. I grew up on the classic Lee Falk comic strip hero in my local newspaper. The ads for this film made me suspect it would be faithful to the character and storyline. When the film opens with the comic strip's classic line "For those who came in late…" (always used between the end of one storyline and the beginning of the next with one-day strip with a brief synopsis/reminder of the origin of the Phantom), I got goose bumps and the film maintained its integrity, unlike people who have no clue as to who is "The Phantom." While some alternations were made for it to be a little more PC (the Phantom's local pygmy people are omitted, possibly "replaced" by the Rope People we see at one point), the film's flavour remained untarnished. I can see why Billy Zane fought so hard for the role. Treat Williams clearly had a blast chewing up the scenery as the villain. Then-newcomer Catherine Zeta-Jones certainly had we males dislocating our jaws with amazement (it always pained me later she'd be referred to mostly as "Catherine Zeta-Jones from Zorro" for a time, as though this tongue-in-cheek action adventure film was to be neglected). For the non-intellect, this film may fare better on tape or on cable. For those who know the character from his origins, see it either there or if it should ever hit theatrical re-release. The saddest thing about this film is it has not yet spanned a series of sequels.

While "The Phantom" is not the brightest moment in cinema history, it is still better than the 2009 attempt to reinvent the character and bring it up-to-date. The whole concept of the phantom is campy and worked well enough in comic book format but didn't translate all that well in transition to the screen.

For a 1996 action hero movie, then "The Phantom" is entertaining for what it is, a campy attempt at bringing an equally campy comic book hero to life on the screen. Now, I have never been much fan of Billy Zane, but he actually did a good job in this movie. The cast list is adequate, taking into consideration the premises of the movie.

The story is about a jungle legend of the ghost that walks; a lineage of a vigilante family who fights evil in all its forms. And with Xander Drax planning on hoarding the power of ancient Bengalian artifacts, the phantom must rise yet again.

Don't expect any award winning material from "The Phantom". You know what you will get here with this type of movie when you sit down to watch it, it is straight to the point.

Not as awful as some people think, this harmless INDIANA JONES imitation gets by on the occasional laugh and some elegantly flattering shots of two very beautiful ladies in the cast.

Billy Zane's lifeless performance as the Phantom is clearly what sank this film at the box office. Zane can be darkly sexy in thrillers like DEAD CALM, or villainously sexy in TITANIC, but as a good guy with super powers he is very bad. He seems to lack all sexual energy, all humor, and all sense of fun. He sucks the air out of every scene. He really puts the "coma" in "comatose!" The visual images are all wrong -- a masked super hero riding a horse, fighting with pistols, just looks like a chump. And his goofy grin just looks -- well, goofy.

On the other hand, Kristy Swanson as Diana Palmer turns in a sweet, wholesome performance, very appealing personally and quite lovely to look at. You can really see how well she looks in period clothing, even though the script doesn't give her nearly enough to do. It's part of the recurring bad luck in this stunning and talented performer's career that she's forever being upstaged by more exciting personalities. (BUFFY, anyone?) In this case the culprit is Catherine Zeta Jones, an unknown at the time who has a relatively small role as a bad girl. Again and again, the dark bad girl puts her spell on the helpless blonde, both outsmarting her and outfighting her. Poor Kristy is pretty and sweet, but she looks like mush in comparison to the slinky Catherine. It's so bittersweet the way Zeta-Jones walks off with scene after scene while sweet, unassuming Kristy Swanson just looks blank. You have to wonder how the poor girl felt! Beauty is beauty, but charisma is something extra -- a star power that goes beyond looks. Catherine has it, and Kristy doesn't. Was she crying in her dressing room between takes?

That brings up another ironic triumph. Treat Williams was touted for years as the next big thing, and never made it. Yet here, in this forgotten, low rent bomb, he pulls off his most engaging, natural, and entertaining performance -- as the deliciously corny villain, Xander Drax. After years of broken promises and missed opportunities, Treat seems to relish every minute of attention, and you have to admire him for scoring a moral victory, even if no one is watching. It's like a Kevin Costner baseball movie, where the aging has-been reaching down deep inside to win the only victory that counts. The one where he gives his all, and proves something, not to the fans, but to his colleagues and himself. Did the crew applaud when he left the stage?

