The '90s Superhero Blockbuster Flop Better Than Most Marvel Movies

[@ZachariahWiedeman]

In my family, The Rocketeer was ABSOLUTE gold. We watched that movie a million times back in the 90s.

[@Hunpecked]

My wife loved the nightclub scenes. Our daughter and I loved the action. Must have seen it a dozen times since it came out.

[@liamwhelehan2703]

Yes.. Jennifer connoly.

[@robbperez1278]

This.

[@uncletiggermclaren7592]

It objectively is a great superhero movie, top ten. The hero is believable from his "power" to his faults, all "possible" to accept. Anyone who has watched one of the Red Bull stunt team can see that they would learn to "rocket, man". Objectively terrible and believable traitor businessman using America's own strengths against it. Imagine if we were stupid enough to elect or promote to power, the richest man in the world, one who was born and bred under a vicious discriminatory murderous regime . . . America's defenders being drawn from all classes . . . and carrying Thompson guns and mowing down nazis.

[@shanedalton9253]

It WAS great movie❤️

[@hitmanmonaghan6633]

I got to meet Billy Zane at a horror convention earlier this year. Not only did he love my Phantom costume, he got a picture of me on his phone. He said it was his favorite movie he worked on.

[@warwolf88]

it's a crimally underrated movie

[@warwolf88]

and billy Zane is a great actor😊

[@caitlinomalley80]

awesome!

[@haydengoodall6767]

Billy Zane popping up in Zoolander is also comedy gold.

[@HeavyTopspin]

You should listen to your friend Billy Zane, he's a cool dude.

[@Interrobang2626]

If you want a 90s superhero movie that no one really talks about anymore I would have to say Darkman.

[@rumrunner8019]

Exactly. It was an overlooked gem. Sam Raimi should bring it back.

[@JohnSmith-mf3dh]

Liam Neeson's master gem. I liked it...

[@steevrawjers]

One of the best

[@danthsmith]

my absolute fave of the era. Proper violence as well

[@Slimmark2]

The Shadow...

[@dennisanderson3895]

As a character, the Phantom had quite a take to him: The first protector of justice in this jungle had been a fellow shipwrecked who assembled his identity over time. His son became the second Phantom. His son, the third. The impression generated and received by others - white or native - is that he is an undying "ghost who walks," thus adding a fearsome element to the mythos. The movie tapped into the comics SO faithfully and beautifully! I LOVED it in theater!

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

Yesss!!! It's amazing, and I love it too!!!!!!

[@_Arugula_Salad_]

I'm jealous you saw it in theatre

[@NoobixCube]

The Phantom as a superhero was insanely popular in Australia. I think the comic was distributed as a pack in with Women's Weekly or something, which meant housewives (it was a different time) wanting to shut their kid up would buy Women's Weekly for themselves and then throw us a Phantom comic. The Phantom was straight up everywhere. Every show (carnival/fare) had Phantom showbags, the animated series had a basically permanent slot on the weekday morning cartoon blocks, and the movie had a huge amount of publicity here. I remember walking into my local video store when it released on VHS and seeing it filling up a whole wall, just like any of the biggest releases, and it stayed on nightly rental for a long time (I know this, because I was only allowed to rent the cheaper weeklies as a kid). I don't know what the box office takings were in Australia, but I wouldn't be surprised if it did better here than in the US in raw dollars and ticket sales.

[@Moriarty22cent]

It's still very popular in Australia.

[@DaDunge]

He used to be really popular in Sweden too.

[@TCMECH79]

The Phantom has always been popular outside the United States

[@martinrorke4876]

I was a bit too young to remember when the film came out, but thanks to my dad, who has been a fan since childhood, I've known about the Phantom all my life. What I can say, is that at my local newsagent, the Phantom still has pride of place in the comics rack.

[@JezOnYT88]

As an australian i fully agree with this.

[@zali13]

I freaking LOVED this movie. Terry and the Pirates, Indiana Jones AND Ghost Who Walks all rolled into one fun ride. Catherine Zeta Jones rocking the Dragon Lady Baroness look, Treat Williams as a bemused supervillain, Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa! It had everything!

[@steevrawjers]

I love The Phantom

[@uncletiggermclaren7592]

Loved the comics, loved the movie. You are right about Zeta Jones . . .

[@ricklmire6593]

I;m sure most of you know this already, Catherine Zeta Jones plays a great pulpy intelligence operative in the Young Indiana Jones episode "Daredevils of the Desert". Directed by the same man who directed the Phantom.

[@danyoutube7491]

I dimly remember watching this with family decades ago, probably at Christmas time in the late 90s, and I enjoyed it. A good, entertaining romp.

[@pohjanakka4992]

The main problem with Phantom and the larger audiences not falling in love with it may have been that in spite of having a budget that seems to have been in comparison even a bit higher than that of the first Indiana Jones film, it looked sort of cheaper. Raiders of the Lost Ark looks more as if it was "real", Phantom looks more as if it was all on a set. I suppose that whoever was responsible for the sets and such may actually also have been in terms of the "look" going for a movie made in the 30s, but if so that was probably a mistake, those of us who like old movies can maybe tolerate less believable looking sets and costumes, or something like Florida and very obvious sets pretending to be Tarzan's African jungles on those old movies, but even most of us kind of prefer those a bit more realistic looking visuals something like the Indiana Jones movies went for. I like Phantom, but sometimes, especially when I saw it the first time, that visual look kept reminding me that it was a movie, and made that "suspension of disbelief" necessary for fully engaging with a fictional story that much harder to keep up.

[@The_Notorious_N.O.E.]

