Timothy E
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THE PHANTOM BLU-RAY
Studio: Lionsgate
Year: 1996
Rated: PG
Film Length: 1 hour, 41 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audio: English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish
Release Date: February 9, 2010
The Movie
The Phantom is the theatrical adaptation of the long-running comic strip created by Lee Falk in the mid 1930s. The Phantom (Billy Zane) aka Kit Walker is the last in line of a long line of crime-fighters, each known as the Phantom, dating back to the 16th Century. Kit’s ancestor Christopher Walker was the victim of piracy on the high seas. After washing up on the tropical shores of Bengalla, Christopher swore an oath to fight piracy, greed, and injustice. Christopher did just that after fashioning a costume of black mask and purple spandex. (This may have influenced Bob Kane’s creation of Bat-Man several years later). Each son in succession has carried the mantle of the Phantom, leading his enemies to call him "the Ghost Who Walks" since they believe he is immortal.
Just as the present Phantom is reunited with the love of his life, Diana Palmer (Christy Swanson), events conspire to come between them as Diana crosses Xander Drax (Treat Williams), a wealthy industrialist on the search for 3 magical skulls which will give him immense power, unless the Phantom can stop him. Patrick McGoohan appears as Kit’s father, the previous Phantom, and Catherine Zeta Jones is on board as leader of the Sky Maidens, a group of female air pirates who are collaborating with Drax in his quest.
If this all sounds a little like Indiana Jones, it is intentional even though the Phantom comic strip preceded the creation of Indiana Jones by decades. Screenwriter Jeffrey Boam (The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.) was also the screenwriter of a little film entitled Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The tone and spirit of the Indiana Jones films is borrowed fairly well for this film, and the fact that the story takes place in 1938 furthers this intent. Director Simon Wincer (Lonesome Dove) does a fine job of creating the film imagery, and the screenplay is a loose adaptation of the Singh Brotherhood and Sky Maidens plotlines from the 1930s comic strips. The origins and functions of these mystical skull artifacts sought after by the bad guys are never explained adequately but The Phantom is one of those action films where the audience is never demanded to do too much thinking, and the story suffers the more you over-think it.
I remain fascinated that The Phantom seems to have more fans overseas than in the USA, even though the Phantom was created by an American. In Australia, the Phantom seems to be as popular as Batman is in the USA, yet most Americans are not as familiar with the Phantom as they are with the Batman. This may explain why The Phantom did not become a film franchise like Indiana Jones or the Batman films.
Video
The Phantom appears on Blu-Ray in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio. This is a fine transfer of the original film to high definition. Grain is present but minimal which is consistent with its appearance on the big screen in 1996. DNR and edge enhancement seem minimal to non-existent. Any digital processing seems minimal and consistent with the original presentation. Colors and flesh tones are appropriate and detail is excellent. As an example, the Phantom’s costume has a fine design that was virtually invisible on the previous DVD.
Audio
The English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track is excellent. Discrete sound effects seem to come from every direction. The sounds of gunfire, aircraft, explosions, and the like create an immersive experience. The audio tracks similarly do good service to the film score by David Newman which enhances dramatic effect throughout the film. It is unlikely that The Phantom sounded this good in its original theatrical presentation in 1996.
Special Features
The special features are limited to the following:
Trailer (1:23): Theatrical trailer for The Phantom from 1996.
Also From Lionsgate (1:01): A brief commercial for other Lionsgate films available on Blu-Ray.
Bookmarks: Allows the viewer to return at will to selected portions of the film.
Conclusion
The Phantom is a better than average super-hero adventure come to life. Fans and purists will appreciate that this adaptation is very faithful to the mythology of the source material. The video and audio presentation are excellent. The lack of special features is disappointing, but at least a film trailer is included, since many Blu-Rays fail to include the trailers from the same film. If you like Indiana Jones or costumed crime-fighters without superpowers, then The Phantom on Blu-Ray is definitely worth checking out.
