The Shadow (1994) – Review

Following the success of Tim Burton’s Batman many studios were scrambling around to get their hands on their own comic book-type property, so that it could turn into the next big thing, this led to Universal Pictures teaming up with producer Martin Bregman who had acquired the rights to the pulp action hero The Shadow. Needless to say, such noble goals were met with box office disappointment and film that is now mostly forgotten.

This adaptation of The Shadow starts with an unusual backstory as we learn that following the First World War, Lamont Cranston (Alec Baldwin) sets himself up as some sort of drug kingpin and warlord in Tibet – I guess anybody can want a career change – but his murderous opium-fuelled empire comes to a close when he is abducted by servants of The Tulku (Brady Tsurutani), a holy man who exhibits otherworldly powers and somehow knows Cranston’s true identity. He offers Cranston a chance to redeem himself and become a force for good and after undergoing rigorous physical training he learns various mind control abilities such as hypnotism, mind reading, telekinesis and bending people’s perception so that he cannot be seen, making him virtually invisible except for his shadow. Seven years later he returns to America and takes on the duel role of Lamont Cranston the lazy playboy millionaire and The Shadow, a vigilante who terrorizes the city’s underworld inhabitants.

Note: The Shadow uses twin automatics in this movie, a trademark of his character, but in this film he never uses it to actually shoot the bad guys. Which is strange for someone who is basically the pulp version of The Punisher.

While having dinner with his uncle, Police Commissioner Captain Wainwright Barth (Jonathan Winters), Cranston’s secret identity is endangered upon meeting Margo Lane (Penelope Ann Miller), a socialite who has strong but untested telepathic abilities of her own which, for some reason, Lamont is unable to shield his mind against and so she’s able to read him with ease. But his secret identity being revealed by Margo is the least of his problems as Shiwan Khan (John Lone), the last descendant of Genghis Khan and rogue student of The Tulku, plans to fulfill his family’s legacy of world domination. His plan involves the use of an unstable metal called “bronzium” that if placed in a beryllium sphere could, theoretically, generate an atomic explosion large enough to wipe out New York City. Worse is the fact that such a device has been devised by Farley Claymore (Tim Curry) and his hapless partner Dr. Reinhardt Lane (Ian McKellen), who also happens to be Margo’s father and is complete unaware that Claymore is in league with Shiwan Khan. With the world on the brink can The Shadow and his friends stop this madman in time?

 

Someone should call Professor X.

Stray Observations:

• The Shadow is known for wielding twin automatics but the two “longslide” 1911 pistols he uses in this movie were not developed until decades later.
• Dr. Reinhardt Lane is working on nuclear fission but his lab is tricked out with enough beakers filled with coloured liquids to rival the lab of Doctor Jekyll. He clearly shopped at “Mad Scientist R Us.”
• Lamont Cranston’s ruby ring glows to alert him if a minion of his has important information, but wouldn’t this be awkward and hard to explain if it started glowing around civilians?
• Shiwan Khan introduces himself as the last living descendant of Genghis Khan, which is a bit of a stretch when you consider the fact that about 8% of the men living in Mongolia are related to Genghis Khan. In fact, roughly 0.5% of the male population of the world is related him.
• Both The Shadow and Shiwan Khan can use their mental powers to become invisible but this doesn’t explain how Khan’s minions can wander around New York City dressed in ancient Mongolian armour without anyone taking notice.
• The temple of the Buddhist holy man, the one who turned Cranston into a hero, has a strange cobra motif to it. This is not what one would expect from the good guys but I guess that would explain why Shiwan Khan turned into a supervillain.

 

It does kind of look like Cobra Commander’s hangout.

Director by Russell Mulcahy, The Shadow enters the realm of superhero cinema with an air of promise and hope, sadly, it falls short in almost every aspect, resulting in a disjointed and forgettable cinematic experience. A film’s success often hinges on its ability to captivate the audience with a compelling protagonist but The Shadow falters here as Alec Baldwin’s portrayal of the titular character, Lamont Cranston aka The Shadow, lacks any depth and fails to evoke any genuine interest. Baldwin’s performance feels more like an exercise in melodrama than a nuanced depiction of a conflicted and complex character. What’s odd is that his duality as a wealthy playboy and a vigilante with supernatural abilities could easily have been made to be intriguing, instead, it comes across as clichéd and uninspired – practically every line of dialogue he delivers feels forced and unconvincing – and to make matters worse the complete lack of chemistry between him Penelope Ann Miller grinds the film to a halt.

 

The decor in Lamont’s mansion outshines this tepid romance.

The film also suffers from a narrative identity crisis, struggling to decide whether it wants to be a dark and brooding tale or a lighthearted action-comedy and this indecision is reflected in the film’s tone, which swings wildly between moments of attempted wit and moments of gritty seriousness, as a result, the film struggles to establish a consistent atmosphere that would draw the audience into its world. The screenplay by Walter B. Gibson and David Koepp attempts to weave an intricate plot involving mystical artifacts, ancient evils, and a web of intrigue, but the convoluted storytelling often left me more bewildered than engaged. The antagonists, led by John Lone’s Shiwan Khan, are disappointingly one-dimensional and lack the gravitas needed to make them truly threatening. Their motivations and plans remain shrouded in vague exposition, making it difficult to invest emotionally in the conflict, and when you can’t take the villains seriously it rather undercuts the heroics of our leads.

 

Tim Curry was better off as a sweet transsexual.

On the visual aesthetics of the film, The Shadow presents a mix of badly dated CGI and practical effects that fail to stand the test of time, ranging from the passably crude to the laughable, and the film’s depiction of 1930s New York City often feels more like a studio backdrop than a real immersive setting, lacking the attention to detail needed to transport us to a different era. One aspect of the film that does shine is the production design, with impressive sets and costumes that do, at times, capture the essence of the 1930s aesthetic, but while costume designer Bob Ringwood and art director Joseph C. Nemec III do their best to breathe some life into this picture even their talents could not salvage the film from its myriad of other issues, the key issue being the fact that this version of The Shadow is kind of lame and boring.

 

He does win points for dramatic posing.

In conclusion, this comic book adaptation squanders its potential as a compelling superhero film by delivering dull performances, a muddled narrative, and a tonal inconsistency that prevents it from finding its footing, and while there might be a certain nostalgic charm for those who grew up watching this film, it’s difficult to recommend it to anyone who is seeking a satisfying superhero experience. With the plethora of superior superhero adaptations available to fans of the genre today, 1994’s The Shadow remains a forgotten relic of a bygone era of cinema.