The Phantom (1996)
48%RT Audience Score: 31%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 3 Oscars
26 wins & 69 nominations total
The script gives Billy Zane little to work with, and thus he plays the Phantom as a friendly but completely one-dimensional hero
If you’re in the mood for a superhero movie that’s so bad it’s good, then The Phantom is the perfect pick. With dialogue that sounds like it was written by a middle schooler and a plot that’s as predictable as the sunrise, this movie is a hilarious throwback to the days when superhero movies were more about cheesy one-liners than gritty realism. Plus, Billy Zane’s abs are a sight to behold. So grab some popcorn, turn off your brain, and enjoy the ride.
Production Company(ies)
Universal International Pictures,,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Sidi Bouhlel, Bouhlel Sdada, Tunisia
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for sci-fi action/violence
Year of Release
1999
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Digital
-
Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
-
Runtime:NA
-
Language(s):English, Sanskrit
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Feb 9, 2010
Genre(s)
Action
Keyword(s)
starring Billy Zane, Kristy Swanson, Treat Williams, Catherine Zeta-Jones, James Remar, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, directed by Simon Wincer, written by Jeffrey Boam, action, PG, Robert Evans, Alan Ladd Jr., $17.3M box office, reviewed by Owen Gleiberman, Godfrey Cheshire, Trevor Johnston, Peter Travers, Kenneth Turan, Lawrence Van Gelder, Eddie Harrison, Mike Massie, Drew Dietsch, Felix Vasquez Jr., Nick Rogers, Barbara Shulgasser, superhero, mystical skulls, pulp, insouciance, likable, one-dimensional, relic, celluloid, astute, old way, foundational spirit, sleek, breezy, Indiana Jones, action violence, profanity
Worldwide gross: $1,027,082,707
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,843,642,096
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 24
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 201,051,483
US/Canada gross: $474,544,677
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $851,820,927
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 23
US/Canada opening weekend: $64,820,970
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $116,355,448
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 61
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $115,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $206,428,206
Production budget ranking: 106
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $111,161,589
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $1,526,052,301
ROI to date (est.): 481%
ROI ranking: 264
Kristy Swanson – Diana Palmer
Treat Williams – Xander Drax
Catherine Zeta-Jones – Sala
James Remar – Quill
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa – The Great Kabai Sengh
Director(s)
Simon Wincer
Writer(s)
Jeffrey Boam
Producer(s)
Robert Evans, Alan Ladd Jr.
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 3 Oscars
26 wins & 69 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (47) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (20) | Rotten (27)
As the Phantom, Billy Zane, buff to the max, has a likable insouciance, but there’s not much he can do to flesh out this relic.
July 7, 2010 | Rating: C
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
While it hardly stands to vanquish the celluloid incarnations of Superman and Batman, this version of an older cartoon crusader’s exploits does have a pleasingly astute sense of its place in the great scheme of things pulp.
March 26, 2009
Godfrey Cheshire
Variety
TOP CRITIC
This belated, albeit decorative adaptation looks tamely second-hand.
June 24, 2006
Trevor Johnston
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Expect this ghost of bad movies past to walk quickly to the back bins of Blockbuster, where it should be filed under a helpful heading, monotonous and juvenile.
June 6, 2001
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
TOP CRITIC
It’s nice to see some things done the old way.
February 14, 2001 | Rating: 3.5/5
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
The pleasures are familiar, but not the least bit inspired.
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 2.5/5
Lawrence Van Gelder
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
…a plush film, even if the tone, central performance and script all badly need revisions…
July 3, 2022 | Rating: 3/5
Eddie Harrison
film-authority.com
No one seems to be taking any of it seriously, especially as the dialogue reflects dumbed-down conversations and repetition for viewers who may not be paying attention.
September 24, 2020 | Rating: 2/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
If you’re looking for a movie that captures the foundational spirit of comic book adventure, The Phantom is for you.
May 8, 2020
Drew Dietsch
Giant Freakin Robot
A sleek and breezy action film in the vein of “Indiana Jones”…
April 10, 2017
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed
Maybe “The Phantom” would have been better served betting the house on its old-school aesthetic. Supertitles. Narrators. Melodramatic music. Cheesy? Sure, but bravely so, in a way that would make it a bold outlier rather than a mostly blas casualty.
June 27, 2016 | Rating: 3/5
Nick Rogers
The Film Yap
’90s superhero adventure has action violence, profanity.
April 19, 2016 | Rating: 2/5
Barbara Shulgasser
Common Sense Media…
Plot
The evil Trade Federation, led by Nute Gunray is planning to take over the peaceful world of Naboo. Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi are sent to confront the leaders. But not everything goes to plan. The two Jedi escape, and along with their new Gungan friend, Jar Jar Binks head to Naboo to warn Queen Amidala, but droids have already started to capture Naboo and the Queen is not safe there. Eventually, they land on Tatooine, where they become friends with a young boy known as Anakin Skywalker. Qui-Gon is curious about the boy, and sees a bright future for him. The group must now find a way of getting to Coruscant and to finally solve this trade dispute, but there is someone else hiding in the shadows. Are the Sith really extinct? Is the Queen really who she says she is? And what’s so special about this young boy?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Billy Zane’s performance as the Phantom is described as “friendly but completely one-dimensional” by critics.
Simon-Wincer.jpg
