The Phantom (1996)

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Anyone remember this movie? With all the superhero talk going on around here it reminded me of The Phantom.

I avoided this movie for a long time because I thought it looked fucking stupid, mostly because of the costume, but when I finally sat down and watched it I found it to be a fairly charming little film.

It's based on an old comic strip from the 30s, and much like the Indiana Jones films it is very much an homage to the old adventure stories of that era.

Apparently this film is the reason that James Cameron cast Billy Zane in Titanic. It also stars Treat Williams as the evil Xander Drax, Catherine Zeta-Jones and James Remar as his main henchmen, Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa as The Great Kabai Sengh and Kristy Swanson, looking delightful, as the love interest.

It's a thoroughly lightweight and inoffensive movie, but as a breezy classic adventure story it's not bad.

Thoughts on this one?


 
You forgot Shang Tsung was the head of the Sengh Brotherhood.

Campy movie which leaned into the source material. Better than it should have been.

Top notch eye candy. All female pirate pilot squadron was a brilliant idea.
 
Being a big Indiana Jones fan I like a 1930s set adventure. It was silly and far from great but I enjoyed it. Same with The Rocketeer.
 
You forgot Shang Tsung was the head of the Sengh Brotherhood.

Alas, you replied before my edit!

Campy movie which leaned into the source material. Better than it should have been.

The one thing they should've done . . . REALLY should've done . . . was update The Phantom's costume.

But other than that, I mean, it's got pirates, mystical skulls, a wolf sidekick, and boundless light-hearted adventure. What more could you want?

Oh, and one thing that I really appreciated was the production design. It's supposed to be the 30s and it really do look the part.

It's a throwback and it's one of those movies where you walk away from it and sincerely think to yourself, "They don't make 'em like they used to!"

Top notch eye candy. All female pirate pilot squadron was a brilliant idea.

100% agree!

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Being a big Indiana Jones fan I like a 1930s set adventure. It was silly and far from great but I enjoyed it. Same with The Rocketeer.

I remember there were three movies that all came out around the same time that were based on old properties from yesteryear:

The Phantom, The Shadow and The Rocketeer.

And sadly, they all underperformed at the box office. The Phantom only made $17 million in its entire theatrical run.

I did read earlier though that it sold very well on home video for whatever reason.
 
Shrug. I think you put it properly with "lightweight and inoffensive."
 
Shrug. I think you put it properly with "lightweight and inoffensive."

I'll echo @sh1tehawke's comment that "silly and far from great but I enjoyed it."

How often do we get an old-school adventure film like that? Not often at all, so I'll take what I can get.

It's certainly not on the level of Indiana Jones, but it has some fun ideas and moments.
 
I'll echo @sh1tehawke's comment that "silly and far from great but I enjoyed it."

How often do we get an old-school adventure film like that? Not often at all, so I'll take what I can get.

It's certainly not on the level of Indiana Jones, but it has some fun ideas and moments.

Have you seen the Richard Chamberlain Allan Quatermain movies from the 80s? Since you're so into Indiana Jones, it seems like you might enjoy them.
 
It’s a decent watch. Just not a terribly big Billy Zane fan.
 
I've seen parts of them and they disgust me.

Heh, well I never said they were great. I figured if you like Indiana Jones AND you like American Ninja, then you might have liked Cannon's version of Indiana Jones.
 
It's ok, but I am a massive Phantom nerd, so don' t really like the lighthearted tone.

Would have preferred a Dark Knight style treatment, gritty and realistic.
 
Heh, well I never said they were great. I figured if you like Indiana Jones AND you like American Ninja, then you might have liked Cannon's version of Indiana Jones.

No, they come across as exactly what they are: Cheap, cynical cash-grabs. I could forgive that if they we're actually good, but I've seen enough to know there is nothing that is good about those films.

Any time I watch clips from them I literally feel uneasy.
 
It's ok, but I am a massive Phantom nerd, so don' t really like the lighthearted tone.

Would have preferred a Dark Knight style treatment, gritty and realistic.

Massive Phantom nerds exist in 2017?
 
Massive Phantom nerds exist in 2017?

Lol, yeah, but i am over 40. I have been into them from when I found a suitcase full of 1950's and 1960's Phantoms' my grandfather had on the farm. He gave them to me and I added a few over the years.

Probably have over 300 vintage comics worth somewhere around $20 grand if i could be bothered selling them individually. I will probably never sell them.
 
Kristy Swanson was in that?

Sheeeeeeit... I would have watched it for that reason alone.
 
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