I'm so glad there's a KZbinr finally praising The Phantom accurately instead of just crapping all over it. I loved these throw-back movies as a kid, along with The Shadow and The Rocketeer ❤

[@randyharris4902]

Baldwin's Shadow is underrated.

[@theknowbot5000]

I refuse to watch anything with Baldwin in it till he keeps his promise and leaves the country

[@sharky0873]

It’s way better than The Phantom, as I remember

[@SupremeGreatGrandmaster]

@@sharky0873 LOL No.

[@zeeski7454]

​@@SupremeGreatGrandmasteryes it is, the phantom was great

[@Teeveepicksures]

​@@theknowbot5000 I'm sure he's devastated.

[@markdavies3700]

Darkman is a 90’s superhero classic that is seriously underrated

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

Yes and unlike the movies that are referenced in this video it managed to get sequels.

[@DTSephiroth]

Loved Darkman, I knew nothing about the character going in, but loved the very concept of him.

[@Wallyworld30]

Darkman is among my favorite All Time movies. You can see so much stuff in that picture that Sam Raimi also used in Spiderman. Some of the stunts are the EXACT SAME.

[@Between_Scylla_and_Kharybdis]

@@SmallSpoonBrigade Yeah, plenty of evidence out there that sequels are not necessarily a good thing...

[@cloudmover]

One of my favorite flicks. I give Billy Zane all the kudos in the world - HE WAS IN TERRIFIC SHAPE. No FX needed.

[@bierce716]

I loved The Phantom. I'm 69 years old; when i was growing up the local newspaper carried the original strips, and i was addicted. The movie was exactly like them.

[@sillypinkewe]

Nice

[@patchup]

What I find interesting about 80s and some 90s movies is that somehow even the bad ones found some love from viewers. Some become cult classics or at least appreciated for trying. Many were good for laughs. My opinion follows: They may not have taken themselves seriously but they took viewer & their purpose seriously, which was entertainment.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

It's because they didn't go all in on the sort of fans that will come back every single day to see the same movie. So, they could make movies that had a bit of broader appeal rather than just going after the nerds that would freak out over minor discrepancies with the decades of source material and their personal pet interpretation of canon.

[@juniorjames7076]

The Phantom, The Rocketeer, The Shadow, Darkman- these were all sold out blockbusters in my neighborhood multiplex cinema. In the 90s, superhero movies were super niche, and us comic book nerds didn't expect larger audiences to appreciate them. The bar was low, we didn't expect much in terms of special effects or verisimilitude- we were happy if the costumes were half-way correct.

[@justinratcliffe947]

I love this movie. Screw the haters

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

Yeah!!!!!! Right on my friend.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

​@@GiantFreakinRobot People were much too judgmental. I wish we could return to the '90s where every super hero film didn't need to spawn a cinematic universe to choke on. The Shadow, The Phantom, Dick Tracy, The Rocketeer and The Mask were all great movies in their own right, people judge them far more harshly than they should. Sometimes it's enough to just make a standalone movie that people can enjoy watching. There's just this very specific feeling to those movies that hasn't really shown up much in other movies. I think the closest I remember is Batman and Robin where if you get the comic-bookiness that they're going for, it's phenomenal, otherwise it's probably hard to really appreciate.

[@ericwilliams1659]

Do people really hate this film? That makes me a sad panda.

[@gunslingergirl2579]

@@SmallSpoonBrigade And The Mask is one of the earliest subversive superhero movies, yet people fail to recognize that, too.

[@josephcuevas8100]

Me and my dad loved this movie. Thanks for bringing this up as The Phantom was his childhood favorite.

[@devilkhild]

The Phantom got introduced to a lot of 80s kids with the Defender of the Earth cartoon that also had Flash Gordon in it, and another pulp hero, Mandrake the Magician.

[@Reyn_Roadstorm]

I can just about remember the entire theme song to DotE. Master of magic spells and illusion, Enemies crumble in fear and confusion! /whispered shout: "Mandrake!"

[@Daftanemone]

I always think of the robot chicken sketch making fun of them kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZpzQdHSNir6kl5Isi=hQlTzLhASuti2_fv

[@weldonwin]

Loved that show back in the day when it ran on UK tv, in large part because I loved the 80's Flash Gordon movie with the soundtrack by Queen

[@alejandromolinac]

That’s interesting …… I knew the characters from the newspaper comic strips which I used to read…… FULL COLO PAGE ON SUNDAYS!!!!!….. my mind was blown away when they were all together in the cartoon!

[@purefoldnz3070]

@@Reyn_Roadstorm Defenders of the Earth.... Defenders!

[@MAWSAFGJP-p5b]

We need another Phantom movie. The Phantom is a great hero.

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

yeah :D. !!!!! Phantom is awesome.

[@sirgrunt99]

Will there was the The Phantom TV Mini Series 2009 but I wouldn't mind see them do another one or even do a live action flash gordon and the defenders of the earth

[@MAWSAFGJP-p5b]

@sirgrunt99 That was my thought. Flash, Phantom, Lothar, and Mandrake each get a movie and then Defenders of the Earth.

[@purefoldnz3070]

an HBO series would fantastic or a new movie but in style of Sin City all black and white.

[@Ugly_German_Truths]

​@@MAWSAFGJP-p5bLothar was introduced as Mandrake's Alfred, do those two would only warrant one movie. But then with the Team up it's already 4 Movies. 8-10 years of Production without Marvels coffers. Make it 3 defendees movies and one Kids based Sequel and you'll be around 14-20 years, enough for the core cast to retire...

