The Phantom Reviews

Very Indiana-Jones-esque adaptation of the classic comic adventures of the just and mysterious hero. While some parts reek of B-movies, others are genuinely fun, especially the set pieces in the beginning and end really work, as well as the landscapes and action sequences. Everything between those is somewhat well-known and not very surprising. But the cast had obviously fun shooting this and it shows. Shallow but very entertaining.

Aside from the bad script and the fact that the story doesn't really ever go anywhere, The Phantom wasn't all that bad. I thought Billy Zane was perfectly cast, as was Treat Williams. It was in essence a tribute to The Phantom series of 1943 starring Tom Tyler, doing all the things they couldn't afford to rather than modernising the story for the kids. I think they made the right decision. It just needed a better story, a bigger budget and a few tweaks here and there and it would have been great. I think it's time the Phantom was resurrected, I think Billy Zane would probably still do the role justice too but it's never going to happen.

Slated upon its release in 1996, The Phantom has never been on the top of anyone's favourite superhero list. I remember the character from Defenders Of The Earth (Defenders), but that's about it. This film isn't spectacular, but like some other films I've watched recently for the first time since their mid-90s releases, it's actually a nice change of pace from the current market. The Phantom has Billy Zane as the ghost that walks. A man who protects the deep dark jungles by riding a horse and brandishing pistols. See, he isn't your average hero. That's part of the quirky charm. It's more of an action adventure film than a superhero piece, but the practical effects and stunts are great to look at. The characters are all cheesy and fun, especially the likes of Remar and Zeta-Jones. It was like stepping back into a time machine before filmmakers had put all of their trust into computers. Will certainly need a viewer who can appreciate the camp and corny, but those that do should be highly rewarded.

If you cross Indiana Jones with Tarzan and mix in some 'Goonies' type pirate tomfoolery then you pretty much have this fun cheesy boys own adventure. Actually if I think about it some more you could also throw in some camp Batman and Robin from the classic 60's series in certain sequences, it does get alittle bit too hammy in places I must say hehe.

Of course it is suppose to be almost a pantomine type flick with lots of silly lines and caddish villains but it is a touch too childish for me were as other pulp comicbook character adaptations like 'The Shadow' are abit more serious. The Phantom world is a pretty looking universe I must say, the jungle lair, 30's New York and the museum set where one of the skulls is kept are all really well created and have that lovely wooden stylish structured feel with that nice dark noirish colour range (much like The Shadow).

Effects are dated now of course and the fights do look rather gentle haha I almost expected 'Kapow!' to flash across the screen when Zane punched a baddie henchman. Its a good fun film which kids will enjoy and is totally set in the period comicbook action genre of oldschool superheroes. The Phantom isn't really a great character to put on film really as he's abit too dated and soft with his natty purple tights, simple black face mask which only covers his eyes and the fact he has a wolf and horse as his sidekicks hehe its so 'awwww'. Didn't really think much of the pirates that make up the bad guys, especially at the end which really turns into Schumacher type affair but it is all taken from the original stories so that's good I suppose, its just the original stories and ideas are very out of time now.

Doesn't beat around the bush and gives you exactly what it says on the tin which is a very light hearted period superhero flick with lots of charm, dames, cads and a dashing hero in a tight purple catsuit.

Heeheehee, this movie is foolishness. This might be the simplest superhero movie I've ever seen. The only thing about The Phantom that's not lilac-scented and squeaky clean is the fact that he's got a skull on his ring. I'm still not clear exactly why it's the source of his power. Actually, there's not a heck of a lot about this story that makes sense. It could have been called Purple vs. Bad Guys and it would have made as much sense. In fact, I can't really remember much about this movie, except that Billy Zane kicks a bunch of people's asses, and he comes from a long line of purple ass-kickers, and it's set in the 30s, and at one poine he needs to defeat the Yakuza. Or the Triads. Or the Black Hand. Or something. It doesn't really matter. This movie is not without its charm, but it is DEFINITELY without its substance.

