The Phantom Torrent
jeretarnThe Phantom Torrent
http://urllio.com/qyp5xLaw student Chris Moore is an urban daredevil who gets his kicks from racing across rooftops. When a secret organization approaches him with proof that he is actually the son of a legendary international crimefighter called The Phantom, he is thrust into a world he never knew existed - a world of exotic islands, secret lairs and a heritage that borders on royalty. Reimagined and reloaded, the classic superhero is upgraded for the 21st century with a new, state-of-the-art costume and a newly formed rivalry against some of the most techno-savvy villains to ever terrorize the world! It's explosive action and nonstop adventure from start to finish as The Phantom comes to life.
Not even twenty minutes into the two-hour opening, you can tell. The plot is filled with every trite cliché in the book. The music is near-constant, often at unnecessary volume, always underlining and highlighting what is already perfectly obvious. That goes for everything - the acting, the lighting, the camera angles, the villains, the plot points (such as they are), the characterizations - all painfully overdone. I don't even usually notice lighting or directing choices, but this isn't just unsubtle - it's obtrusive.<br/><br/>Except for the romance angle. That's added in on a perfunctory level. So much so that it seems creepy how quickly the pair falls into undying, almost stalkerish love.<br/><br/>As shown in the trailer, the new Phantom dismisses the traditional costume. Which turns out to be symbolic of the entire show's attitude towards the character. (And even that observation is more subtle than anything in the show.) The word "Phantom" isn't even spoken until the second hour. The Skull Cave (also as seen in the trailer) is now an entire complex with a huge staff, the base of operations of an international organization.<br/><br/>Oh, and Bengala is now an island somewhere in Indonesia, populated by surprisingly light-skinned people.<br/><br/>The change in costume is supposedly because the series is going for realism. A "realism" which includes windows made of sugar glass, people who take grievous wounds in utter silence, and over-the-top super tech.<br/><br/>I was excited about the return of the Phantom. He's a character with so much potential. But this... is unrecognizable and unwatchable. Whether you love the Phantom or have never heard of him... steer clear.
Perhaps it's because I know nothing of the Phantom, but I enjoyed this quite a lot. I don't usually pay much attention to CGI if the concept and characters are compelling, and I found they were here. I did notice (after reading the reviews here) that the jet was not very realistic, but that took little away from the overall storyline.<br/><br/>I was particularly satisfied with the involved plot line that didn't telegraph the ending. Yes, it was basically good against evil, but the characters were well done, the pace was quick and the leads were charismatic. I'd like to see the romantic angle developed and an heir for the Phantom. I loved the lair and the locations, but the Indians I could've done without. <br/><br/>I look forward to seeing SyFy pick this up.
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