Cast: Alec Baldwin, John Lone, Penelope Ann Miller, Peter Boyle, Ian McKellen, Tim Curry, Jonathan Winters
Director: Russell Mulcahy
Producers: Martin Bregman, Willi Baer, and Michael S. Bregman
Screenplay: David Koepp
Cinematography: Stephen H. Burnum
Music: Jerry Goldsmith
U.S. Distributor: Universal Pictures
There seems to be a common failing amongst the last decade's screen exploits of comic book-type heroes. Most of these genre movies -- Batman, Dick Tracy, The Crow, and now The Shadow -- have been visually impressive (stunning, even), but lacking in the character department. Who is Bruce Wayne, really? Or Dick Tracy? Or Lamont Cranston?
Given its due, The Shadow probably does the best of the aforementioned movies in creating a personality for its title character, but it still makes one yearn for the not-so-distant days of Christopher Reeve's Superman, when there was more than the shell of a man beneath the cape. Alas, style has supplanted substance, and all this sort of film seems to need is a brooding atmosphere into which the avenging angel can swoop.
The Shadow tries to say something about the human condition ("Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows."), and it has an interesting explanation for why its title character is who he is. In Asia during the early 1930s, Lamont Cranston (Alec Baldwin) was an evil drug lord, given to slaughter and debauchery until a priest showed him the error of his ways and forced redemption upon him.
By 1939, Cranston has returned to New York, and, as the Shadow, he's busy cleaning up the city's criminal element. However, while the thugs and mobsters of Manhattan don't offer much threat to someone who can "cloud men's minds," danger arrives in the person of Shiwan Khan (John Lone), the last descendant of Genghis, and Cranston's psychic equal. Khan's stated goal is to conquer the half of the world that his ancestor failed to, and, in order to do this, he plunders the United States' scientific laboratories, where he comes up with a pair of brilliant scientists (played by Ian McKellen and Tim Curry) and sets to work building an atomic bomb. Meanwhile, not only is Cranston having difficulty trying to locate Khan's hideout, but his identity has been uncovered by Margo Lane (Penelope Ann Miller), the daughter of one of Khan's captives.
The most interesting element of The Shadow is understanding what gives Cranston his powers: the harnessing of the evil in his own heart. In Khan, we get to see the antithesis -- someone who allows that evil free reign. Ultimately, of course, the two must clash to see which facet of power has the greater strength.
The Shadow's problems have nothing to do with the basic premise; rather, they are flaws in execution. The setup promises something more invigorating than it delivers. The entire "use the atomic bomb to hold New York hostage" plotline is trite. There's nothing interesting about it, or the man behind it. As a villain, Shiwan Khan lacks a certain flair. Although John Lone's portrayal is anything-but-understated, Khan still doesn't seem all that impressive or threatening, even as he gets closer to achieving his desire. He's just another megalomaniac with unusual powers.
Alec Baldwin's portrayal of the invisible avenger is suitably creepy (although his makeup could have been a little more impressive), but his version of Cranston is dull. Much as was true for Michael Keaton in Batman, the costume seems to bring out the performance. Penelope Ann Miller looks very fetching in her gauzy 30s costumes with their plunging necklines, but her role is essentially the thankless one of the hero's love interest. Tim Curry and Jonathan Winters are kept relatively in check in supporting roles. Veteran British actor Ian McKellen is vastly underused.
Will the Shadow be back? As always, box office take will be the determining factor. If there is a next time, it might be intriguing to examine further those dark forces prowling Cranston's heart instead of having him chase around a warrior with delusions of godhood. Or, failing that, the producers could do something that would render plot and all attempts at subtlety void: bring in Jack Nicholson to play the bad guy.
© 1994 James Berardinelli