The Shadow (1994)

Ever since this premiered on TV, I remember being captivated by its presence at the age of 5. Having just seen the film again I am still that same amazed child curiously staring at the screen.

Alec Baldwin at his finest, the signature raspy voice combined with a new kind of hero an audience can surely relate to and root for. I liked how they combined Chinese culture in a modern day cape crusading fantasy. Even though it was released in '94; The Shadow still holds up with the CGI special effects of today, combined with on point slapstick comedy (not to much, otherwise that would drain the excitement), a dark thriller is born from mysterious beginnings.

I love the nostalgic 90's feel I got from watching the movie. Was nice to see actors like Peter Boyle (Everybody Loves Raymond godfather), Tim Curry (that funny dumb man you can't help laughing at), Ian McKellen (always a pleasure)...etc. Along with a few guest appearances from well known faces during the 1990 period.

This is a very underrated film that i would recommend, especially to those who are sick of the epic fails being released these days which parody the superhero genre. Take a fresh start with this old relic that reflects modern day society. Final thought would be...this goes beyond the "save the world, get the girl" storyline, journey to a place where dreams have nested!

Fmovies: Exciting version of the popular comic books and broadcasting tale about the immortal crusader called ¨The Shadow¨ with very watchable FX and lots of fun . Several visual designs provide the highlights for those in the mood for a journey back to the radio past or a quick superhero adventure . As our stalwart hero , a billionaire playboy named Lamont Cranston (Alec Baldwin) is a master of illusion and defender of justice thanks to his alter ego . Aided by companion Margo Lane (Penelope Anne Miller) and a Cabman (Peter Boyle) he battles super-criminal named Shiwan Khan (John Lone) . He discovers his destiny and a old legacy as a superhero called The Shadow , the invisible man who walks , a seemingly relentless crime fighter . A mask and raincoat he finds himself battling his nemesis , the deadliest descendant of Ghengis Khan . He's helped by an attractive woman and both of whom travel to dangerous streets N.Y. to thwart a nasty criminal . Khan is a cold and megalomaniac killer who murders cruelty his victims, he wants to take a power to dominate the world , he is supported by a particular ally , a smarmy villain (Tim Curry) and his hoodlums . The hero and villain have equal powers , yet the heroine can be hypnotised by one and no other . The picture charges into a tale of a hero who turned from evil in Tibet and reemerged in New York City as a superhero holding extraordinary power to fight in that most wretched lair if iniquity . As in 30's New York City, the Shadow battles his enemy who is building an atomic bomb. But the caped crusader is trapped inside a locked chamber being helped by his girlfriend .

The Shadow is shown in this highly stylized big screen adaptation of the 30's radio show , the once starred by Orson Welles . Film gets exotic locations , derring-do adventures ,rip roaring , action-packed , tongue in check , it's a cinematic roller coaster pretty entertaining and with well made set pieces action , including numerous and elaborate FX . This exciting picture provides splendid production design by Joseph Nemec , while done more dynamically elsewhere , are fun and outstanding . This is an ambitious fantasy adventure with breathtaking special effects ; it has some well-staged scenes whose effectiveness owes much to Russell Mulcahy's strong pictorial sense . Older kids , teenagers may find the proceedings a bit hokey and paying little attention to logic , but everyone seems to be having a good time . The picture is a crossover among comic-strip hero , superhero feats , Saturday matinée serials and old-fashioned thirties movies . As this runs like an old Republic serial of the thirties or Forties on a multi-million dollar budget . Its arresting visuals , lavish realization and crude energy put filmmaker Russell Mulcahy on the map . Much of the dialogue springs as if balloons from the printed page and the interpretation is appropriately rudimentary . The picture has great loads of action , special effects abundant , glamorous cinematography by Stephen Burum and spectacular Jerry Goldsmith's musical score , including an enjoyable leitmotif .

The motion picture includes an interesting script by prestigious David Koepp and was rightly directed by Russell Mulcahy . Russell for some time worked in Britain as a filmmaker of video clips , but returned to his native country , Australia , to make his first fictional movie , ¨Razorback¨ . He was able to get the backing for what proved to be his greatest success ¨Highlander¨ . It led to two sequels , the first of which was realized by him

Misunderstood is an understatement. Some critics (the esteemed Roger Ebert included) understood both the direction and aim of this film, while others, and many movie goers completely missed the point.

This film is meant to be a visualization of a 1930's pulp novel - that is, its point is to provide that stereotypical "campy" atmosphere of the old Shadow radio plays, novels, and even films of that era. This is in many ways the "stereotypical" super-hero film. We have a mad scientist, a fiendishly evil conquerer(there's some retro terminology) a super-hero who is not a perfect being, but a flawed man, and of course, an atomic bomb.

People forget that it is the Shadow, and other early pulp-fiction characters that set these "stereotypes" in the first place - therefore how can one call this show a "rip-off" when it set the standards of this genre so long ago? If the Shadow character had been invented in the 1990's, yes, this film could be said to be a humongous rip-off of Batman, Spider-man, and pretty much any other heroic character. But as it is, the Shadow in its entirety predates ALL of these characters and clichés. Batman himself was even based on the Shadow by the creators own admission.

The long and short is, if you look at this from the perspective of contemporary modern film, you'll be disappointed. If however you look at this as a visual interpretation of classic 1930's adventure escapism, you'll enjoy it greatly. Your perspective is critical here, and I urge you to remember that this is the original caped crusader. He shouldn't be brushed off simply because his movie came out later!

8.5/10

The Shadow fmovies. I found THE SHADOW to be simply amazing. I thought that this movie was a work of art and was the classic definition of a sleeper film. When we were blessed with this great film, it did not get the recognition it deserved. I found this film to be full of great action sequences and witty-special effects. I was disappointed to find that it got such a low vote. This movie was astonishing and I recommend it to anyone who likes creative,action films.

Many people would not agree with the maximum rating being awarded to this film. I should agree with them, the one reason I don't is that you can clearly see this film attempted to be great in all areas. I feel sorry for them, they carried the story well and related back to a lot from the original stories. They would have succeeded if it weren't for the fact that they made a couple of casting errors. The lead hero and villain were good, Tim Curry always boosts a film and the female wasn't that bad really. The rest should have been reconsidered, however. Sir Ian McKellen is capable of so much more than he delivered, which is surprising. Even so, he should not have been chosen for that role. The one problem this film really has is that it chose to use a character created in times when there weren't any heroes really. It is nearly impossible to understand these times and therefore the impact of the character was lost on the audience this time around. It is a real shame, because the shot of The Shadow at the top of the stairs in the hotel is one of the best you will find of any hero in film. If you are aware of the original Shadow articles, this film will probably already be in your collection. It does a great job and should not have flopped to the extent it did. I would strongly encourage anyone considering watching this film to rent it. If you like the superhero genre, which is on the rise, you will love this film. Cliché, yes, but true.

The Shadow is one of the best super-hero films ever made. Ranking up their with Superman (1978) it's one of those rare gems that boasts of a cast deserving of their roles and superb writing. A sleek, noir adventure full of action, intrigue, truly evil villians, and one bombshell of a heroine. the Shadow is not one to be missed.