[@kevinpeterson4116]

The Phantom and The Shadow were both wonderful but suffered because kids didn't care about the 1930s. Sure that was the setting for the first two Indiana Jones movies, but that had Harrison Ford, Spielberg and George Lucas all teaming together.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

The Phantom was still an active comic strip when the movie came out. Unfortunately, it was in the morning paper that my Dad took to work, so I only occasionally got to read it. So, it wasn't something that would have been really that unknown to an American audience when it released. The Shadow was still active in the at least the '80s from what I can tell, but it definitely wasn't being marketed or distributed in a way that would lead to a significant number of people having a personal connection.

[@gloriouslumi]

@@SmallSpoonBrigade Same here. I would ask my dad for the comics when he was finished with the crossword, and I loved reading The Phantom and Peanuts. I didn't see this in theaters, but I did see it on VHS later and loved it too

[@TheGuyInTheCheapSeats]

Period piece superheroes don't do well- The Rocketeer, The Shadow, The Phantom. That's not to say they were bad movies, just not movies the major audiences were attracted to.

[@Mokiefraggle]

I feel like people don't really mentally acknowledge that Indiana Jones is a period piece in some ways? Like, they know he's fighting Nazis, and yet it somehow escapes them that it's taking place in the 1930s because they're too caught up in the action and the intrigue. I know the first time I saw one (Last Crusade), I was way more invested in the treasure hunt aspects of it, the narrow escapes and all of Indy's clever moments, and never once really thought on the setting's time frame. Also, a movie about an archaeologist hunting rare and often unfortunately mystical treasures can have that kind of dated, pulpy feel and get a buy. It feels appropriate to the concept, so people just accept it and let it slide, while a "superhero" movie with that same vibe might feel confusing and misplaced to the exact same audience.

[@charliedulin]

The 1930s setting was one of the reasons I watched it. Granted i was in my 20s already

[@tonycrabtree3416]

“it’s an absolute Treat” as you focus on Treat Williams. well played

[@juniorjames7076]

The Phantom, The Rocketeer, The Shadow, Darkman- these were all sold out blockbusters in my neighborhood multiplex cinema. In the 90s, superhero movies were super niche and didn't expect larger audiences to appreciate them. The bar was low, we didn't expect much in terms of special effects- we were happy if the costumes were half-way correct. I remember being extremely shocked at the high quality and verisimilitude of Bryan Singer's first X-Men film and The Watchers. Thats was a huge jump to me.

[@Ave_Echidna]

This movie was fun as heck. I also have a soft spot for The Shadow.

[@philipdefibaugh5683]

The 96 The Phantom was an awesome movie! I loved it! This movie reminded me of the old Phantom serials from the forties without being insulting, which is a good thing. Billy Zane is the only one, in my opinion, who could convince the play of the Phantom. Treat Williams could easily rival Gene Hackman in manic villain. I absolutely LOVE this film. People should have given this film more of a chance! Thank you for uploading this!

[@bwtv147]

Those of us who remember "The Phantom" from the funny papers or"The Shadow from the radio are old now and less likely to go to a theater for a movie. Just like the audience for ""The Rocketeer" remember "Commando Cody and the Radar Men From The Moon" and "Zombies Of The Stratosphere".

[@ronbo11]

I really knew nothing about Commander Cody... until I saw its episodes being riffed on in Mystery Science Theater 3000. I had heard of Flash Gordon, but it was the excellent early 80s Funimation cartoon series and the cheesy-fun movie (with the Queen soundtrack) where I first saw that storyline.

[@MyName-tb9oz]

"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?"

[@bwtv147]

@@ronbo11 Like "The Phantom" Flash Gordon began as a strip in the funny papers in the 1930s. . It was created to compete with the similar Buck Rogers strip. Buster Crabbe starred in movie serials based on both characters. When Buck Rogers became a TV show Buster Crabbe did a guest appearance as a character called Brigadier Gordon .

[@brantisonfire]

Dang, Billy Sane got in shape for that role. Not like modern MCU steroid ripped, but like in shape in a practical way that’s not overly bulky.

[@mistertilmonjr]

I actually love this movie. It is a fun movie. And I'm old enough to remember the comic strip in the papers. 2 thumbs up👍🏾👍🏾

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

Thats awesome. I'm glad you liked it so much and I used to love the comic strip. I should try to find them again.

[@NotoriousNickNorris]

I was 18 or 19 when The Phantom came out. I had grown up exposed to the old comic strips and radio setials, thanks to my father and uncle. I loved this in theatre. It's time I went back and watched it again. Also, Billy Zane was solid in Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight.

[@LaineyBug2020]

I've always been surprised that Billy Zane wasn't a more prolific Leading Man. He had such presence and charm and was so handsome and a very good actor.

[@daniellogan-scott5968]

I knew who The Phantom was going in and if I remember correctly, I saw it opening day in the cinema. Sill have a fondness for this and The Shadow.

[@viperion_nz]

The Shadow is the best movie of all time

[@jambad]

I went with my brother when it opened and remember them handing out the phantom ring to the people who attended the premiere. Think I still have it.

[@speedmastermarkiii]

It's no coincidence that The Phantom was directed by an Australian and partially shot in Australia. The comic was known to most Australians my age or older. Crocodile Dundee himself, Paul Hogan, referenced the Phantom repeatedly on his comedy sketch show in the 1970s, and even played the character in one episode.

[@baldeagle5297]

I'm a fan of all things pulp-related and pulp-adjacent. I got hooked on Doc Savage through the paperback reprints. The same goes for the Shadow, The Spider, Tarzan, and John Carter. The Phantom had a paperback run and I think I may still have a few of those. I absolutely loved this movie. I wish they had done the same with Doc Savage. I liked it in spite of the campy tone, but the 60s Batman aesthetic was still a presence a mere 7 years later.

