The Phantom (2009)

The Worst Film Ever

Simply Perfect

Good concept, poorly executed.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Honestly, this movie (or 2 episode television series, if that makes sense) is a drastic new take on the 1996 movie.It trades nearly all of the mythos and magical intrigue from the first movie for science and political intrigue, but it actually accomplishes the transition fairly well.The story follows Chris, a 24 year old student at Columbia's law school, who has a thing for parkour. After his friend gets injured in a parkour accident, he meets an EMT named Renny, and they seem to hit it off. Naturally, his parents are immediately murdered by a pair of twin assassins. He is whisked off to an island and told that he is actually Kit Walker, the Phantom.Overall, the protagonists are enjoyable, and definitely more lifelike than in the original films. Chris and Renny, along with her father, the assassins, and many of the characters on the island, were deep and interesting, yet each managed to provide the movie with a comic element. In fact, Jordy is one of the best "comic-relief friend" characters that I've seen in a long time.However, this is where my review turns a little more negative. The antagonists throughout the movie were a constant source of disappointment. While the two assassins were in general very good, it was clear from the beginning that Abel was going to be an antagonist. Furthermore, while I enjoyed that the Singh Brotherhood was changed from a group of pirates to a technology corporation, the Brotherhood was fairly uninteresting, and Raatib Singh had some of the most cliché and terrible lines in all of film.Overall, this was a fresh, new adaptation of a fairly decent nineties movie, and if you can stand fairly bland antagonists, I would recommend it.

These are my personal comments about the mini-series.First - the good parts:Update of Phantom story - excellent - the world has changed since the 1500's, 1930's, 40's etc. About time The Phantom updated to the 21st century;Kit's character and family history - excellent, 'believable', perhaps a little too much time spent setting the scene.Update/modernisation of Phantom's support organisation - Bpaa Thap & bad guys - The Singh Brotherhood - excellent. Great ideas.Spoiler Alert:Location (island in ......- & not the Caribbean) & design (inside - above and below) of phantom cave - believable(though the 'Deep Woods' seems to be suffering a bit of a drought - El Ninyo effect?)Spoiler Alert:Loved the 'training camp' scenes. He doesn't have 'super/magic Powers', he is simply fit, works hard, trains hard and experienced in what he does (or at least getting there).Spoiler Alert:Most people would feel silly in the original purple suit these days. Nice revision.Guran's updated character - excellent!spoiler alert:For once, an important (lead?) female character does NOT fall in love with the leading male!yes - Guran helps Kit (it's her job), and Kit has a girlfriend, but thankfully there was not a 'competition for the guy' sub-plot!.Acting of main characters, including the villains, and most of the extras, excellent! Second - not so good parts:1. Depiction of Bandar people - weak.Spoiler Alert:Bandar are people - pygmy size.When movie introduced them, the two 'Bandar' looked like children in costume and make up. And from what I could tell, about the only kids in Hollywood who couldn't act! No wonder they 'dissapeared' quickly after Kit sees the cave.Spoiler Alert:Scene of 'tribal initiation' of Kit - great idea, but:'native' actors were too large to look like pygmy Bandar; - 'Witch doctor' character -> hmmm - far too much makeup.It may have been better to portray them as the living descendants of the 'Flores Man' -ref: http://www.nature.com/news/specials/flores/index.html"Researchers have unearthed remains from individuals who were just one metre tall, with grapefruit-sized skulls. These astonishing little people, "quote from above web site.After all - it is widely held that Modern Man was descended from Neanderthals and/or Cromagnons, for both of which we have found fossils. Modern Man's brain has developed since the Neanderthal, so why not intelligent descendants from the 'Flores Man'? The Bandar are a very secretive tribe.In summary:Great update to The Phantom story; a few parts, especially the Bandar, could have been done better.

Flicker? Is this some sort of pun/reference to Flickr? Box on top of cable television set to access people's minds...wait a min, wasn't this device used by the Riddler in Batman Forever already? And why is there a Phantom team? In the comics very very very few people were allowed to know the secret of the Phantom, especially not the bad guys. Otherwise the whole legend of an immortal ghost who walks striking fear into the heart of evil would be useless.Why is it that almost every new series has to use camera shakes, wash out colors, people running around jumping and climbing, etc? None of this shows that the producers of this version of the Phantom, The Ghost Who Walks, is taking things seriously. Everything that made the Phantom who he is in the comics is completely missing in this show.American television seems to be lowering its standards every year.

The most reoccurring complaint I see in the prior reviews of this Phantom TV movie is "He's nothing like the old phantom". I am inclined to retort: "So what?" Times change. Crime and injustice evolve, so does the technology that can be used by evildoers. It's only normal in terms of escalation that the Phantom evolves as well. In the old times, the spandex outfit was the Phantom's choice because it would confuse the enemy as well as conceal his real appearance, only nowadays Walker has to take armor piercing rounds and automatic weapons as a potential annoyance too. So yes, he'll wear something different. Same goes with that visor. It has to be both concealing and useful. What is true for technology and attire is also true in terms of psychology. This Phantom reflects his own time. Tradition is not totally forgotten, the whole ritual experience on the lair island is there to remind of all that makes the Phantom who he is. The horse? The dog? You wouldn't bring these to a modern fight, unless you want them minced. Bottom line: Suck it up buddies, the Phantom we grew with did the same thing we all do. He aged, he died, he got replaced. What is immortal is the concept of the Phantom and in order to survive, all things have to adapt. Including the Ghost Who Walks.