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The Phantom, a review by Tom

Title: The Phantom
Year: 1996
Director: Simon Wincer
Writing: Lee Falk (Original Characters By), Jeffrey Boam (Writer)
Rating: PG
Length: 100 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround, French: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Subtitles: English

Stars:
Billy Zane as Phantom/Kit Walker
Kristy Swanson as Diana Palmer
Treat Williams as Xander Drax
Catherine Zeta Jones as Sala
James Remar as Quill

Plot:
Billy Zane stars as The Phantom in this thrill-a-minute actioner based on one of the most successful comic series of all time!

The story begins as an expedition lands on the island of Bengalla, seeking the legendary skulls of Touganda. Believed to harness an energy force of incalculable power, the skulls could spell disaster for mankind. And that's exactly what ruthless tycoon Xander Drax has in mind... unless one man can save it.

Now evil has met its match and great movie adventure has a new name - The Phantom!

Awards:
Extras:
Closed Captioned
Scene Access
Trailers

Before this movie I knew the Phantom only from the "Defenders of the Earth" animated series. I quite like this movie. It isn't really all that special, but I enjoyed the ride. It is essentially a non-stop action movie. It reminds a little of Indiana Jones because of a similar setting. I thought Billy Zane did a good job. I also have a soft spot for Kristy Swanson.

Rating:

(From Tom's Random Reviews on August 8th, 2010)

Onec, a review by Antares

Once (2006) 85/100 - Very quick, very real and very indie, good and bad. It takes a while to get going in the beginning and just when it really hits its stride, it's over. Yet it reminded me of the intensity, the awkwardness and the aspirations of youth and it's in this where the film is successful. There's a scene early in the film where they go to a music shop and he teaches her a song he's written and you can sense a melding of passion and promise. It's in these brief moments in the film where I felt myself being drawn in to their special relationship, two talented souls longing for more in their lives through their music. There's no quirk, no cheeky humor, no sudden fame and acceptance, just the reality of two people who share something special, a gift, the ability to write and create music. I myself have a gift, I can turn food into culinary creations worthy of the praise of kings and queens, but I'd trade that talent in a heartbeat, to be able to play music. It took a while, but this film got to me, and as I sit here typing, it's pulsing through my brain and it has me pondering what might have been, had I not quit taking guitar lessons back when I was 11 years old, after just a few weeks. And one last note, if you can pardon the unintentional pun, this film also made me yearn for the bygone days when The Independent Film Channel wasn't brazenly commercialized, as it is now. I miss the days of finding great, little gems such as this one.

Teal = Masterpiece
Dark Green = Classic or someday will be
Lime Green = A good, entertaining film
Orange = Average
Red = Cinemuck
Brown = The color of crap, which this film is

(From Antares' Short Summations on February 21st, 2015)

Tom's Random Star Trek Reviews, a review by Tom

VOY 4.05 Revulsion
Writer: Lisa Klink (Writer)
Director: Kenneth Biller
Cast: Kate Mulgrew (Captain Kathryn Janeway), Robert Beltran (Chakotay), Roxann Dawson (B'Elanna Torres), Robert Duncan McNeill (Tom Paris), Ethan Phillips (Neelix), Robert Picardo (The Doctor), Tim Russ (Tuvok), Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine), Garrett Wang (Harry Kim), Leland Orser (Dejaren)

B'Elanna and the doctor encounter a psychotic hologram. I always enjoyed this episode. The whiny voice of the guest star always was fun to me. It has always reminded me of Jonathan Slavin (Byron from "Andy Richter Controls the Universe"), who at the time I knew from the short-lived sitcom Union Square. It is a similar voice as Tom Lenk (Andrew on Buffy) has.

P/T moment:
This episode contains my favorite P/T moment of the entire series. It is the scene where Tom confronts B'Elanna about her love confession.



Rating:

(From Tom's Random Star Trek Reviews on September 30th, 2009)