[@toma2233]

The paperback run was from Avon, iirc. I too had a number of them. Still do.

[@baldeagle5297]

@@toma2233 I had, and still have a few of, the Bantam run from the 60s.

[@LeoWhalen1933]

I had a neighbor who always rented flops that were actually oretty good. I watched this movie, Cutthroat Island, and Super Mario Bros at his house and loved each one!

[@markchristy9704]

One of the things that stands out to me in watching the footage you've included is the use of practical effects. Granted, digital effects really weren't a common thing at this point. But frankly, I miss the gritty-ness of practical effects in movies and TV today. As good as digital effects look, it's still pretty easy to tell, in most situations, when the effects are digital. They just don't loook the same. There's an unrealism about them that the designers haven't been able to mask yet.

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

Yeah I agree, the whole reason why some movies are so good, the ones that use realistic and real effects like explosions, Fire and Water. It makes is more fascinating.

[@xkot6431]

The stunts were also pre-wire-work! That stunt guy hopping from cartop to cartop in the city scene was doing that with guts and coordination. It still makes my mind boggle when I watch it.

[@tsnamm]

​@@xkot6431 Totally... You can see it's not perfect like in CGI... He nearly misses that last car, just a bit short. You have no idea how many takes it took to get that shot, so they kept this one even though it's not perfectly exact.

[@xkot6431]

@@tsnamm The imperfection makes it much more thrilling than, say, the latest dead-perfect Tom Cruise Mission Impossible stunts, where you know he's wired up the wazoo. Sorry Tom.

[@Luciphell]

This was an outstanding perspective on "The Phantom"! Can I please beg you to do one on the Alex Baldwin film, "The Shadow" next? It's also an unsung classic!

[@purefoldnz3070]

The Shadow knows..

[@TheCarterKent]

no. It's really not.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

@@TheCarterKent It really is a great movie. Even if it does look a bit dated due to the ambitious special effects. One of the great things about the '90s was that it was OK for a super hero movie to not spawn a cinematic universe.

[@TheCarterKent]

@@SmallSpoonBrigade The problem, as usual for movies, was the writing. Specifically, predictability. I saw it first run at the movies, and though well made, it offered no surprises. With Alec Baldwin (and "stardom") being the way he was at the time, it was cliche after cliche.

[@jojo-anthony5265]

I love this movie and this character. I fell in love with Catherine Zeta-Jones. This was before she starred in Zorro.

[@eugenehatin.420]

Dude I loved and still love SPAWN till this day! The graphics are kinda janky but I love it! I wish they made more lol

[@holeymcsockpuppet]

If it had been in black and white, we'd have thought it was made in 1950. The Rocketeer is another one that has that feel that I loved. The Shadow and Dick Tracy were good, but not favorites.

[@terryroxburgh3276]

Just watched it in black and white (Turned colour right down on tv) and it was true nostalgia!

[@jsfbr]

Perfect cinematography, excellent rendition of the Phantom, no CGI detrimental to the overall visual aspect of the movie, totally rewatchable. The fact that the Phantom is a comics hero of my childhood likely makes a difference in my perception of the experience. Thank you for this video!

[@ZachariahWiedeman]

Great video! Great coverage! One small complaint with the title, lol... The phrase "Blockbuster Flop" is an oxymoron. 😅

[@johnprudent3216]

I was binging some of your videos while cleaning a bit when this one came up. Coincidentally i also across the soundtrack on KZbin. Nice to see this movie getting a little love & appreciation. I do remember seeing the making-of as a kid. Now the you mention it, you’re right, the production design was definitely on point. What always like to say in reference to early superhero flicks like these is that they were made at a time when this genre was very rare and hard to get off the ground. You either gad a flop or… in the “all the stars aligned” type of situation, you had a big hit. When that hit came, it truly was special. It’s too bad this type of pulpy or noir type comic book movie and others like it never took off initially. But it’s nice seeing them get their appreciation later on.

[@LASLOEGRI]

Great pick. The Phantom was a spectacular adaptation of the news strip 1920-30 world to film. And the comments recommending The Shadow and The Rocketeer are also great.

[@josephwisniewski3673]

Aargh! "It's likely a lot of these superhero characters needed some baked-in familiarity with audiences". You mean like… two years of the cartoon "Phantom 2040"? I think that's what blew it. I'm old, but not old enough to remember 1930s "The Phantom". I was emotionally invested in P2040, and this movie left me thinking "Why?"

[@dabro1569]

The Phantom was also in an 80s Saturday morning cartoon series called Defenders of the Earth that featured Flash Gordon, Mandrake the Magician and of course the Phantom. His catch phrase involves him calling on his ancestors to give him the strength of ten tigers from his skull ring. It was short run but VERY good especially for the times when American animation didn’t want to really get down and dirty with the fight scenes at that time. 💪🏿🇺🇸🔥🇺🇸🔥🇺🇸✊🏿

[@moccagringo2311]

yeah i remember that cartoon, watched it quite frequently, but at that time mid to late 80s, i was focused more on the Galaxy rangers and the Centurions.. but somehow the Steel Hawk wasn't to my liking..

