90s superhero blockbuster flop better than many Marvel movies

as if Drew Dietsch | Published

Phantom He had a lot going for him. It was a beautiful production, there was a strong marketing push, and it was positioned as the perfect summer superhero movie. Unfortunately, none of those helped him tank in the #6 spot on opening weekend.

Why did he do it? Phantom Failed to connect with the audience? And nearly twenty-five years later, is it time to revisit this badass adventure?

Looking back, let's avoid evil Phantoma movie that's more fun than its reputation leads you to believe.

Why PHANTOM deserves better

Billy Zane
The Phantom (Billy Zahn) and Diana Palmer (Christy Swanson)

Before we go inside PhantomWe need to contextualize this particular comic book story. Originally appearing in a 1936 newspaper strip by Lee Falk, the Phantom is a pulp superhero from the golden age of superheroes. Predating Batman by three years, the Phantom had a loyal human servant, a secret cave as a hideout, and used the fear and superstition of criminals against them as a real ghost. Yes, the Phantom was an obvious inspiration for Batman.

So, Tim Burton's big success seems obvious Batman In the year In 1989, he developed an interest in this leading man. Finally in 1996 Phantom He was one of the many pulpy action heroes who got feature films during the movement. Batman.

What does he do? Phantom What a heartfelt adaptation it is such a fun experience. In the year Set in 1938, director Simon Winsor and screenwriter Jeffrey Boam approached the script for production in 1938. Raiders of the Lost ArkThere is not a hint of humor or self-indulgence in the bones of this film. From the Phantom's accurate costume design to the period appropriate performances, it requires a true adaptation of the character and his world.

Phantom
This is the kind of movie where the setting is taken 100% seriously. That's not a bad thing.

That means an actor is playing things in a warm but classic way. That's as easy to read as cheesy but crucial to the film's work. Every actor is on the film's classical comic book wavelength. This makes the sound light, fun and breezy. Yes, this is not a film with heavy thematic resonance or extremely complex characters. And that's okay. The goals are simple and he achieves them each round.

Don't take that to mean there aren't any good shows Phantom. The cast is stacked with famous stars and great character actors. Billy Zane plays the Phantom aka Kit Walker like Clark Gable or Errol Flynn. There are perfect supporting turns from Catherine Zeta-Jones. James Remar Like the two minor villains. Christy Swanson plays Diana Palmer, the no-nonsense love lead, with old-school conviction. The always wonderful Kari-Hiroyuki Tagawa appears late in the film as an evil pirate and it's fun. It's also great to see veteran actor Patrick McGohan appear as the ghost of Keith's father, the Phantom of the past.

Take care of Williams
Treating Williams is always one of the best elements in any movie he's in. Phantom It is no different.

If there's one actor who threatens to steal the show, it's Williams as the antagonist, Xander Drax. Williams revels every time he gets to be a scenery-chewing baddie. You can see teeth marks in action in the collection. He's an unbending, lovable bad guy that we don't see enough of in movies like this.

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Perhaps its most admirable trait. Phantom It is the product design and the navigation feature. As I said, this looks like a movie made in 1938 in 1996. The presentation of the sets, performances, costumes, and filmmaking reinforces that this is a movie that knows what it is. The truth is this is not what he is fighting for. Realizing that, the film is allowed to be staged and not over-experiment with modern effects. Instead, it can be as bland and cartoonish as it wants in every way.

This may be one of the reasons for its decline.

Why this pulp adventure failed.

Review of the Phantom
This movie has a laser fight as its climax. That's cool, but it didn't exactly excite audiences in 1996.

One of the most important ways This continuous column The failure of a film is rarely the fault of the quality of the film. There are always many factors that contribute to a film's initial failure.

with Phantomprobably because of the change in what audiences were enjoying in relation to action cinema. Michael Bay Rock It opened the same weekend and claimed the #1 spot. Mission: Impossible And Twisted They were at #2 and #3 and in their third and fifth week of release respectively. Audiences were seeing that action movies were becoming more spectacular due to the advancement of special effects. Phantom It looks very old compared to everything else in the theater.

The thing about these pulp adventures is that they never click with modern audiences. rocket, shadow, And Dick Tracy (All those with benefits) underperformed. Moviegoers don't seem interested in these characters and their period (or period inspiration).

The shadow
The shadow It was another pulp superhero adventure that audiences rejected.

An aspect of this issue is recognition. The Phantom didn't have the same level of cultural saturation or widespread nostalgia as the Batman character. To be honest, the movie was my first knowledge of the character. Many of these superhero characters may need to be introduced to the audience in order for them to appear.

That's a shame. Phantom It was not a big hit at the box office. Brilliant film critic Roger Ebert awarded it three and a half stars. His review And called it "one of the best looking movies in a long time." If you're looking for a movie that captures the basic spirit of a comic book adventure, Phantom It's for you. A film made by an expert in its simplicity, it is not a film to be missed or missed.

Phantom



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