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Movie:		5.0
Picture:		8.0
Sound:		8.0
Extras:		1.0
Score:		6.0

Director(s):	Simon Wincer
Writer(s):	Jeffrey Boam
Starring:	Billy Zane • Catherine Zeta-Jones • James Remar • Treat Williams • Kristy Swanson
Genre:	Action • Adventure
Release Date:	February 09, 2010
Rated:

List Price:	Blu-ray - $13.99
Amazon:

Mysticism. Adventure. Heroics. Spandex. If those four elements haven’t already piqued your interest (whether by actual enthusiasm or comic inquiry), then maybe a headline performance by Billy Zane will. The Phantom takes elements from many popular films and franchises, blends them into one conceptually interesting idea, and then makes a mockery of itself when converted to film. It’s an entertaining 100 minute romp, to be sure, but for all its efforts to transplant itself into a more romantic era it flops on its back and just flails about wildly thanks to an overly kitschy script and a load of clichés. You’ll have fun, but you might find yourself slapping your forehead and chuckling (at the film’s expense) along the way.

Like many crimefighting characters, the Phantom’s story started with tragedy: Christopher Walker, his ancestor, was onboard his father’s ship when it was attacked by pirates, leaving him the sole survivor to wash up on the shore of Bengalla, a fictional country in Africa. Christopher adopted the mantle of a jungle god and created the Phantom name to rid the world of piracy, greed, cruelty and injustice, after swearing an oath to the mission “on the skull of his father’s murderer”. Very Shakespearian and not at all an uncommon motive for hero figures. Christopher’s legacy was passed down through generations until it landed upon the shoulders of his descendant (Billy Zane), whose challenge consists of stopping a tycoon (Treat Williams) hell bent on finding the legendary skulls of Touganda which lead to untold power. In the process an heiress is kidnapped (Kristy Swanson), an air pirate gang led by Catherine Zeta-Jones is encountered, and Billy Zane kicks a bit of villainous booty. It’s an adventure film above all things and a superhero film secondly (even if the Phantom has no powers besides a pair of handguns).

Consider Billy Zane’s mutli-year-long campaign to secure the role he plays here, and the preparation he underwent for it, and you can begin to understand what this project meant for him. His name is mentioned in pop culture with a sort of smirk attached, but his work for The Phantom ought to be given recognition for his efforts and generally impressive display. Treat Williams, on the other hand, phones in a performance as stereotypical bad guy Xander Drax. The fact that Xander, like Lex (as in, Luthor) is another variation of Alexander, and that the name sounds like a bad James Bond villain, only makes the whole situation worse. The name feels contrived and Treat’s performance does little to help overcome that as he attempts a sort of menacing scowl but only ever feels like a silly cardboard stand-up with dreams of being a fleshed out character.

The best comparison for The Phantom might be The Rocketeer, but in tone only. Both stories feature a sense of wonder and nostalgia for those adventure films of old while attempting to introduce its own touch of the fantastic. It’s not hard to draw the parallels between these films and the Indiana Jones series, but there are differing levels of reality attached to each. Sure, with Raiders of the Lost Ark you had to be willing to accept that final scene of Nazi faces melting off, but until then it was a gritty cross-continental epic to find a lost treasure. The Phantom has an entirely different level of “out there” going on. Instead of a rough and tumble guy going against the odds, you had to swallow a new sort of superhero mythos, one padded with monks, jungle-dwelling voodoo, and a whole lot of purple. It can be accepted, but the weak dialogue and simple plot don’t do much to help distract from the shortcomings.

The Blu-ray conversion of The Phantom is reminiscent of Lionsgate’s transfer of Cutthroat Island, in that the vibrant jungle backdrop (which carries the film’s first half) looks gorgeous in hi-definition and makes a solid argument for a Blu-ray purchase assuming you’re already a fan. Lionsgate has been doing a good job in their video transfers of older properties as of late, and the tradition continues in The Phantom.

Blu-ray Bonus Features

There’s nothing but a theatrical trailer, and that’s a real shame. Yes, the movie is silly and fun, but that’s exactly why an audio commentary would have been fantastic. Hearing Zane, Zeta-Jones, Williams, Swanson or Director Simon Wincer comment on the film and what they liked and disliked would have been a revelation. You just know there are things the director wishes he could have changed, and it would be a fun game of “what if” to consider.