[@AurumEtAes]

I used to watch Defenders of the Earth. It feels like it’s been forgotten. This is first time I’ve seen it mentioned in many years

[@dabro1569]

@@AurumEtAes I’m glad to be of service in that regard 👍🏿. I’m old enough to remember how much of an impact these shows had when they first came out and over the years. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do in passing down this information to the next generation. The wealth of properties from that time are as you said not being mentioned at all and they’re being forgotten 💪🏿🇺🇸🥷🏾👍🏿

[@AurumEtAes]

@@dabro1569 in the UK, nostalgia TV shows giving overviews of a year or decade talk about cartoons that were created to sell toys as they had a more noteworthy cultural and economic impact. So they’ll say how business sat up and took notice when Star Wars toys licences proved to be an unprecedented money spinner. And then how He-Man was created to sell toys to boys and the first Transformers boom. Then they might talk about My Little Pony, Care Bears for girls. But all these other cartoons that we loved for their own sake that weren’t associated with obsessive and dedicated toy collecting by kids don’t score a mention at all.

[@dabro1569]

@@AurumEtAes 👍🏿, I enjoy the history of these cartoons as well. Watched most of the shows you mentioned ( my little pony is not and never will be my jam). I appreciate that even though these shows were often made to sell toys a lot of them were written by very talented writers working for comic book companies like Marvel. In fact it was Marvel Comics who made the Transformers mythos as well as the creation of Cobra in the GI Joe universe as they went through a rebrand after the Vietnam War period. The writers of the shows and the creators of the toys had some next level imagination crafting some timeless stories. I miss those days sometimes 💪🏿🇺🇸🥷🏾👍🏿

[@Babigens]

I firmly believe that this decade is more than ready for a Phantom reboot.

[@christophermahon1851]

I loved that movie. I was a fan of the comics and books, too.

[@anonplayer8529]

Yep, have to say DAAAMNN, did it really bomb? Went to see it in theater when released, and I liked it, have to admit I was then and still are a consumer, not a connoiseur. But I do not stand current DEI, strong woman boss, P.C. movies, so perhaps I developed to a, atleast, conn if not a connoiseur.😅

[@whade62000]

Thank you so much for putting a spotlight on forgotten classics! I'll definitely mention this alongside other OG superhero films from now on. Interestingly, MY first encounter with The Phantom, or "El Fantasma", was in the imported French magazine Pif Gadget from the 80es (alongside the now-classic "Corto Maltese").

[@MichaelLauzon1976]

The Phantom has had a lot of screen appearances since the '40s: "The Phantom" (1943; serial) "Return of the Phantom" (1955; due to legal issues a bunch of scenes needed to be reshot, and the name changed to "The Adventures of Captain Africa") "The Phantom" (1961; TV movie) "Kızıl Maske" (1968; "Red Mask"; unauthorised movie) "Kızıl Maske'nin Intikamı" (1971; "Revenge of the Red Mask"; unauthorised movie) "Popeye Meets the Man Who Hated Laughter" (1972; TV movie) "Defenders of the Earth" (1986 - 1987; TV series) "Phantom 2040" (1994 - 1996; TV series) "The Phantom" (1996; theatrical movie) "Betaal Pachisi" (1997 - 1998; TV series) "The Phantom" (2009; miniseries)

[@DevotedDisciple-x]

You've definitely convinced me to check this out. It's funny too because I just heard of this a week ago on the Sean and Marley KZbin channel when they had one of their frequent guests Digby on and he was saying the Phantom is his favorite movie. Small and strange world.

[@BobGeogeo]

This is now on my watch list, says this Rocketeer fan.

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

I'm glad we helped you remember it.

[@jeffwenberg4321]

It's goofy fun.

[@Geronimo_Jehoshaphat]

The Shadow first though.

[@_XR40_]

Pretty sure you won't be disappointed....

[@zeuspanagios6287]

If you liked the Rocketeer I think you'll dig the Phantom.

[@johncahill3644]

Excellent review...you really nailed it. I saw this originally in the theaters and then several times on TV over the years. Exactly as you describe it...and it was true to the feel of the comics as well. Seeing this makes me want to go back and see Doc Savage again to compare if it was as faithful as I remember it. And then there’s High Road to China (!)

[@foxrogers8525]

I was nineteen when this film debuted at the cinema. I think that part of the problem was, yes, that people were unfamiliar with the IP. I had a passing familiarity with the Phantom as I was the kind of nerd who'd generally get the Sunday newspaper, so for young me "The Phantom" was this old dinosaur in the newspaper that ran right next to "Prince Valiant", and just like "Dick Tracy" that made it a relic of my grandfather's generation. A story that was impenetrable because I'm not the type then or now who can jump in anywhere but the beginning of a story. I seriously doubt that the previous summer's "Batman Forever" helped things. I remember that I wasn't too terribly interested in "another dumb comic movie" for some time after watching that. I've never watched "The Phantom", but it's going in my queue now. It actually does look like something that I'll enjoy, especially after all these years of mindless and loud MCU drivel.

[@alejandromolinac]

Ha! I was 16 when it came out and knew him from the newspaper comic strips!…. Give me Mandrake The Magician over Dr Strange ANY DAY!

[@Aloysius10]

True, they had the cartoon in the 90s as a future version, but it was seen once in a while.

[@JosephDickersonUX]

Saw it opening day and finally met Billy Zane at a convention two years back. He was an absolute gentleman and we talked quite abit about working with Patrick McGoohan (an actor I adore). I have my SLAM EVIL autographed poster proudly displayed in my office.

[@northprime_unlimited]

This movie was GREAT. The story, Billy Zane and that costume were magnificent but, unfortunately nobody knew who this was, my father had to tell me who he was. The only other time I heard about the Phantom was from a cartoon called“Defenders from the Earth” but with no backstory. I think the executives from the 90’s wanted the heroes from their youth to be made into movies but people my age wanted the modern era heroes…they just didn’t get it. Movies like The Shadow and The Phantom look gorgeous but ultimately we’re too late to excite anyone.

