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The Phantom (1996)
22 Plays7 days ago
This week on the Everything Actioncast, Zach and Chris slam evil and discuss 1996's The Phantom, which just got released on 4K.
Billy Zane plays Kit Walker, aka The Phantom, a pulp superhero who battles pirates and other evildoers from his island home of Bengalla. When evil businessman Xander Drax (Treat Williams) begins hunting for a trio of powerful artifacts, the Skulls of Touganda, Kit has to team up with his former girlfriend, Diana Palmer (Kristy Swanson), to try and get the Skulls before Drax. Zach and Chris discuss Treat Williams's wonderfully evil performance, whether Kit could always fire a laser from his skull ring and just didn't know it, the pirate hideout that looks like a dinner theater, whether seeing ghosts is a Phantom power or just mental illness, and more.
You can grab the aforementioned new 4K version of The Phantom, or buy or rent it on Prime Video, Fandango at Home, Apple TV, or YouTube. Next week, we're diving into Jean Claude Van Damme's directorial debut, The Quest, as it celebrates its 30th anniversary.
We want to hear your comments and feedback. Send them all to contact@everythingaction.com. Also, let us know your movie suggestions for us to discuss.
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Transcript
Intro
Introduction & Topic Overview
00:00:19
Zach Sheets
Hello and welcome to the Everything Action Cast podcast of the week of April 13th, 2026. I'm your host, Zach.
00:00:25
Chris Prime
I'm your co-host Chris.
00:00:27
Zach Sheets
And this week we are slamming evil and talking about The Phantom, the 1986 pulp action superhero movie, because it came out on 4K this week, so you can see it in the highest quality it's ever been in, probably.
00:00:41
Chris Prime
Besides like 8mm I guess.
00:00:44
Zach Sheets
Yeah, don't I don't know what the print they pulled the four k from, but... oh Hopefully it's if it's a solid 4K.
90s Pulp Superhero Trend
00:00:52
Zach Sheets
Because it's a cult class. I'm sure there's a bunch of people that are like eagerly awaiting a for the 4K of this.
00:00:59
Zach Sheets
And what yeah one of the one of the many like pulp like action hero or pulp superhero movies that came out in the 90s is this crazy trend
00:01:11
Zach Sheets
that i probably probably get got kickstarted by Batman in 1989, but then they didn't try to, like like like a bunch of studios didn't try to do like other comic book, like, you know big name comic book characters.
00:01:23
Zach Sheets
They were like, let's go with like the the characters that fit like the aesthetic of like the 1930s, 1940s kind of style and just like pull pull characters from that like era.
00:01:31
Chris Prime
Yeah, they they took away the wrong lesson from Batman.
00:01:33
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm.
00:01:38
Chris Prime
So it wasn't just superheroes are back. They were like, what do we remember from our days of reading comics? And let's just do that.
The Phantom: Comic to Film Transition
00:01:50
Chris Prime
And comics back then were like, like pulpy action, kind of daily tidbits of like heroic scenes, but not necessarily like a grand adventure. Cause I feel like,
00:02:09
Chris Prime
Batman just happened to work just because it's secretly a... it's a therapeutic process where Batman is beating the person that literally killed his parents, which was new lore.
00:02:22
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:02:22
Chris Prime
And the Phantom was staying completely in the, like, comic origin and everything. And so much happens, but then nothing happens.
00:02:37
Chris Prime
Like, people get kidnapped left and right,
Plot & Themes of The Phantom
00:02:40
Chris Prime
but, like, they they end up in, like, new locations, and it just had no carryover.
00:02:40
Zach Sheets
okay
00:02:46
Chris Prime
So, like, that makes sense in a comic strip. So I'm like, oh, this is, like, perfect for exactly what it matched. Just, you introduce Batman first, and then you did this, which is kids were just not going to be about.
00:02:59
Zach Sheets
Yeah, I was like, yeah, it's like, Batman's a huge hit, and it's like, who should do next? What about the Shadow? What about... you know like Zorro and phantom the Phantom.
00:03:09
Zach Sheets
I mean, Zorro was huge.
00:03:10
Chris Prime
Zorro, yeah, Zorro popped off.
00:03:11
Zach Sheets
it was it's it's kind of it's It's odd because like the it's like the last couple were the ones that like really popped off. like The Phantom didn't do well. The Shadow didn't do well. Dick Tracy. i got like I think Dick Tracy did okay, but it wasn't like like it wasn't up to what Disney's level of like what it they wanted it to be.
00:03:28
Chris Prime
True, which was a shame because I felt like Dick Tracy was exactly what it was and it knew. And that movie wraps up completely. Like, every villain is dead.
