There seems to have been a rare thing of getting all the elements to work on Superhero movies in the 1990's. You would think that with a skilled and stylish director in Russel Mulcahy and Handsome screen prescence and strong lead in Alec Baldwin, that The Shadow would be a classic of the genre. In fact it is hard to see just why The Shadow fails. But fails it does, and in spectacular fashion. It seemed to me that Universal Pictures viewed the success of the first two Batman movies and ploughed all the strength and time needed in to making The Shadow into the next big franchise. That was before i got to see the film. The Shadow is a rushed, lukewarm 100 or so minutes and this can only be seen as a real shame. What could have turned out to be an exercise in the darkness of the skills of Frank Miller or Tod McFarlane,and an all round enjoyable and exciting adventure, comes over as rather juvenile and pathetic. Really a movie with the demands of The Shadow, the constraints of a 1930's settings and all the trappings that the styles and characteristics befalls this,needs something groundbreaking and fresh to offer the audience, and it is here The Shadow really fails. It comes over as dull and boring and resembles the worst moments from the Indiana Jones movies and the first two Batman movies. Russel Mulcahy is actually a good choice to direct this kind of period adventure,because he proved with Highlander [1986] he could take several time periods and blend them in together with a feel for a mid 1980's audience, while supporting flashy and interesting visuals. Mulcahy does quite a good job here, and actually milks the best from the script, wich is the real let down. David Koepps screenplay is waifer thin and doesn't require much from the actors, and you get the impression that the radio serials from the 1930's-1940's had more atmosphere to them. You can only wish and pray that Koepp's screenplay for this years Spider-Man is a billion lightyears better. Carrying the movie is Alec Baldwin as The Shadow. Baldwin is an excellent choice for a superhero and would have made a good Superman or Batman. He looks the part but cant do much for the script. Just as good is future Magneto in Bryan Singers X-men [2000]and Gandalf in Lord of the Rings [2001],Ian McKellan, who strangles the best with what little material he is given. Tim Curry over acts as the second fiddle villain to John Lone [Who is plain embarissing]. Curry would have been much better as the central heavy. Also disopointing is Penelope Anne Miller, who comes across as Kim Bassinger on a bad day. Despite all this The Shadow is worth watching and is an O.K. bit of fun. Bob Ringwoods costumes are once again sumptious, and beautiful and perhaps the real star of the show. The special effects for the time and the budget of the movie are mind bogglingly excellent, and there are one or two good action set pieces, but this is conter balanced by bad performances, naff dialogue and stupid ideas. And Jerry Goldsmith's musical themes are once again on the mark, inspired by Danny Elfman yes, but with good cause because The Shadow is really, in all honesty, a rather cold carbon copy of Batman [1989].
Review of The Shadow