[@wildfire160]

I`d be hard pressed to find anything really wrong with it it just kinda works...i dont think its BO failure was entirely the fault of the film though i mean sure a bigger named lead with box office pull would have helped but releasing it against three of best action movies of the 80s at the same time was likely box office suicide

[@SAVAGENEDVED]

Is this the movie with the knives in the microscope?! I have a vague memory of the movie but that scene as stuck with me for life.

[@bobeslami9770]

Yes

[@lordtraust]

I was one of the people that the Phantom movie was targeting as I collected the comics and was a massive fan of him. The movie was awesome for people like me with the only main criticism of it being supernatural aspects of the skulls and him talking his dead father. Ignoring all that the movie was a blast and have to agree Trent Williams really did steal the movie. We really need more movies set in the 30's like this and the Rocketeer as it shows a simpler time where villains are villains and nazis are the bad guys that everyone hates, even the villains.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

TBH, I think they did a pretty good job of making it a movie that could be appreciated by people who only had a passing familiarity with the character. I'd put the failure down to just what a strong year that was in terms of movies.

[@jimgillespie6109]

I like your analysis. Yes, please go back to the '90s and review ALL the hero flicks you mentioned here!

[@Totentanz23]

Billy Zane kills every movie he's in.

[@AGreen-ug9oi]

Do you mean kills or kills?

[@josephwisniewski3673]

Agreed. Cannot stand him, and cannot think of anything I liked where he had a major part.

[@anonplayer8529]

Maybe not that strong emotions on him, but he does have a bit flawed belief that he possesses a Sean Connery smile, that suits to every character and scene he ever acts in.

[@Lardypants666]

Ur right, he does

[@DarthBludgeon]

Like Titanic...? Or Tombstone?

[@alindsey4]

Great video. I definitely enjoyed *The Phantom* when I first saw it. The only reason I did not walk out of *Spawn* was that I was at the theater with a group of friends.

[@michaelmaguire4147]

Oh snap! I saw this in theaters as a kid it was dope

[@MV-ot8kr]

Excellent , well written and narrated review . Very clear headed and concise . I hope Billy Zane sees this .

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

That would be a Christmas gift for me.

[@survivaloptions4999]

Billy Zane, Billy Campbell, Timothy Olyphant, and Anson Mount should have all been superstars. instead we got the Wilsons. And I don't mean Anne and Nancy.

[@Uncle_T]

Me and my brothers grew up on the Phantom. Every year for Christmas we got a subscription to the semi-weekly Phantom comic book that was published in Sweden where the majority of the Phantom comics were produced in Sweden. It's still going strong to this day. I approve of this movie. 😁😁

[@JoseJose-pg6vy]

The problem with all these movies is that they didn't have good final action scenes...

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

yeah...... I agree.

[@glazdarklee1683]

I really liked this film when it came out because I remember seeing the comic as a kid. I always thought that the biggest weakness was, unfortunately, Billy Zane himself. Maybe just not as charismatic as was needed.

[@workhorsetraildesign]

i was about to turn this off and then WOAH is that Billy Zane!?

[@guybeleeve]

The great thing back in the 80’s and 90’s was that if a movie flopped in theaters it got a second chance on home video, which The Phantom did find its success. I certainly remember the huge campaign behind this movie, it seemed more targeted at women with Billy Zane in heroic poses, he was super in shape. Dude was everywhere at the time, I specifically remember his character from Demon knight which was the best character in the movie.

[@AvroBellow]

This is a great analysis. If you like 90s superhero movies that underperformed at the box office, I would STRONGLY recommend "Mystery Men", one of my all-time favourites!

[@Madfattdeeb]

This is one of my feel-good movies. My friends and I rode our bikes up to our local movie theater to see it. We loved it, and all got rings like his. The reason this movie failed is that mainstream people do not like too much creativity. They do not understand stylized films.They want a movie to be just like all the other movies in its timeline and genre. It's why so many amazing films never get any fanfare.

[@crosenblum]

I loved the Phantom and the Shadow, but by the 90's I was a long time comic book fan! I love pulp hero movies, have there been modern versions?

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

Yes, Phantom is the best. The comics were awesome!!!! What was your favorite one?

[@henrykujawa4427]

As far as "recognition" goes, I was reading THE PHANTOM in the newspaper as far back as I can remember in the early-mid 1960s. My best friend, another huge fan of the character, said, when the movie ended, "They finally did one RIGHT." Well, almost. I had a few problems. Even though THE PHANTOM definitely takes place in the same universe as MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN, there should NEVER, under any circumstances, be anything supernatural in any PHANTOM story. That not only leaves out a huge part of this film's plot, but it also means Patrick McGoohan (one of my favorite actors) had NO BUSINESS AT ALL being in the film, playing the ghost of the hero's father. That entire schtick was a rip from the 1978 SUPERMAN with Christopher Reeve-- and truthfully, Superman in the comics NEVER talked to the ghost of his father, either. (So they're ripping off another movie that also GOT IT WRONG.) But what really made certain parts of this film PAINFUL to sit through-- and I paid to see it TWICE!!!-- was Treat Williams' horrible over-acting. It's like he thought he was in the Adam West BATMAN tv series. Al Pacino pulled the same CRAP in DICK TRACY (only more so). There was none of that in THE ROCKETEER, which is why that was unquestionably the superior movie. (THE SHADOW had a different problem-- completely re-writing the guy's origin to make him a villain forced against his will to do penance by becoming a hero-- made NO F***ING sense at all, and was an insult to the character. Such a shame, that could have been a decent movie if not for that utter B***S***.) One more minor thing: David Newman did a nice job on the score. But-- there's NO memorable "theme song". Anywhere. HOW the hell did he manage that??? I have since seen the 1943 PHANTOM serial. Damn. That was like 100 times better than the 1939 MANDRAKE serial (which got EVERYTHING wrong). The one oddball thing in the 1943 film was having the previous Phantom get KILLED at the start of Chapter 1, so the "current" Phantom begins his career near the start of the story! But once you get past that, they did an even better job capturing the series than the 1996 film did.