00:03:38
Chris Prime
Like, who who is he gonna fight?
00:03:39
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
00:03:42
Zach Sheets
yeah
00:03:44
Chris Prime
But, yeah, the Phantom... i actually do appreciate how, like, how long they stretch a premise of the Phantom into just the different stories and then different concepts.
The Phantom's Comic Legacy
00:04:00
Chris Prime
Like, it's not just a... Like, a jungle story. It's not just a, like, mild-mannered, like, secret hero with, like, you know, like, a cave.
00:04:12
Chris Prime
it's It's not just a so ghost story. Like, you know, like, supernatural things are real in this universe.
00:04:20
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm.
00:04:20
Chris Prime
Like, magic's real. So, like, all bets were off to see, like, where else this series could go, because you can't just be, like, box them in and i i it's weird that like the phantom never just figured out how to ahead of like marvel and and dc in terms of superhero heroics even though like it came before like it survived it you know like that's one thing like the phantom does survive through so many like different genre and trend range changes
00:04:56
Zach Sheets
Yeah. Well, I was reading, like, the like so like i mean like the the character got introduced in 1936 is when i got and the fandom got introduced in, like, a comic strip, which apparently the comic strip is still running to this day.
00:05:09
Zach Sheets
like there was Like, there's, like, new entries in the comic strip in, like, newspapers, which is kind of
00:05:14
Chris Prime
can't tell
The Phantom's Origin & Film Critique
00:05:14
Zach Sheets
insane.
00:05:14
Chris Prime
you what newspaper.
00:05:15
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
00:05:15
Chris Prime
I can't tell you which newspaper. that's mean It survived because it's just become a tradition now. There's a new phantom story.
00:05:20
Zach Sheets
Yeah. Mm-hmm. That and, like, Prince Valiant. thing Those two just next to each other.
00:05:25
Chris Prime
Oh my god, Prince Valiant's still going?
00:05:27
Zach Sheets
Probably, yeah. is is Is Rex Morgan MD still going?
00:05:32
Zach Sheets
But, uh... Yeah, like I was reading, like, the Phantom was kind of he was it was kind of like a, like, this, like, transition point because there was, like, a lot of, like, the a Shadow came before him and, like, Tarzan, those were, like, you know, like, the kind of like, the pulpy eras before that. But then he, like, the Phantom was kind of the first one that had, like like, the kind of, like superhero outfits.
00:05:53
Zach Sheets
And then he kind of led into, like, Batman and Spider-Man, like, all all the, like, comic book characters we know today.
00:06:00
Zach Sheets
So he was he kind of like this transition to like more but like modern superheroes.
00:06:08
Chris Prime
Yeah, just because like I'm going on my mind of like what I know superhero heroics are. This was also like an exotic superhero where he really had to like travel to do things. He couldn't just show up conveniently. like He had to hear about an issue than like like really travel around the globe or just kind of greet people by a coastline.
00:06:35
Zach Sheets
Yeah, because he's operating on this like remote... I guess it's like a... like I guess Bengala's like a country. like like a Well, in the movie, it's like an island. like I think in the like the original comic strip, it's like an African country.
00:06:50
Zach Sheets
But like... I mean, the island's even more remote. You have to really...
Casting Choices & Film's Tone
00:06:55
Zach Sheets
you'll figure out a way to like get off the island and then yeah figure out how you're going to hear about stuff has to happen on your island for you to do something about it.
00:07:03
Zach Sheets
You have to get a report from the British, I guess.
00:07:07
Chris Prime
and You have to like listen in on radio waves.
00:07:09
Zach Sheets
and
00:07:11
Zach Sheets
On the Phantom Radio.
00:07:15
Zach Sheets
But let's let's let's let's let's start at the beginning. like the The intro to like who the fandom is and what the fandom is is kind of like the the just like... The story they tell you is is kind of nuts. Where there's a kid who is on a ship that got attacked by pirates.
00:07:33
Zach Sheets
And then he's the only survivor. then he washes you around this island. And the island was like, hey, we're returning you our protector. This young...
00:07:44
Zach Sheets
young boy, you're like our protector now.
00:07:46
Chris Prime
Which is weird because like they already have like their own protectors, but for some reason they wanted to train like a special protector.
00:07:57
Zach Sheets
And they give him like the the, like the power, like the skull ring that find out later has like, like crazy power. But like, I think it like, it's not, it's not really realized until like the end of this movie.
00:08:11
Zach Sheets
it see It seems like it just like like leaves like an impact on people's faces when you punish them. That's like its main power.
00:08:17
Chris Prime
Yeah, it it leaves, like, a burn, I guess. Or that punch is super powerful that, like, it indents people's faces forever.