One final note -- three cheers for James Remar, twenty five years since THE WARRIORS and still going strong. You can believe it, War Chief.

Ajax Lives!!!

In many ways, "The Phantom" is a neat sort of action picture. Like "Raiders of the Lost Ark", it is a glossy, big-budget modern take on an old movie serial of the 1940s. However, despite the good, it also suffers from one god-awful plot device...the 'plucky lady'. When she is introduced, I immediately rolled my eyes with the incredibly stupid things the screenwriters had her say to prove she was a tough feminist....and in the process made her sound like a jerk (at best). A few examples of the really dumb things she says:

After the plane she is in is shot down, she says to the leader of the baddies...."Do you know how many laws you have broken?"

After the Phantom saves her from certain death...."Not so fast! Why should I go with you?!"

After being held prisoner and threatened with death, she says...."Thanks...you've done a good job. I can take it from here."

After countless shootouts and tons of evil done by Drax and his second in command, the plucky lady says..."What's wrong with you.....why are you so mean?!"

Additionally, because she's a walking, talking inane stereotype, this lady is not about to say thank you or behave like a normal person. Nope...she's always mouthy and tough...even when it makes no sense whatsoever.

As for the plot, the evil Sengh Brotherhood is bent on world domination and badness. Its leader, Drax (Treat Williams), is very smooth and handsome....and a cold murderer. He also will do ANYTHING to obtain all four of the precious silver skulls created by some ancient race...and imbued with amazing powers. So, it's up to the Phantom to destroy Drax and the Brotherhood in order to prevent them from taking over the world.

The film, apart from the 'plucky lady', is pretty much a Saturday morning adventure picture....not bad at all but definitely very superficial and with a strong emphasis on action and stunts...a few of which are insanely impossible. Not bad, not good....just a film where you turn off your brain and enjoy the adventure. So sad that the lady is a major annoyance and much like similar stereotypical but completely unreal women you'll find in "Sky Captain" and "Van Helsing".

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.

A film for the family to enjoy on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Okay. It is kind of like INDIANA JONES in purple tights, yet it has some pretty good scenes. The cinematography is wonderful. One gets the feeling of actually sashaying about in the deepest, darkest Bengali Jungle. This helps with the film a lot.

Billy Zane plays the title character, who, with the help of Devil, his pet wolf, protect the weak, dispenses justice and fights for good causes. How he accomplishes to stay so busy in a relatively remote jungle baffled me, but it is a movie, after all.

THE PHANTOM's action sequences are tempered, yet still has the thrills n' spills to propel it forward. The Phantom character gets drawn into a nasty plot by megalomaniac industrialist Xander Drax (Treat Williams, whose proclivity for over acting is starting to spawn legends...). Drax wants to rule the world, you see, and since this takes place in the late 1930's, he's not alone in this ambition.

The plot isn't extremely intricate, but thankfully doesn't grandstand or preach. It just keeps pace, but might have a few adults knitting their brows, as the screenplay leans toward absurdity at times. A museum scene, where thundering action takes place in front of a virtual mob of people. They stand there with mouths agape. Then, are easily led out of the scene because somebody tells them of refreshments in the other room(!). I don't know about you, but I am certainly a tad nosier than that.

All tolled, THE PHANTOM is okay. Recommended for a very rainy day only.

Along with several comic-book hero films from the '90s (The Rocketeer, The Shadow) The Phantom was another attempt to make a period piece comic-book film by utilizing a sort of retro cool aesthetic combined with a non-traditional hero in an attempt to create something a bit different and hopefully more inclusive and attractive to an audience of non modern era comic-book fans. Much like those other films the hoped for crossover audience didn't surface as super-hero films still didn't have a large enough fan-base outside of the core built-in audience to stray too far from the more iconic heroes and and the film died a quick death at the box-office. Thankfully the movie has picked up an ever growing cult following on DVD and so it remains in circulation and is easily found.

Working off of a script by Jeffrey Boam the movie was originally scheduled to be directed by Joe Dante and lean a bit more heavily into being a parody of a high-adventure serial films. After the scheduled shooting dates were pushed forward Dante left and a long time fan of The Phantom character Simon Wincer took over the project. Simon decided to approach the material a bit more seriously and this results in the lines being delivered with more of a wry wink tone to them that serves the material rather well and works well to keep some of the stereo-typical characters from becoming a bit too heavy-handed.

