MovieChat Forums > The Shadow (1994) Discussion > This was placed as one of the worst comi...

This was placed as one of the worst comicbook movies recently

posted 16 years ago by jason005-1
43 replies | jump to latest

I can't remember the site other than that of the worst 20 comic book movies it was number 20.

Anyways the reasons

1.Not enough development by that I assume they mean we never see Lamont Cranston in trainning. Ok I don't think that should be a reason for bashing the movie. During this time period super hero movies they went with screw putting the origin in and everything before they became a super hero.

2.The Villain's role was sterotypical If having a Asian American play a evil ruler, conquerer, dictator, etc is sterotypical then by that logic these same people would bash The Mummy Returns because there it is again a Asian American playing a evil ruler.

3.It was a box office Bomb. It didn't make as much as it's budget.

[–] The-Shadow 16 years ago

It wasn't that bad. Not great, but fun.

The world will look up and shout "save us!" And I'll whisper "no."

[–] jason005-1 16 years ago

I think it's stupid how they put this as one of the worst comic book movies. It wasn't a masterpiece but is far from a dreadful terrible movie.

[–] TheLittleSongbird 16 years ago

BETHANY COX
"Music comes from within, from your heart and from your soul."

Was Batman and Robin in the list by any chance?

[–] Ricochet84 15 years ago

by - The-Shadow on Wed Aug 6 2008 01:13:33
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It wasn't that bad. Not great, but fun.

No wonder it wouldn't let me use that username!

Death will come on swift wings...to whomsoever opens this chest!
-Dr. Allen Chamberlain

[–] Grafknar 16 years ago

The Shadow wasn't a comic book. It started as a Radio Drama.

It may have had comics later, but so did "Transformers".

I know it's all semantics, but The Shadow of 1994 was my favorite movie of all time (and I don't really care that I'm the only one).

I hate it when it is lumped together with all the crappy waste-of-time comic-book films that have come out in the last 5 years.

[–] ericxman 16 years ago

Actually it was a comic in the 70's and 80's. And it the radio drama was in itself only an adaptaion of the pulps.

Wanna see me make this pencil dissapear?

[–] rogerscorpion 14 years ago

Right. It started as a pulp novel series. Not a lot of pictures, so the psychic stuff was all in prose. When it went to movie serials, they didn't really have much in the way of special effects, so they gave him to 2 pistols.

This wonderful film took elements from both.

Carpe Noctem!

[–] ericxman 14 years ago

No. He had the guns from the beginning in the pulps too.

[–] shadow-otr 14 years ago

The "power to cloud men's minds" was a creation for the radio show {which featured Orson Welles early on}. It was developed because it would take up too much time to describe the Shadow's stealthy movements on the radio show.

Similarly, the transporter was created for the original Star Trek series as a means of saving money. Originally, Gene Roddenberry intended for the crew of the Enterprise to travel to planets on shuttlecraft; but the effects work quickly proved expensive as landing scenes would have to be created for every planet the Enterprise visited.

[–] gallae 15 years ago

If you mean the Howard Chaykin version, yes!

Laura S

[–] Sci-Fi-X 16 years ago

The Shadow should be in the list for the most underrated movies of all time.
It's always been in my top 10 favorite superhero movies. Usually, in the top 5. Even number 1 for a long time.

Semper Sci-Fi !!! ¦|¦|¦|

[–] davsny1 16 years ago

I couldn't disagree more. This was probably the best comic book movie I've ever seen. I love Ironman as well. The visuals were stunning, the effects great, the acting incredible and it had the perfect campy/cheesy comic book feel and appeal. The scene in the Chinese restaurant was amazing. I'd say that Spiderman 3 was the worst, most disgraceful, comicbook film. The story, acting, special effects, editing, in fact everything was horrible. Ang Lee's, The Hulk (2003) comes in a very close second place as worst comicbook movie. Those two movies were so boring and awful that I walked out on them several times and only came back (instead of leaving the theater and going home or asking for my money back) b/c the people I saw them with drove me there, so I had no choice. American Pie was the only movie terrible enough that I walked out (turned off) on while watching on DVD. That movie was an abomination.

[–] mbeswick99 14 years ago

It's crimminally underrated. I've always found it thoroughly entertaining and it looks gorgeous. I couldn't sit through The Dark Knight twice but I can happily watch The Shadow again every so often.

[–] melivard 16 years ago

i fell asleep watching this movie.......i just did not like it.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] grendelkhan 16 years ago

It's uneven and underdeveloped, but it was mostly entertaining. The problem with lists like that is that, 1, they are just someone's opinion, and 2, there is no middle ground. Now, if it were titled 20 most disappointing, then I might agree.

As to "comic book", yes, it was a radio show and pulp series, but there were Shadow comics before the 1970's and 80's. Pulp heroes and comic book characters tend to get lumped together since the pulp heroes begat the comic heroes, their publication heyday overlap, and they share (mostly) the sme conventions. Of course, film critics never lump adventure heroes from other literary sources with comics and pulps, despite the similarities; but, pulps and comics aren't "Literature", with a capital L. God forbid someone read an entertaining yarn, rather than some overwraught tome that a group of literature professors dubbed a classic, but everyone else avoids like the plague.

Sorry. Old bookseller rant.

[–] praisedivinemercy 15 years ago

Grendelkhan, read this, it's sure to give you a laugh and address your peeve. http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~mward/gkc/books/penny-dreadfuls.html

In fact, every pulp and comic book fan ought to read it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Speak softly and carry a sakabatou."

[–] worstfilmever 16 years ago

I put it as the most underrated comic book film and it's in my top 5. This movie is gorgeous, has brilliant casting(better than Nolan's Batman) and great writing. This movie is flawless. I can't think of anything that could be better if it was done differently. I can't say that about my other top 5 films; Batman Begins, Dark Knight, Spiderman 2 and 1.

[–] Rey_Kahuka 16 years ago

The real flaw with this movie was that it couldn't decide on a particular theme. It tried to be dark and tried to be campy at the same time. You can't do both. Tim Curry was distracting, and the flying knife with a mouth was just plain awful. The Shadow is a great character, and this movie had serious potential. They should definitely make the reboot darker.

[–] MeanerWithTheScenery 16 years ago

It tried to be dark and tried to be campy at the same time. You can't do both.

I think you CAN do both. Tim Burton's made a career out of doing just that.. You just have to get the balance right.

Sometimes, baby bison die.

[–] Jasons_Argonaut 16 years ago

The Villain's role was sterotypical If having a Asian American play a evil ruler, conquerer, dictator, etc is sterotypical then by that logic these same people would bash The Mummy Returns because there it is again a Asian American playing a evil ruler ... Well, the villain was from the old Shadow material was he not? So why is that a problem? Did they want an American to play a purely Asian role?

3.It was a box office Bomb. It didn't make as much as it's budget ... Sounds to me like whoever put the list together was an idiot. Since when did box office say anything about actual quality?