Today, I would like to discuss a lesser known gem from the mid 1990's, and one that is a personal favorite of mine for many years. Universal's 'The Shadow' released on July 1st, 1994 to a rather lackluster reception. (A mix of an old franchise and the one-two punch of 'Lion King' and 'The Mask' released the following weekend.) However, the film has since gained a rather small cult following and even though the film is far from perfect, It remains a very entertaining film and one I will hopefully see a continuation of in the future (Thank you Sam Raimi).
Lamont Cranston (Alec Baldwin) has taken up residence in Tibet as a ruthless drug warlord following World War I. Cranston has allowed the dark and evil side within him to take over, until he is forcefully taken under the wing of a mysterious monastery, which trains him to become the heroic and mysterious figure known as 'The Shadow'. Lamont returns to his home in New York City to discover a new evil that he must save the world from and protect the girl he loves (Penelope Ann Miller).
The stranger stories of my youth actually involve 'The Shadow'. I discovered this 1930's radio show on cassette tapes at my local Cracker Barrel Restaurant and somehow, a 8 year old 90's kid latched onto these fun little slices of nostalgia. I unfortunately never saw the film in theaters, but was a frequent rental of mine throughout the rest of the decade. The film just wowed me as a kid, with it mysterious and fun characters, its visuals, and its 1930's setting.
The film however does not hold up as much as it did. It has many scenes where the early CGI effects show their age, the characters aren't as fully fleshed out as they could be, and the film feels rather rushed, with very little in the way of action sequences (think Indiana Jones only with the exploring scenes). The lack of action could have also led to its downfall, being that it was marketed as Universal's answer to 1989's 'BATMAN'. Where the film shines endlessly is in its beautiful art and costume design, its wonderful sets and matte paintings give the film so much visual eye candy that keep your attention. The score by the late Jerry Goldsmith is also a great highlight of the film, with another notch on his best of list.
The films stars do their jobs very well, with Alec Baldwin giving one of his better performances (Was I the only one who thought he'd make a great Batman around this time?). The always amazing Tim Curry plays the comic villain toadie and is great as usual. Sir Ian McKellan makes an early appearance in this film, though his role is small. Despite the character being largely involved with the main plot, he does not seem to be given much to do other than act under the spell of the film's villain. A cameo appearance by Jonathan Winters is a nice welcome, and Penelope Miller's Margot Lane does amicably.
Overall, 'The Shadow' is still a fun film that I like popping in every now and then. This film was part of a small resurrection of the old pulp stories during the 90's (The Rocketeer/The Phantom) and though all three failed in the public eye, these retro films are always fun and I would love to see a return to this style. Yes, 'The Shadow' has many many flaws that I gleefully ignored in my youth, but the film still holds a small place on my shelf, and I recommend it for yours.
Story: 3/5
Acting: 4/5
Filmmaking: 4/5
Total Tally: 4.5/5
If you like 'The Shadow' you might enjoy:
The Rocketeer
The Phantom
Batman '89
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Captain America The First Avenger
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