The Phantom is a movie of very high adventure and there are plenty of harrowing escapes and large scale chases to be had. The film is uses the outdoor locations to their fullest and they are both grand and beautiful and a perfect backdrop for the adventure filled world of The Phantom and his adversaries to interact within. Unfortunately some of the indoor sets don't favor as well and the impact and wonderment that earlier scenes evoked are greatly reduced to some cheap-looking sets. The end scene pirate lair in particular looks a bit more like a Disney ride location than a pirate hideout of The Phantom's lifelong enemies.

But overall The Phantom is a very fun film and although full of clichéd characters, the actors pull it off with suitable skill and the pervasive positive tone helps to carry the film as it quickly moves from one location to the next. Character development is a bit thin, but the film propels forward at a fairly rapid pace so this doesn't really hinder it much. A sorely overlooked film that delivers a rollicking good adventure that's whose fun is infectious and charming.

This movie knows it is awful, and it doesn't even have the good sense to poke fun at itself. A nod or a wink to let you know that the people who made it are aware of what they're making. The dialog plays out like a conversation between three pre-teens. The action is similarly brainless. Hint: Horses can't run faster than airplanes, and loose nets that drop from the ceiling aren't really effective traps. I don't think I heard a convincing spoken word or saw a convincing action sequence during the whole movie.

It's so entirely terrible, that I kind of want to charge HBO rent for letting it play on my TV.

It's hard to believe that a movie that so hits the mark set by its original intentions can receive some of the stupid, silly and brainless reviews seen in these pages. This is a movie based on the original comic book hero, so yes, we have a character in a costume. If that's a problem for you because it's "unrealistic", well what would be realistic for you? Lots of blood, sex with movie-star-hot men or women, big explosions, exit wounds? Lots of that in your everyday life, I assume? And yes, a lot of fantastic, unrealistic things happen in this film, which may also pose a problem for you if your sense of wonder is limited to things like who is going to win the next Survivor. Yet all of these fantastic unrealistic things are all directly related to the concepts of heroism and villainy.

This entire movie is about heroes and villains, right down to the cab driver. It is not about how Billy Zane looks in purple spandex, or how hot the female leads are, or how much you hate Treat Williams' over-the-top performance, or how you think it "rips off" Indiana Jones (funny, I'm pretty sure Jones was a nod, in part, to the Phantom!). If these are your only reactions after watching this movie then you have indeed wasted your time. Fortunately, time like yours isn't very valuable when you would probably rather waste it spending days playing the next version of Grand Theft Auto.

The Phantom revisits the concept of heroes. I'm not talking about people like Vin Diesel, Pamela Anderson, 50 Cent, or this year's American Idol. Heroes are people who have character, integrity, morality, and courage; people who stand for, and stand up for, what is right. With so little of this in the world around us today, I guess it's not surprising that so many people have a problem with the concept. These days the hero is the person who can kill the most opponents (I can't call them "bad guys" here), screw over the most people, get the most toys, or have sex with the hottest hotties. Basically, we now equate heroism with personal gain and success.

The Phantom, like all true heroes, does what he does because it is the right thing to do, not because he stands to gain from it. He is capable of performing selfless acts that can make a difference for the better, and on top of that, he does so anonymously! How often do you see that in today's society? Drax is a villain because he is the villain, not because we see him slaughtering innocents or committing some other purely evil crime. We don't need to see Singh's band blow up a ship full of people with body parts flying in slow motion to understand they are also villains. It might require a bit of imagination, which also seems to be in short supply these days, but the idea is that they are as bad as you can imagine them to be. Once again that sense of wonder has to come into play. The only thing I'm left wondering is how anyone who sat down to watch this movie couldn't have known this.

