53
Metascore
22 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertThe movie is wonderfully entertaining, red-blooded and rousing, and with a production design that makes it uncommonly handsome.
- 67Austin ChronicleMarc SavlovAustin ChronicleMarc SavlovThe Nintendo generation may not “get” The Phantom any more than those original Thirties fans would have understood Bruce Wayne's tortured psyche, but that aside, Wincer's updating of an old warhorse is lovingly done. It's a Saturday afternoon matinee for the Nineties, 60 years old and totally new.
- 63ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliAlthough The Phantom is more often enjoyable than not, it lacks that special characteristic necessary to provide it with a unique identity. Arriving in the midst of so many "can't miss" offerings, I expect it to sink like a rock, moving quickly to "dollar theaters" then to video. I'd like to be able to champion this film, but the truth is that I'm tiring of the genre as a whole, and, while The Phantom opts for a different tone than most of its brethren, it's still not an especially memorable motion picture. This is the kind of movie that offers modest entertainment while you're in the theater, but is forgotten by the time you get home.
- 60EmpireKim NewmanEmpireKim NewmanDespite the pleasant feel and fun performance from Zane there's something missing from this superhero adventure.
- 50Time OutTime OutLittle expense has been spared in putting this adventure fantasy on screen, with vintage planes and automobiles by the yard, striking Art Deco production design and breathtaking Thai coastal locations. A pity that the performers are so uncharismatic, with leading man Billy Zane plastic and soulless in Lycra, and not much more winning when he switches to playboy mode to woo free-spirited politico's daughter Kristy Swanson (pertly anonymous).
- 50The New York TimesLawrence Van GelderThe New York TimesLawrence Van GelderThe pleasures are familiar, but not the least bit inspired.
- 50San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleSan Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleWithout peril, The Phantom can only get by on dazzle, and there's not quite enough of that to hold interest -- unless you're 8 years old and seeing dazzle for the first time.
- Essentially, this is RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK without the narrative savvy and self-referential cleverness.
- 38San Francisco ExaminerWalter AddiegoSan Francisco ExaminerWalter AddiegoThe Phantom is a spiritless affair likely to vanish quickly from first-run screens.