“The Phantom is a pivotal figure in comic superhero history. Unlike most other proto-superheroes (those who predate Superman), he originated not in pulp novels but rather in a syndicated comic strip. Created in 1936 by Lee Falk, the Africa-based Phantom wears a unitard costume and a mask that hides his true identity as everyday American Kit Walker (thus asking viewers to just go with the notion that other characters can’t recognize him, as with Superman and Batman).
A proto-superhero hits the big screen
1996’s “The Phantom” isn’t as important in superhero movie lore, but it’s fairly engaging. Billy Zane, who one year later would become widely known as the villain in “Titanic,” is quite good in the title role, wearing the skintight purple suit with a confidence that overcomes the inherent silliness. His performance is kind of like Adam West’s in the “Batman” TV series, but with less winking and with a buff figure rather than a dad bod.
Among the proto-superhero adaptations of the 1990s, “The Phantom” is among the least bad. It’s more tonally consistent and tighter than “The Shadow,” and more free-wheeling than “The Mask of Zorro.”
“The Phantom” (1996)
Director: Simon Wincer
Writers: Lee Falk, Jeffrey Boam
Stars: Billy Zane, Kristy Swanson, Treat Williams
The closest comparison, though, is the “Indiana Jones” films. Granted, this comparison does “The Phantom” no favors, as it’s definitely clunkier than Spielberg’s classics and has moments of bad acting. But it gets in the ballpark of that adventurous spirit, no doubt because writer Jeffrey Boam (“Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”) and director Simon Wincer (“The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles”) know how to do this stuff.
“The Phantom” starts somewhat awkwardly with James Remar’s Quill doing some tomb-raiding in the Phantom’s territory in Africa. Quill doesn’t hesitate to order a young boy killed simply because the group is done with his services; that’s an extreme way to signify “He’s a bad guy.” But Quill’s New York City-based boss, Treat Williams’ Xander Drax, strikes the right tone as the smooth, power-lusting magnate.
Beautiful actresses underused
“The Phantom” wastes not one, but two, beautiful actresses. Kristy Swanson looks annoyed, and while that fits her character of Diana – Kit’s love interest who is bandied about like a valuable object – I can’t help but wonder if it reflects the actress’ feelings about the sparse role. She was a superhero lead four years earlier in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” and while that doesn’t mean she can’t play a secondary hero, it would be nice if there was some meat to the role.
Catherine Zeta-Jones (the “Zorro” films) is even more thinly drawn as Sala, a Drax henchwoman whose heart isn’t really in it.
The production design, showcasing 1938 New York and the jungles of Africa, is quite good. The stunts and action are solid, too, particularly a sequence where The Phantom saves himself and Diana as they jump from the pontoon of a soon-to-crash seaplane onto the back of his loyal horse, who is keeping pace below. The Phantom, who doesn’t have superpowers but is great with animals, also has a pet wolf. In a cute line, Diana observes “Your dog is a wolf.”
Boam does a risky but effective thing wherein he doesn’t reveal the precise nature of The Phantom’s amazing survival skills (he’s known as the Ghost Who Walks, and many baddies claim to have killed him) until the very end. This adds mystery to the proceedings and helps the movie dodge predictability. I also like how the pivotal trio of magic skulls is not overexplained; surprises remain in store as the narrative progresses.
“The Phantom” is a cute little adventure film if you’re somewhat forgiving, with Zane striking exactly the right balance between silly fun and serious stakes. Other than Williams, the rest of the cast and characters aren’t as game as Zane is, but luckily, the movie spends a lot of time with its titular hero.