The Shadow (1994)
Last Watch Date - April 1, 2026
Total Times Watched - Once
Comments
Funny that I have known of The Phantom forever but had never heard of this. It came out two years before that movie and even had a similar era for the plot. The Shadow uses guns like The Phantom does.
What this movie has that The Phantom does NOT is a massively star-studded cast. Alec Baldwin, Ian McKellen, Peter Boyle, Tim Curry, Penelope Ann Miller, plus a bunch of minor bit players that you've definitely seen before a million times. The cast is so good, in fact, that it's completely puzzling as to how this movie is so bad.
THAT'S RIGHT! This movie SUCKS. I could complain about the dated computer graphics, but I think they look pretty cool for the most part. The set design is GREAT and really gives you that pulpy NYC feel. The score is perfect for it. The sound overall is quite lovely. It's .. everything else.
I have never read the comic strip this is based on so maybe the story in that is absolute garbage as well. I'm not going to research it either! YOU DO IT YOURSELF. There is so much "sinister laughing" going on in this movie that it's absurd. It's over-the-top every time and wicked cheesy. Baldwin really hams it up for at least half of the scenes. There's also a dude walking around 1930s NYC in full ancient Mongolian armor. I don't even know what to say about this. He's a controlled goon by a descendent of Ghenghis Khan. That descendent, Shiwan Khan, has the worst beard/mustache in movie history. It's like they glued some shorn pubic hair onto his face hastily before each shot.
This is sort of a spoiler but not really because you learn it immediately, but the crux of this character is the weird mind control thing he can do. But others can also do! And oh, look at that, they're from the same dude in Tibet who trained them! ONE OF THEM HAS GONE ROGUE!!!! OH NO!!!
This has potential but somehow never figures anything out. I wanted to like this. Aesthetically, I love it. Even some of the less over-the-top scenes are really good. But man, overall this is garbage.
Recommended?
No. Avoid this unless you hate yourself.