The Phantom is one of those films that you either love or hate. In my case, I loved it. Billy Zane plays Kit Walker/The Phantom aka The ghost who walks. Zane is perfectly cast in the role, and he gives a great performance. Treat Williams stars as the films antagonist Xander Drax, a powerful business man who is bent on destroying the world. The Phantom must do everything to stop Drax from achieving his goal.The Phantom is a seriously underrated action film. Sure the film is cheesy and has flaws, the dialogue is cheesy as well but. But for what it's worth, The Phantom is a thrilling, underrated film that really doesn't get the attention it deserves. A decent cast adorns this action period piece, and the film looks great, the sets, costumes, are awesome. The score is great too. The Phantom will definitely not appeal to many, but to the few who like these types of superheros, then The Phantom will definitely make for a good viewing experience. This is also Billy Zane's best role. The Phantom is a film that is meant to entertain, yes, it has a low budget feel to it, but who cares? I really don't understand why why people hate this film so much, I personally thought it was much better than most superhero films such as X Men: The Last Stand. Action packed, cheesy and fun, The Phantom is an superhero film that like many reviewers have pointed out has an Indiana Jones feel to it, and it's terrific, flawed, but well done nonetheless.

Not a total stinker.

A character that should have never gotten a movie adaption, there is just no way that you can make a superhero in a purple jumpsuit believable. Add an extremely low budget and it makes for one mess. It's just a hard movie to watch, there are almost no redeeming qualities.

Quill: I've killed the Phantom.
The Great Kabai Sengh: Join the club. We've all killed him over the years. He keeps coming back.

The original costumed superhero, the Phantom, has no powers and is based mostly around myth. In this film, Billy Zane stars as said character, and does exactly what is needed to make it work. The film works as a great B-movie, with fun action, good production values. The film is basically a superhero movie set in the world of Indiana Jones, and I like it.

The Great Kabai Sengh: I know your secret, Phantom.
The Phantom: Take it to your grave, Kabai Sengh.

Only saw it once and loved it a lot. I REALLY want to see it again to see how it holds up, seeing as how everyone else hates it.

The Phantom isn't a big budget blockbuster super hero movie. Does that make it bad? Of course not. In fact, this is more than a decent watch.The story is as thin as paper and that isn't surprising. It is extremely easy to follow and at only 90 minutes, it blows by rather quickly. There isn't a lot of character development and there are no huge explanations behind the plans of the villains. This is a film to just sit back and kill some time with.The color purple is all over the marketing for this picture. It does seem like an odd color for a costume, but the characters are a creation of comic creator Lee Falk and the colors and settings successfully provide a comic book feel without the usage of CG unlike, oh say, Ultraviolet.The effects are cheap looking, which is a little disappointing, however it is only seen in small quantities throughout this picture. The stunt work on the other hand is pretty good.Billy Zane, who may not seem like the person for a super hero lead, actually does a decent job at pulling this off. Kristy Swanson fills the shoes of the female love interest with no problem. Treat Williams, James Remar, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, and the lovely Catherine Zeta Jones show up as the villains. They all overact, and believe it or not, that doesn't hurt this movie in anyway. Watching Kristy and Catherine argue throughout this picture is also a nice treat.Sure, The Phantom may not seem like anything special and it really isn't. Still, this is a movie to sit down and watch if there is time to spare.

Hell Yea I like Purple spandex wearing white-horse mounting superheros that in reality looks like a sadomasochistic pornstar.

I liked this one. It was a little cheesy but I thought it fit well with the idea of the movie. I would have liked to see a darker version made.

Billy Zane is cool as a purple-clad super hero. It's a fun runaround, but nothing mega-cool about it.

Vey average comic book action film with Billy Zane playing the Phantom.

A rubbish actor stars in a rubbish film about a rubbish superhero. It's...now what's the word...?

Billy Zane did a decent job of looking like a believable square-jawed hero, but there was just no way to dress someone in purple spandex without them looking like a ribena mascot.

This is why superhero movies should be restricted.

This film is soulless. The villains make it interesting and Billy Zane almost pulls it off, but it's a total waste of time and money. Whatever it had going for it, "The Phantom" is muddled by an uninspired and drearily painted atmosphere that totally sucks out all of the enthusiasm you could ever have for the concept. I want to like it, I really do, but the truth is that there really isn't that much *there* to like. It's an empty and meaningless film. Perhaps the title character's other, more insubstantial, nom de guerre "The Ghost Who Walks" would have been a more appropriate title for this movie. "The Phantom" deceptively sounds like a "mysterious and hard-hitting" story... "Slam evil", indeed... Oy vey...

godawfully, laughably, stupidly bad and is complete idiotic crap. F