The film follows a different journey by the purple Phantom (Billy Zhan), who is descended from a series of African superheroes. Phantom once decided to travel to New York City in order to thwart a major criminal obtaining inner skulls, perhaps the most important in everyone's life.
If the biggest problem with costumed superheroes is those silly costumes, the venerable comic-book crimefighter known as the Phantom (Billy Zane) has a bigger problem than most.
While it hardly stands to vanquish the celluloid incarnations of Superman and Batman, this version of an older cartoon crusader's exploits does have a pleasingly astute sense of its place in the great scheme of things pulp.
Film4
July 19, 2010
The result is oddly ineffectual and sometimes just plain dull.
Expect this ghost of bad movies past to walk quickly to the back bins of Blockbuster, where it should be filed under a helpful heading, monotonous and juvenile.
Our grim avengers of the 21st century could use some reminding that it's okay to smile once in awhile… and that 'fun' should be more than just an afterthought when stories of this ilk are told.
