Lamont Cranston (Alec Baldwin) is a man who can see the evil in the hearts of men because he sees it in himself. Surrendering to his dark side, he had become a Tibetan drug lord with a great deal of blood on his hand. He is kidnapped by religious master who teaches him both morality and the power to âcloud menâs minds,â allowing him to influence their actions and to appear invisible. He uses these powers to fight crime in 1930s New York as The Shadow. He meets his match in Shiwan Khan (John Lone), who learned the same powers from the master, before killing him. He plans to take over the world with an atomic bomb created by two scientists under his control.
So, have you heard this one: A rich but very troubled American makes his way to the Far East where he learns great power from a secret teacher. He returns to the US as a vigilante and takes on a persona that is intended to frighten criminals. By day he acts as a playboy, but at night he prowls the city, his own base instincts tightly controlled, but always there under the surface. Yeah, itâs Batman. But it was The Shadow first. Bob Kane admitted that Batman is simply The Shadow in spandex. That connection has been reinforced with Nolanâs Batman Begins ripping offâŠI mean paying homage to⊠this movie. Screenwriter David S. Goyer has acknowledged the pillaging.
Now add Cranstonâs teacher being a mystic and that the powers gained were magical and we have Doctor Strange. But that isnât giving The Shadow enough credit. He is the father of the modern superhero, not just a few specific ones. Sidekicks, costumes, and weird super villains all came from The Shadow. In some cases, such as Batman, Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and Green Arrow, the debt is more blatant, but it is always there.
The Shadow was an extremely popular character in the late 30s and early 40s. His powers and identity shifted around a bit, and the radio version was significantly different from the pulp one, but basic tone, the lush, dark, but somehow hopeful world was always there. By the end of the â50s, he vanished from popular culture. This was before my time, but as a kid I got to hear a few episodes on “Old Time Radio” and was as taken by the Gothic tones announcing “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of Men? The Shadow knows” as everyone had been thirty years earlier. By 1994, he was all but forgotten. It was the success of his child, Burtonâs Batman, that got The Shadow film greenlit, but audiences ignored it. Itâs too bad as it is one of the better superhero films and a lot of fun. It wrapped me into its world.
Alec Baldwin is superb as The Shadow, though that might have less to do with Baldwinâs range and more to do with this being a perfect character for him. Cranston is suave, but always with a tinge of sarcasm and an occasional touch of smarm. He is jovial, but with a trace of pain and a bottomless pit of barely hidden rage, all of which is how Baldwin appear to me in every talk show appearance and interview.
No superhero looks better than The Shadow after his illusionary transformationâwith his large nose, rough features, scarf, hat, coat, and flowing cloak. This isnât a superhero with a fake we-canât-kill ethic thatâs been shoved into most superhero characters to make things âkid-friendly.â He has duel pistols and he knows how to use them. This is the only film superhero that lets his darkness out that is likable. The Punisher⊠No. Heâs also the only one who is fundamentally frightening. The problem with Batman is that in most versions, he isnât any more disquieting than an average tough guy. If you are afraid of being beaten up, then heâs scary. But the whole dressing-like-a-bat-to-terrify-criminals doesn’t work. With The Shadow, it does. An invisible man with swirling mists and hysterical laughter is the sort of thing that can chill someone to their soul. And the film does a wonderful job of presenting him as a macabre apparition.
The Shadow avoids the two major pitfalls that have afflicted a majority of superhero films (and most action films) for years: a weak villain and a bland love interest. Khan is an intimidating presence who also manages to be funny. That is due to John Loneâs performance as much as the script. Heâs an actor who should have risen further. Penelope Ann Millerâs Margo Lane is strong, sexy, and quirky. She isnât to everyoneâs taste, but you will remember her.
The secondary cast is amazing: Ian McKellen, Tim Curry, Johathan Winters, Peter Boyle, James Hong, Joseph Maher, John Kapelos, Ethan Phillips. It is a Whoâs Who of great character actors, though Curry could have dialed it down a notch.
I love the feel of this movie. It creates a universe of contradictions: a beautifully colored film noir world. It doesnât recreate the real New York, but an art deco wonderland that is a call back to the films of the era and how Iâd like for it to have been. There were not miles of pneumatic tubes wrapped around buildings and the real world was poorer for it. The art design is aided by Jerry Goldsmithâs score, that brings us back to the days of high adventure while also signaling the darkness inside our hero.
The ending sags, with multiple henchmen meeting their unnoticed end off screen. An earthquake destroyed some sets, including the room of mirrors, which shortened the climactic battle. That isnât a huge problem as by that point we know exactly what is going to happen (like in most every action movie), but it isnât the strong finale that The Shadow should have had. Likewise I would have liked some extended or additional relationship scenes, but again, what we get is good, just a bit hurried.
How much you enjoy The Shadow is going to depend on how much you like old Hollywood and if you are a rubber and spandex fan. If you think the X-Menâs blue and yellow costumes are cool, then this is going to lose something for you. For me, it doesn’t get any cooler than The Shadow.
Geek Note: The beryllium sphere used in the bomb would later be needed to power a starship in Galaxy Quest.