In a nutshell: The Phantom is a comic book character movie wherein the hero wears a cool purple costume and performs fantastic acts of heroism, gets the girl of his dreams, and defeats evil by being a paragon of virtue and valor. It is fun for all ages; the six kids that sat in front of me at the theatre had a blast, and my mother likes it too. The character's creator apparently approved of this film despite its slight deviations from the printed version. And I give this movie with heart and soul a 10 out of 10.

i liked this movie a lot.it kinda reminded me of a low cal version of Indian Jones and even that 1980s TV show Tales of the Gold Monkey.you can't beat it for action and excitement.plus,there's plenty of humour,and some great one liners.it can be a bit campy and over the top but that's part of its charm.Billy Zane is perfectly cast in the title role.there are some really memorable characters here.the villains are certainly interesting.this is not a movie that will change your life or anything but it should certainly entertain you on a day when you just want to sit back relax and turn your brain off for awhile.for me,The Phantom is a 7/10

I dunno... lemme see... sparking trees... a horse that runs as fast as a flying plane... a plot that my 10 year old brother could have written better. It was a terrible movie and the only joy I got from it is that whenever I see anyone that I saw the movie with, we can all get a laugh from the sparking trees.

I liked it. It was refreshing to watch an action/adventure feature that wasn't filled with unimaginative four-letter words or eyefuls of naked female flesh. It is a classic, easily recognizable "good vs. evil" adventure, with readily identifiable heros and villains. I would class it more with "The Rocketeer," rather than with the Indiana Jones movies, even though it has much of the same look. It offers no reason to cover the kids' eyes or mute the volume, nor will adults be bored. The movie doesn't really drag anywhere, and even offers a few lively flashes, in short: Simply enjoyable.

There was a time when Hollywood had high hopes for Billy Zane, bit sadly his participation in mediocre stuff like this never really helped his career much. He portrays the eponymous character (adequately, but no better) who must travel to New York on the trail of the evil "Drax" (Treat Williams) who wants obtain and combine three ancient skulls and obtain the ultimate power in the universe. Yes, so far we have about six different films all roled into one and this doesn't really do justice to any of them. Catherine Zeta-Jones does her best, but she was never a great actress anyway and given there is only the bare bones of a part for her to deliver, she looks faintly ridiculous most of the time. There is a tiny bit of redemption in the form of "Diana" (Kristy Swanson) who is our hero's pretty disgruntled but feisty and capable ex-girlfriend, and the quality of the production is, and looks, good. Zane, though, just can't carry it in his purple lycra, and the twist at the end all just came far too late to enliven this listless comic book adventure. It might have looked better in monochrome?

The Phantom originated with a comic strip in 1936. He is a superhero without super powers, surrounded by myths and mysticism. This film preserves the comic strip feel of the original hero, much like the TV series of Batman that featured Adam West. Billy Zane, who portrays The Phamtom, even sounds like Adam West when he talks.

Many of the characters feel like they come from "Raiders of the Lost Ark". The action borders on silliness, as if punches should be accompanied by bubbles saying "POW!" or "BAM!" a la "Batman".

The Phantom is called "the ghost who walks", but much of the time he rides his horse called Hero, accompanied by his wolf named Devil. Most of the characters are clichéd caricatures.

The action takes place just before WWII and the non-jungle scenes capture that era effectively. The scenery and the design aspects of the film, including the fashions, are the best part of the film.

Kristy Swanson plays the part of Diana Palmer, love interest to the main character. There is no chemistry between them. Catherine Zeta-Jones plays Sala, the bad girl accomplice of the villains-a small part that allows her to shine briefly. Treat Williams plays Xander Drax, the villain, with true comic-strip smarminess and relish.

Had they modernized The Phantom as was done with later Batman films, it might have been more successful. The "Agent Carter" TV series is an example of doing it right. This film lacked the humor that might have sold its tongue-in-cheek approach.

The phantom. Miriam-Webster's dictionary defines it as "something (as a specter) apparent to sense but with no substantial existence". If only the same could be for this movie.

Billy Zane (Billy Zane? The one who hasn't done really anything since Titanic) plays The Phantom. Clad in the worst costume for a super-hero ever (tight purple suit, belt, face mask), he lives in a forest. He fights supposed bad guys. Even ones who just get in his way, such as police officers. Along with his horse and his dog Devil (who disappears and reappears many times), he attacks grave robbers. But I wouldn't call him a superhero.

Xander Drax (Treat Williams) is a multimillionaire type who wants to collect three skulls to get power. Of course! So simple. After the Phantom "lets" them narrowly escape, he goes after Drax to make sure he doesn't get the other two skulls. So far so good, right? Wrong.

Diana Palmer (Kristy Swanson) is someone who knows Drax. Somehow she gets involved. Wow. Great character developement. So many characters come and go, how are we supposed to remember who and why they are?