[@matthewronsson]

That old Captain America flick was actually decent. It wasn't a superhero movie as much as it was a man out of time story.

[@Moriarty22cent]

It's the old-fashion feel of this movie, and others, that I absolutely love. The Shadow, Dick Tracy are some of my favorites because I love that era of movie making. It's nostalgia, vintage, I just wish people could have seen it for what it was, and not for the eye candy. I wish they would revive it, and perhaps add Mandrake the Magician to it. Gotta go rewatch it now!! Thank you for making this video!

[@dartharaneus67]

I remember his description from the intro song of the Defenders of the Earth cartoon in the 80': "Lord of the jungle, the hero who stalks! The beasts call him brother, the ghost who walks!"

[@patricktilton5377]

Patrick McGoohan was in it??? Now I've GOT to see it! I wonder if maybe he had read the Phantom comic strip when he was young, and thus had a soft spot for it and was willing to be in a big-screen adaptation as a result.

[@xkot6431]

This assessment of the film is very fair and accurate. My first exposure to the Phantom was through Captain Action (Ideal toy company's answer to G.I. Joe) in the late 1960s. I read a few of the Charlton comics in the 1970s, drawn by the underrated Don Newton. I was very excited to see the Phantom on the big screen in 1996. I'll admit I was somewhat disappointed by the film at the time, but it quickly grew on me as the years passed. In fact, it spurred an interest in the character that has led to my collecting all the Hermes Press volumes reprinting all the original Phantom newspaper strips. Through those I have learned that the movie is largely faithful to the source material, deviating only in introducing genuinely supernatural elements.The strips (at least at the time of the movie) always had rational explanations for anything that appeared supernatural. The movie is indeed a lot of fun and deserves to be viewed in the spirit in which it was created -- a pulpy, movie-serial style adventure in the same vein as "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Billy Zane is charming, the location shooting stunning, the score thrilling, the practical stunt work exhilarating, and Catherine Zeta-Jones breathtaking. And yes, Treat Williams has a field day as over-the-top villain Xander Drax. It's a blast, and safe for younger kids; my son (born in 1993) still counts it as one of his favorites from childhood.

[@ChrisLichowicz]

I must have had at least 5 Captain Action figures during the mid '60s. 👍

[@xkot6431]

@@ChrisLichowicz My brother got the Green Hornet set and I the Phantom set for Christmas 1968. The line was already on its last legs then. We never had the actual Captain Action figure, but crammed the gear onto our G.I. Joes -- the shoes were too small for Joe, unfortunately. It was quite a toy line. I rediscovered it when Playing Mantis revived the figure briefly in the late 1990s. My son loved it, and to this day he still collects vintage Ideal Captain Action gear (when he can afford it -- it's crazy expensive to collect).

[@ChrisLichowicz]

@xkot6431 I had an HO sized slot car set that included The Black Beauty and the Batmobile, 1966 or 67.

[@xkot6431]

@@ChrisLichowicz Sounds like you had a much cooler childhood than I did! :D

[@ChrisLichowicz]

@@xkot6431 Well, it wasn't bad. But I went through 2 riots too!

[@tgs1766]

Saw this in the theater. Kristi Swanson, before she lost her mind.

[@somercet1]

Do you mean, "before I learned she was a Republican"? Common mistake.

[@SaladinVadik]

From a Third World country here, Before this movie came out in my town, The futuristic animated The Phantom series was being shown regularly on one of the local channels in English. Months later, The trailer for this movie came out, I was hyped to see it back in the day, But I was just a boy, and the movie greatly disappointed me back then, Now that I am older, Seeing your take on it, I shall give this movie another chance.

[@chmod1777]

You are far, far more forgiving of this movie than it deserves.

[@ragingsloth2846]

2 of the best Under-rated Comic Book movies of the 90's The Phantom and The Rocketeer. Both great memories of my childhood cinema experience. Edit: 3rd would definitely be Dick Tracy.

[@facetiouslyinsolent8313]

Your title makes it sound like you forgot the many Marvel movies that have made over a billion, not to mention Deadpool and Wolverine just a few months ago...

[@LucaBerg22]

Your comment makes it look like you're not a very bright individual. Think about it... 🤷

[@twrampage]

Saw this movie as a kid and liked it but I've almost entirely forgotten about it since. What truly deserves credit from the 90s superhero collection is the Mask of Zorro, though that hasn't been forgotten all that much and has always been well thought of.

[@timmcc6899]

As a child of the 80's in Australia, I knew full well who the Phantom was when the movie came out in my late teens, because of the Easter Show ... The amount of Phantom comics we get in our Easter showbags far outweighed our interest in actually reading them LoL

[@optimusprimevil1646]

hey this is some top tier film reviewing. great history, editing and enthusiasm.

