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IMDb member since January 2011
Reviews
The Phantom (2009)
Great movie - But ..
5 January 2011 - 1 out of 4 users found this review helpful.
These are my personal comments about the mini-series.
First - the good parts:
Update of Phantom story - excellent - the world has changed since the 1500's, 1930's, 40's etc. About time The Phantom updated to the 21st century;
Kit's character and family history - excellent, 'believable', perhaps a little too much time spent setting the scene.
Update/modernisation of Phantom's support organisation - Bpaa Thap & bad guys - The Singh Brotherhood - excellent. Great ideas.
- Spoiler Alert:
Location (island in ......- & not the Caribbean) & design (inside - above and below) of phantom cave - believable
- (though the 'Deep Woods' seems to be suffering a bit of a drought - El Ninyo effect?)
- Spoiler Alert:
Loved the 'training camp' scenes. He doesn't have 'super/magic Powers', he is simply fit, works hard, trains hard and experienced in what he does (or at least getting there).
- Spoiler Alert:
Most people would feel silly in the original purple suit these days. Nice revision.
Guran's updated character - excellent!
- spoiler alert:
For once, an important (lead?) female character does NOT fall in love with the leading male!
yes - Guran helps Kit (it's her job), and Kit has a girlfriend, but thankfully there was not a 'competition for the guy' sub-plot!.
Acting of main characters, including the villains, and most of the extras, excellent!
Second - not so good parts:
1. Depiction of Bandar people - weak.
Spoiler Alert:
Bandar are people - pygmy size.
When movie introduced them, the two 'Bandar' looked like children in costume and make up. And from what I could tell, about the only kids in Hollywood who couldn't act! No wonder they 'dissapeared' quickly after Kit sees the cave.
Spoiler Alert:
Scene of 'tribal initiation' of Kit - great idea, but:
- 'native' actors were too large to look like pygmy Bandar; - 'Witch doctor' character -> hmmm - far too much makeup.
It may have been better to portray them as the living descendants of the 'Flores Man' -
ref: http://www.nature.com/news/specials/flores/index.html
"Researchers have unearthed remains from individuals who were just one metre tall, with grapefruit-sized skulls. These astonishing little people, "
- quote from above web site.
After all - it is widely held that Modern Man was descended from Neanderthals and/or Cromagnons, for both of which we have found fossils. Modern Man's brain has developed since the Neanderthal, so why not intelligent descendants from the 'Flores Man'? The Bandar are a very secretive tribe.
In summary:
Great update to The Phantom story; a few parts, especially the Bandar, could have been done better.
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