The 90s superhero blockbuster is better than most Marvel movies
Pa Drew Dych
| Published
Ghost there was a lot going for it. It was beautifully produced, had a strong marketing push, and was positioned as the perfect summer superhero movie. Unfortunately, none of that helped him finish 6th during the opener.
Why did it Ghost unable to hook the audience? And almost twenty-five years later, is it time to reassess this stunning adventure?
In hindsight, let’s break down the evil Ghostthe film is much more interesting than its reputation would have you believe.
WHY THE PHANTOM DESERVED THE BEST
Before diving into the Ghostwe need to contextualize this unique piece of comic book history. Originally appearing in Lee Falk’s newspaper strip in 1936, the Phantom was a pulp superhero from the golden age of pulp superheroes. Predating Batman by three years, the Phantom had a trusted servant, a secret cave as a hideout, and used criminals’ fearful and superstitious feelings against them by pretending to be a real ghost. Yes, the Phantom was an obvious inspiration for Batman.
So it seems obvious that Tim Burton’s massive success Batman in 1989 would also have sparked interest in this predecessor. It was finally implemented in 1996. Ghost was one of the many edgy action heroes who were followed by feature films Batman.
What does Ghost such a wonderful experience – what a serious adaptation it is. Set in 1938, director Simon Winsor and screenwriter Jeffrey Boam treat the material as if it were set in 1938. Raiders of the Lost Arkthere is not even a hint of irony or self-satire in the bones of this film. From the Phantom’s accurate costume design to the period-appropriate performances, it aspires to be the truest adaptation of the character and his world.
This means that the cast plays things in a warm but admittedly dated manner. It’s easy to read as cheesy, but it’s essential to the film’s work. Every artist is on a wave of classic comics. It keeps the tone light, fun and cheerful. Yes, this is not a film with strong thematic resonance or super-complex characters. And that’s normal. His goals are simple and he achieves them every step of the way.
Don’t take this to mean that you don’t have good performances Ghost. The cast consists of famous stars and great character actors. Billy Zane plays the Phantom, aka Keith Walker, like Clark Gable or Errol Flynn. There are perfect supporting turns from Catherine Zeta-Jones and James Remar in the role of two minor villains. Christie Swenson plays the romantic lead, Diana Palmer, with old-school confidence. The always awesome Carrie-Hiroyuki Tagawa shows up late in the film as an evil pirate, and it’s nice. It’s also nice to see veteran actor Patrick McGoohan as the ghost of Keith’s father, the previous Phantom.
If there’s one cast member who threatens to steal the show, it’s Treat Williams as the antagonist, Xander Drax. Williams relishes every moment as he becomes a scenery-chewing villain. You can practically see his teeth marks in the set. He’s a badass, gorgeous bad guy that we don’t see in movies like this anymore.
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Perhaps the most wonderful feature Ghost it is its manufacturing design and tactile nature. Like I said, it feels like a 1938 movie made in 1996. The sets, stunts, costumes and approach to filmmaking reinforce that this is a movie that knows it’s a movie. Realism is not what we are aiming for here. Knowing this allows the film to look stagey and not try to overdo it with modern effects. Instead, he can be as soft and cartoony as he wants in every way.
This could be one of the reasons why it failed.
WHY THIS PULP ADVENTURE FAILED
One of the most important takeaways from this permanent column is that a film’s failure is rarely the fault of the film’s perceived quality. Many factors always contribute to the initial failure of a film.
with Ghostmost likely this is due to a change in what audiences are used to when it comes to action movies. Michael Bay Rock opened the same weekend and took first place. Mission impossible and Twister were at No. 2 and No. 3, and they were in their third and fifth weeks of release, respectively. Audiences have seen action movies become even more spectacular thanks to the advancement of special effects. Ghost just looked too old fashioned compared to everything else in the theater.
There’s also the matter of these pulp adventures never seeming to appeal to modern audiences. Rocket Launcher, Shadow, and Dick Tracy (everything that has its merits) has not demonstrated. Moviegoers don’t seem to have been attracted to these characters and their period (or period-inspired).
Recognition is an aspect of the same problem. The Phantom didn’t have the same level of cultural saturation or widespread nostalgia as a character like Batman. To be honest, the feature film was the first time I learned about the character. It’s likely that many of these superhero characters required some familiarity with the audience in order for them to emerge.
It’s a bummer that Ghost didn’t make it big at the box office. The great film critic Roger Ebert awarded it three and a half stars his review and called it “one of the most beautiful films in a long time”. If you’re looking for a movie that captures the core spirit of comic book adventure, Ghost for you Masterfully crafted in its simplicity, this is not a film that deserves to be overlooked or underrated.
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