THE SHADOW(1994)
Not just for the age of this, but for a superhero movie
of any age, this is outstanding!! Baldwin is perfect in this,
Peter Boyle is great in a semi-serious role, as is Jonathan
Winters! The plot line is very good, the acting excellent,
the music perfect, the sets are great, and this movie is
a must see!!!! A++
From IMDb.com:
This movie got poor-to-middling reviews when it was
released in 1994 but I still hold out hope that it eventually
gets its proper respect in TV and Cable reruns, because
it's a terrificly entertaining film. Maybe it just takes a certain
frame of mind or background to enjoy this movie, but I
absolutely love it and frequently go back to it when I want
to see how a dark, edgy, and FUN movie is done right.
Alec Baldwin is excellent as Lamont Cranston/The Shadow.
Baldwin has never achieved the commercial sucess many
predicted for him and this movie perhaps shows why;
Baldwin doesn't play a straight protagonist. The movie
begins with Cranston as a hedonistic warlord in China and
then jumps to his reformed Shadow persona is 1930's New
York, and it is Baldwin's performance, which teeters between
serious and funny, nice and cruel, that bridges the gap.
Russell Mulcahy and crew did an excellent job creating a
1930's-noir feel to the picture. One of my friends complained
that the movie sets were "too obviously fake", I think he
missed the point. They re-created the feel of a 1930's movie
set, not the 1930's itself!
The movie is a bit campy at times but thankfully maintains
the dark edge of the Shadow character, who has no qualms
about killing or maiming his opponents (hey, this guy was a
bloodthirsty killer in his previous life, you think he's going to
forget how to use that power when he changes sides?). John
Lone does a nice job as the Shadow's opposite number, Shiwan
Khan. The supporting cast is excellent as well (Jonathon
Winters, Ian McKellan, Tim Curry) with perhaps the exception
of Penelope Ann Miller, whose character and performance
were rather annoying, but I can live with it.
Overall I give this movie a BIG thumbs up and recommend
it to anyone that enjoys fun movies. I've gotten a mixed
reaction from friends I've recommended it to but I think
this is the kind of movie where if you like it all, you'll love
it. - Snatchy