Too many fans seem to be blown away

Expected more

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

.Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

The Shadow (1994) ** (out of 4)The madman Shiwan Kan (John Lone) is building up an atomic bomb to do some major distruction but he has to deal with The Shadow (Alec Baldwin) who plans on putting a stop to his crooked plans.THE SHADOW was released to some rather mixed reviews and it seems that over the last couple decades it has pretty much been forgotten. The film is based on the comic strip and while there are a lot of good things here, there's no doubt that overall this is a pretty diasppointing film.I think what I enjoyed most about the film is that it really did a great job at making the setting look like the 1930s. The look of the film is quite excellent as the cinematography is top-notch and the costume design is perfect. I thought the film also did a very good job at creating this universe and the film has a very authenic look and feel to it.As far as the cast goes, Baldwin is actually quite good in the lead role and especially during some of the darker moments where Baldwin's personality can come through. I thought Lone was pretty disappointing as the hero. Normally I love Penelope Ann Miller but she wasn't given too much to work with here. It's always fun to see Peter Boyle, Ian McKellen, Tim Curry and Jonathan Winters but none of them are given much to do.As great as everything looks, there's still something missing in the film. I'm not exactly sure what it was but I had a hard time connecting to the characters, the story and I'd argue that the action wasn't all that thrilling.

As a longtime fan of the fiction and culture of the 1930s, I'll admit, I was skeptical when I first heard about this film. I thought it would be a mediocre film with over-the-top acting and a crappy soundtrack. I have seldom been happier to be proved wrong in my initial assessment of a film!Seriously, this film is a hell of a lot of fun. The acting is superb on all counts, with a young Alec Baldwin easily stealing the show as both Lamont Cranston and The Shadow from amazing actors like Sir Ian McKellan and Tim Curry. Not only that, but if you listen to the original radio dramas of The Shadow on YouTube or iTunes, you start to understand exactly how well the film makers adhered to the source material. Apart from a small handful of changes, the characters are virtually untouched, and this is what lends the film it's feeling of authenticity, while still remaining fantastical in nature.The special effects are subtle, but very effective in their use of turning The Shadow invisible by clouding people's minds. The soundtrack is as near flawless for a film from the mid-nineties as I have ever seen, and both the set designers and the department in charge of props and vehicles certainly deserve a mention for their outstanding jobs in bringing a truly believable version of the Radio Pulp world of The Shadow to the big screen.For me, though, it is not the individual components of the film that make it so good; rather, it is the combination of the acting, the soundtrack, the set design and the special effects, that, coupled with a compelling storyline and characters that still stand the tests of time after nearly 100 years of being in the public's eye, makes a fun, thrilling film that is a classic piece of superhero cinema.

THE SHADOW is a lesson in getting it right. Alec Baldwin is spot on as tortured Kent Allard who assumes the name Lamont Cranston and The Alter Ego The Shadow .Walter Gibson's Shadow's never gave him an origin. So this film starts as a starting point and gives The Shadow one. And its masterfully done. Howard Chaykin a comic book artist and writer Did a comic book mini series in 1986 Which introduced some of the elements used here.The Year is 1927. Former American soldier Kent Allard has gone insane and seized control of a army of barbarians. And he has complete control of the opium trade making him wealthy. Ying Ko as he is called is ruthless. Slaughtering villages and raping the women and forcing the men to serve him. Then Ying Ko is kidnapped dragged before a Tibetan priest who has complete control of his mind. He tells Ying Ko that now is the time for redemption. he will be entered to serve as a soldier for justice. he will teach him how to fight crime and destroy evil using his mind. And clouding men's minds leaving behind one thing he cannot control His Shadow.Flash forward seven years later. Kent Allard has assumed the name Lamont Cranston. and dines every night with his Uncle The police commissioner Wainwright. And after that prowls the streets destroying crimes as the shadow. those he saves becomes agents of the Shadow. together they form a network dedicated to smashing crime. Then comes two people. One is the beautiful Margo Lane who matches the Shadow mind power for mind power. And she soon comes to realize Cranston is hiding a secret. The second is Shiwan Khan the last living relative of Genghis Khan His goal is to finish what his relative started. Conquering the world. but to do that he needs a powerful new weapon. and he needs to destroy the Shadow.With the faithful Margo Lane at his side and Moe his faithful driver. and his network of agents the Shadow goes to war against the most cunning foe he's ever met.The Writing is top notch. the cast is wonderful and the director captures the mod of the Shadow. as well of the mood of the 30s . The Shadow plays like a wonderful time machine taking you back. Back to when times were easier bad guys were bad guys and heroes were heroes . nothing complicated. With that said if you are a fan of the pulp heroes The Shadow is as perfect a movie as there ever could be. My sons watched it with me and enjoyed it. The Younger generation was thrilled by the Shadow just as all the other ones were.

If you're looking for an entertaining superhero movie that doesn't take itself too seriously, 'The Shadow' might just be it. The film is based on a character created in 1931, who first appeared in pulp novels and then in a popular radio show. Alec Baldwin plays Lamont Cranston, aka The Shadow, a mysterious hero in 1930s New York City, who has psychic powers that allow him to control people's minds and appear invisible – except for his shadow. It's a cool concept. He's confronted by the villainous Shiwan Khan, descendant of Genghis Khan, (played by John Lone, of 'The Last Emperor') who shares similar powers with Cranston and has a plot to conquer the world! Baldwin is smooth as The Shadow, but less so whenever he wears a long hair wig... I spent much of the time wondering whether Lone's beard was real or not. Either way, he looks a bit ridiculous as Khan. 'The Shadow' ventures into camp territory and is plain silly at times. But it's funny. Much of it is an exercise in absurdity and I was half expecting the actors to suddenly burst out in laughter. The bottom line is that I enjoyed watching it. The cast also includes Penelope Ann Miller, Ian McKellen and a typically kooky Tim Curry.