The Phantom is plagued with problems. First is the improbability factor. The Phantom jumps from a plane (that moves up and down without anyone touching it) onto a horse that seems to be running faster than the plane. As soon as the Phantom gets off a bridges with an overturned truck on it (that, for some reason, is stuck in place without any supports), the truck falls down and lands in water, causing a big explosion. Somehow he makes volcanoes erupt, causing an island to blow up. After almost killing the Phantom with a sword, the person decides to use a switchblade. Catch my drift?

The script is very lacking. First, no characters are developed, they just come and go. At the end, when the Phantom defeats the bad guy (oops...just gave away the surprise ending!), he uses his "cunning". That's the only time. And how many superheros use guns? The script, like the rest of the movie, is laughably bad. "There is opportunity in chaos." "We'll be fish food!" Sounds like advanced writing to me.

The acting...where to begin? Zane doesn't really do much, since because of his "costume" he can have a stunt double do most of his worki. You can tell when Zane is actually in the suit because the acting is poor. Swanson, which is a name I rarely hear, overacts and mixes emotions and actions. Williams is decent, but is too over-the-top and tries too hard to be sinister. Catherine Zeta-Jones, as one of Drax's assistants, is serviceable. She actually is a good action star.

The music tried to make it an adventure movie, in case we forgot this is what it is trying to be. It turns into a violent swashbuckler at the end. Its ending, which tries to wrap it up, even though we got it halfway through, is predictable and stupid.

The Phantom is very stupid, with misfires everywhere and only OK acting, which is its only saving grace.

My rating: 3/10

Rated PG for action/adventure violence and some mild language.

For those who like Rocketteer, Deep Rising, Tremors, Pitch Black, This is a movie for YOU. It has all the thrills of a roller-coaster. It's like watching a comicbook. Roger Rabbit is another. Believe anything, relax, and don't take it too seariously, and you will love this film. It has brainless, popcorn fun for multiple viewings. The Shadow is another. If you like any of these films, you will like this one. Some people go to movies to change there lives. Others just go for fun. This is for those people.

Simple.

There's not alot to say about this film...other than it's just plain poor. The story is poor, the sets are poor, the writing is poor, and the acting is POOR. Billy Zane, not the greatest actor, is awful in this movie. I've seen him in other films before and he did okay, but he must have needed the money to pay some bills. He seems to be sleep walking through the whole thing. Kristy Swanson, who usually helps any film with her looks can't save The Phantom. Her acting too, is bad. I grew up reading The Phantom comics and was really looking forward to the movie, but I was completely disappointed. The worst part of the movie though..was it made me poor. I spent money to see it at the theatre.

Aside from the purple costume (Which goes back to the comic strip)it's a nice movie. Not deep, or anything, but well done. Treat Williams does a great job as an easy-going villian, who has most of the best lines in the movie.

And the scenery is wonderful.

The Phantom is one the oldest comics around and in essence he is a superman. But superman was from another planet, while the phantom is a white man living amongst the savages of, initially Borneo (in Indonesia) and then in later comics, Africa.

His mission is to fight piracy and other criminal activity. Somehow he is stronger, faster and smarter than everyone else.

This movie carries on the great racist tradition of the Phantom. He needs a wife so rather than look around for a local girl he must travel to the big city, fight some bad guys, return to the jungle, fight some pirates and do his best to get the girl.

This movie also fails to really capture the essence of the character. He is in essence a vengeful ghost, hard and harsh with criminals. He should possess a wonderful physical character, like the true batman, with muscles on muscles.

It just doesn't work. Not an awful movie, just a waste of time.

The Phantom is a super-hero from the golden age of American comics, and the story line is set appropriately in 1938/39. Billy Zane, as the latest of a long line of Phantoms (hence the hero's title, "Ghost Who Walks") does justice to the title role. Direction is crisp, the Southeast Asian cinematography is beautiful, and the supporting cast is excellent -- except for Treat Williams, who bombastically overplays the chief villain, Xander Drax. Great villains exhibit some aspect about their character which strikes an emotional chord with the audience. William's Drax is just very annoying, like the co-worker you desperately wish would go away -- permanently. So if you can somehow get past this problem, you will discover a very enjoyable movie.