The Shadow

_**Genghis Khan’s descendant intrudes upon The Shadow’s urban world in 1930**_ After some kind of epiphany and receiving training in Tibet in the 20s, Lamont Cranston (Alec Baldwin) fights corruption in New York City in 1930-31 as the mysterious Shadow. When the last descendant of Genghis Khan comes to town (John Lone) Cranston sets out to stop his diabolic plans. Penelope Ann Miller plays a socialite, Ian McKellen her father, Tim Curry a mad scientist, Peter Boyle the Shadow’s cab-driving partner and Jonathan Winters the police commissioner. "The Shadow" (1994) is a worthy enough cinematic version of the radio/pulp/comic character that debuted in 1930. The movie obviously borrowed from “Batman” (1989), which is ironic since The Shadow partially inspired the character of Batman, who debuted almost nine years later in 1939. Anyone who likes the Batman tetralogy, “Dick Tracy” (1990) and “The Rocketeer” (1991) should appreciate this. The best parts beyond the superb recreation of New York City circa 1930 are Alec Baldwin as the shadowy crime-fighter and the authentic look of the Shadow. Baldwin was still lean & mean at the time and has that dark side to his personality to pull off Lamont Cranston. Meanwhile the look of the Shadow is perfect (with a prosthetic nose). While I liked the movie, it would've been better if they removed the campy elements (e.g. Tim Curry) and shot for the more serious, darker air of the future "Batman Begins" (2005), which was obviously influenced by this movie. Don’t get me wrong, the flick is serious and dark to a point, but there’s some eye-rolling comic book camp that plagues the proceedings. Since Cranston/the Shadow is easily the most interesting character, more focus needed spent on him. Instead we get this jarring supervillain when the story would’ve worked better with a more mundane rogue akin to Marvel’s Kingpin. The film runs 1 hour, 47 minutes, and was shot at the Universal backlot in Hollywood on five sound-stages with a five-day mini-unit tour of location shooting at Ambassador Hotel & Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles, Mayfield Senior School in Pasadena and Alabama Hills in Lone Pine, California. GRADE: B-

A tongue-in-cheek nostalgic throwback to the thirties and forties. Love the style, the imagery and the period. Heaps of fun!