[@CaryGordon3k]

My father used to read The Phantom comic strip daily in the newspaper, so I was well familiar with it when the movie came out. I used to make fun of the clunky writing of the comic strip, but I still remember going to see the movie and enjoying it. Sort of fell under the same umbrella as Burton's Batman, 1980's Flash Gordon and Mystery Men. They were all fun, with a bit of cheese, here and there.

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

Thanks for sharing your story. Thats awesome that you read the comic strips as a kid, I bet watching this video brought back a lot of memories for you.

[@michaelmbutler]

OK, /this/ review sold me on subscribing. The newspaper where/when I grew up ran The Phantom (AKA The Ghost Who Walks) and I never watched the film because I was afraid it would be too camp. On the strength of this review, it's in my queue--and so are you.

[@jpbaley2016]

Being in my 30’s when this came out, my friends and I, indulgers of pulp comics and pulp movies, we loved it. It very much captured the feeling of those weekly serials during the 30s and 40s. This movie and The Rocketeer were campy but didn’t underestimate the audience. What it did was overestimate how immature audiences, demanding big explosions and battles, would lack in understanding the era of film this movie achieved.

[@drronin112]

Billy Zane always looks like he's having a blast in this movie. You get the impression that even though he was there shooting the part, he'd be handfull-munching the popcorn watching it intently as well. It always seems like the movie can only be improved by the actors wanting to be there and into it. I had seen the Comic in the Sunday paper and was familiar with the concept of the Phantom, but amazingly enough the cartoon they put out, Phantom 2040, really helped solidify the character into having a special place in my heart. Always seemed like a shame they didn't have chance to do more with the character.

[@toomanyjstoomanyrs1705]

As a kid, in El Salvador, I loved the comic strips in the newspaper. "El Fantasma" was one of my favorites. I liked the style it was drawn in. This was in the early 80s.

[@bensisko4651]

I love movies like this that capture a feel and an era, "Rocketeer", "Sky Captain", Indiana Jones" (the most successful)

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

yes!!!!! I agree with you strongly.

[@cpfs936]

Billy Zane's parents had a place in SW Michigan. His mom would buy her flowering plants from the nursery where my mom worked.(This was literally when the Phantom came out. Blew my mind when mom told me she was talking to a "Mrs. Zane" who's son was in a movie. 😳)

[@farrisward2211]

I always loved the Phantom when I was younger. My first memories were seeing the Phantom in comic strips in the newspaper, and on Sundays they were in color. I really enjoyed the movie but it took me out of the 30's setting seeing his suit have the added detailing. It bummed me out when similar pulp themed movies didn't get sequels either like the Rocketeer and the Shadow.

[@MichaelLauzon1976]

My first experience with The Phantom was in the animated series "Defenders of the Earth" (1986 - 1987)...!

[@hamishfox]

I had no idea this movie flopped. I absolute LOVED it as a kid. This and The Shadow were two of my favourite films and I still find myself thinking about them regularly.

[@PotatoePC]

I worked at the theatres during this time and I remember watching the trailer numerous times. I have yet to see it sadly. Now on my list!! Of course I got into the Dick Tracy movie with one of those ticket shirts. Unfortunately I no longer have that. As for others, maybe Darkman? Not sure that would fit in as I have yet to see that too but it comes to mind as I watch this.

[@darwinwins]

A few years ago, this movie popped up in my head and I immediately went to eBay to buy the Phantom ring that was given out at theaters when this movie was originally released. I'm 42 and have adored this movie since I was a kid.

[@Journeyman.71]

I was about 25 when this movie came out, and I had grown up reading the weekly comic in the Sunday paper! I was as stoked for this film as I was for Batman ('89) when it came out! It's a shame it's only available for purchase or rent on Amazon Prime Video!

[@joestrike8537]

In your list of period adventure movies that flopped you should have included George Pal's "Doc Savage," another gem that didn't mesh with the popular trends of its day. I love the Rocketeer, watch it regularly, often play it to have something on in the background when I'm cleaning, etc. I've never seen the Phantom but going to put it on my watch list now

[@roycbooth]

I absolutely loved this film when it came out-it resonated on so many levels. However, I always felt that the "Slame evil" tagline came off in context as some goofy pro wrestling tie-in.

[@Enigmajestic1]

The Phantom is like Zoro, you either like him or you don't

[@they-call-me-mister-trash847]

The Phantom, The Rocketeer, The Shadow, and Dick Tracy were all amazing movies and I can't believe they are so unbeloved. They deserve far more attention and acclaim. Hopefully, you're just starting the trend.

[@anon_y_mousse]

Shockingly, I don't remember ever hearing of this movie or character until seeing this video, and I was alive when that movie came out. All of the other movies you mentioned that bombed in theaters, I've actually seen and liked, which makes it even weirder that I have no memory of this movie or character.

[@rmath176]

Everyone seems to be mentioning the more obvious ones, so I would like to mention Starkid. It was about a young kid getting a alien robot suit of armor and fighting alien invaders. It was good and I enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed watching The Phantom. I was even aware of the comics when I was younger, and it is quite sad that these movies don't get the recognition they deserve.

[@Shindai]

Nice to see this movie getting some love :) I've seen it twice, though not for a long time, and remember enjoying it heartily both times. A lot of movies might be "better" these days, more polished, better effects, but I feel like a lot of more recent movies forget the part where they're supposed to be FUN. The Phantom is just a fun adventure, well worth the attention :)

[@Makoto03]

Fantastic video on the Phantom. Would love to see a Spawn video. :)

[@GiantFreakinRobot]

Maybe we will celebrate passing 200k subs with Spawn.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

@@GiantFreakinRobot TBH, I'd personally rather you did The Guyver, nobody seems to remember that one. Even though it was a pretty cool one.