6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.1 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.8 |
The Phantom, descendent of a line of African superheroes, travels to New York City to thwart a wealthy criminal genius from obtaining three magic skulls which would give him the secret to ultimate power.
Starring: Billy Zane, Kristy Swanson, Treat Williams, Catherine Zeta-Jones, James RemarAction | 100% |
Comic book | 48% |
Fantasy | 24% |
Adventure | 23% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Four years before X-Men touched off the triumphant return of the comic book film adaptation, Lee Falk’s The Phantom received an unsuccessful introduction to a new generation of comic book fans. Unable to fully recoup the film’s budget during the theatrical run, Paramount unceremoniously dumped the film onto DVD, where it generated newfound respect among the home theater community. I can’t honestly say the film deserves a cult following, but when you accept the vintage of the original comic series (1936), and the intentional use of campy elements in the cinematic adaptation, it becomes easier to forgive the deficiencies on display. After all, how do you make a hero look tough while wearing purple spandex and riding around on a white horse?
Notice the look on the child's face as he evaluates the costume choice.
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 21Mbps) The Phantom looks surprisingly good on this high-definition release. Detail remains above average in all but a handful of scenes, revealing fine textures in the fabric of clothing and every individual leaf in the jungle canopy. Close-up shots fair the best, as intricate facial features lend plenty of opportunity for the transfer to truly shine. Lionsgate occasionally falls prey to the use of DNR in films of this vintage, but the presence of occasional grain coupled with the well-rendered textures left me with the impression this was not tampered material. Alas, there are a handful of instances where mild edge enhancement rears its head, but the occurrences are limited to medium distance shots, and won't likely be noticeable by those with an average-sized display (and normal viewing distance). Adding to the proficiency of the visual presentation, I was struck by the beauty of the color palette in the film, which encompasses several stunning tropical locations. In particular, the volcanic island in the latter portion reveals lush greens and deep blues, which contrast nicely with the crimson red of Sala's seaplane. Likewise, black levels never ascend into grayish territory, allowing contrast adequate differentiation between various shades, and adding to the overall depth of the image. There are still several low-lit indoor sequences that struggle to produce a proficient level of contrast, but it appears those scenes are more a by-product of photography in the original print, and not the fault of the transfer. If anything, I'd rather witness those scenes as director Simon Wincer intended, rather than suffer through unnatural brightness boosting.
In the end, this is a substantial improvement over the prior standard definition offering, and should please any fans of film.
Adding to the above average technical presentation, Lionsgate has once again delivered an awe-inspiring lossless 7.1 mix that you'll need to hear to fully appreciate. Out of all the studios, Lionsgate ranks at the head of the pack when it comes to delivering value-added audio presentations on their budget catalog titles. In this particular case, the result is much better than I expected, and elevates the on-screen action beyond its campy roots. I don't recall the audio presentation incorporating such an epic feel, so listening to the rousing musical score almost made me reconsider my attitude toward the film itself. Composer David Newman certainly knows his way around a comedy production, but in the case of The Phantom, he's able to draw on the sense of adventure found in the best of John Williams work to infuse a sense of style that fits the setting. Adding to the robust nature of the track, I found the separation among various channels quite extensive, pulling the viewer into the over-the-top action. In many cases the effects are just as cheesy as the story itself, but I don't count that as a negative, since it complements the personality of the film. Lastly, I never discovered a single element in the sound design that seemed overpowering or out of balance with the rest of the nuances in the track. Dialog was crisp and clear, emerging almost exclusively from the center channel, which never appeared problematic when considering the amount of material sent to the surround channels. All in all, this is a wonderful value-added audio experience, and Lionsgate deserves kudos for their continued dedication to 7.1 sound design.
The only supplement included on the disc is a standard definition trailer for The Phantom.
In the end, The Phantom is only a worthwhile purchase if you have a nostalgic attraction to the film. From day one, I've been underwhelmed by the outlandish nature of the comic book character, and the cinematic adaptation hasn't done much to reverse that opinion. For those that disagree with my level of enthusiasm for Billy Zane in purple tights, this is a substantial improvement from a technical standpoint, and well-worth the attractively low retail price.
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