The Phantom

It takes real gall to run through the jungle in a purple suit. But the Phantom has demonstrated such brave audacity for nearly four hundred years. Or at least that is what the local natives would have every one believe.

So convincing are their tales that these natives have successfully struck fear into the heart of evil doers across seven continents. Good story tellers, these chaps. Too bad they were not hired to make this movie about the lavender avenger. They would have done a better job.

Not that the movie The Phantom is totally awful. Actually, it is an extremely faithful adaptation of the old comic strip. But that is also its problem. The movie provides nothing more than a basic run through of the comic's original story while never finding any dramatically engaging focus for the big screen. What you see is what you get. Nothing more and nothing less.

On the plus side, the movie has a relatively charming performance by Billy Zane as the 21st Phantom (for the Phantom impaired, this is a superhero job that is faithfully passed on from father to son for many generations). He is a young and decent guy who has just recently stepped into the family's business after his father (Patrick McGoohan) met an untimely demise while on a minor case. Since the family's business largely consists of beating the stuffing's out of assorted poachers, grave looters, and general malcontents, Zane's Phantom is lucky to have an athletic physique along with his youthful good looks.

What he doesn't have is much in the way of feminine company. Presumably, it gets lonely in the jungle and even a ghost who walks must have a yen to run on the wild side. But the mad schemes of a power mad tycoon (Treat Williams) inadvertently gives the Phantom an unique opportunity to meet women.

One is his old college sweetheart Diana Palmer (Kristy Swanson), the spirited daughter of an important New York newspaper publisher. The other is Sala (Catherine Zeta-Jones), the leader of a band of leather-clad female pirates. Since Diana is helping her father to fight Williams' Xander Drax ( and Sala is employed by Drax to kidnap Diana), the Phantom eventually has to choose between these women and their respective ambitions.

Likewise, he is going have to ditch the funky suit for awhile since Drax is based in New York and the Phantom has to stop him from acquiring a set of three ancient skulls. When assembled, the three skulls are capable of unleashing more power than the world has ever seen. Besides, the man who killed the 20th Phantom now works for Drax and dad, who keeps slipping his son advise from the great beyond, would like to settle an old score.

As stated, Zane is charming but a little too low key for the lead. Williams makes for a surprisingly weak, and often silly, villain. MacGoohan delivers a weird Barry Fitzgerald impersonation as he hams it up with a variety of "Suffering saints alive" lines. Swanson is okay but a little drab, while Zeta-Jones is extremely striking as a macho-femme with a soft spot for men in tights.

But what The Phantom really needs (and most lacks) is a strong story. At the very least, the movie could have used a few original ideas.