00:08:26
Zach Sheets
Yeah. Well, i think i think the thing is is it's like it kind of like marks evil people. So whoever the Phantom fights that they're evil, like it leaves like they like they get the mark of the skull on them so that people like know, like oh, you you're evil. You fought the Phantom.
00:08:40
Chris Prime
Yeah, like, you kind of have to do, like, crime in front of the Phantom. He's not like an investigator. he he doesn't seem like he does preventative crime. He literally just like shows up when crime happens.
00:08:51
Zach Sheets
Yeah. and And then, but they've been, for 400 years, they've been, like, there's been other, like, all these, all these different
Comedic Elements & Plot Critique
00:08:57
Zach Sheets
fandoms. And then you finally get to Kit Walker, who is the 21st Phantom, played by phil Billy Zane in its probably I mean, like his biggest role until like next year, like Titanic up to that point.
00:09:13
Chris Prime
Titanic was next year. Whoa.
00:09:15
Zach Sheets
Yeah, he was in Titanic the year afterwards. Yeah.
00:09:19
Zach Sheets
so So I guess you you recovered kind of from like the financial failure of this one.
00:09:25
Chris Prime
but That's a good bounce back.
00:09:26
Zach Sheets
okay
00:09:28
Chris Prime
I just think he's not terrible in this movie. I just think the writing didn't know how to play and him up.
00:09:35
Zach Sheets
Well, guess like one of the other people for that part was Bruce Campbell.
00:09:41
Chris Prime
That have been cool too.
00:09:43
Zach Sheets
Well, I think that would work with because like apparently Joe Dante like wrote was like attached to like a Phantom movie in like the early 90s. And then he wrote a really tongue-in-cheek, goofy one that kind of made fun of the Phantom.
00:10:00
Zach Sheets
But then they pushed the release that back of like a year, so he had like leave for like other things. And then they basically filmed his script but made it like like like not like a comedy. They kind of like we played it more like straight ahead.
00:10:13
Zach Sheets
<unk>s like why it's like I this as a comedy. I guess playing it up as an actual movie.
00:10:21
Chris Prime
and They're just like, we don't have an imagination anymore. We just rewrote Phantom movie? question mark
00:10:27
Zach Sheets
I feel like Bruce Campbell would have fit in perfectly with like the like the goofy tongue-in-cheek version of it.
00:10:31
Chris Prime
oh Oh, definitely. if they the The story structure is such a paint-by-numbers of just like generic pulp adventure that if they were just doing punch-up moments of certain kind of cliches and winks at the camera...
00:10:51
Chris Prime
It would have been fine. I feel like. Even some parts here are like satire.
00:11:00
Zach Sheets
Well, i I feel like of all the all these like pulp you know hero movies that came out, this one feels the most like Indiana Jones. like this This is like trying to be the most like Indiana Jones.
00:11:11
Chris Prime
Visually, yes, but like.
00:11:13
Zach Sheets
it's and the art it's got the artifacts, it's got like, you know, hunt down the like these different artifacts and all the...
00:11:18
Chris Prime
but there But you know what's missing, though, is like the clues.
Character Dynamics & Tone Analysis
00:11:23
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm.
00:11:23
Chris Prime
like How do you get here? Indiana Jones does a thing where he encounters like a problem, and usually something in the surrounding area, there's an indication of like how it's related and how it points to the next clue, or like how it ties into the next problem.
00:11:40
Zach Sheets
Yep. Mm-hmm.
00:11:42
Chris Prime
That doesn't happen here. Literally, it's like the plot device just points and or burns things.
00:11:49
Zach Sheets
Yeah. Yeah, the...
00:11:50
Chris Prime
So like, that's it. And it still doesn't explain how it works. Like, if you want to jump ahead to this, there's a scene where two skulls come together and then they burn the location on a map.
00:12:03
Zach Sheets
yeah
00:12:04
Chris Prime
It doesn't make sense how, like, the skulls know to look at that map, which might not even be correct. What if it pointed to, like, it just... Did...
00:12:13
Zach Sheets
yeah the
00:12:13
Chris Prime
Did the skulls read the room? Like, what...
00:12:15
Zach Sheets
The skulls are like hundreds of years old, so like they're going off of like a modern map, and they're pointing to location.
00:12:23
Chris Prime
and understand if the skulls spit out, like, coordinates, or even...
00:12:29
Zach Sheets
Symbols? Something.
00:12:30
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
00:12:30
Chris Prime
symbols, or or even, like, when you put the skulls together, they show, like, another symbol, so that it's, like, a like a visual trick where, like, it only comes when the two skulls come together.
00:12:41
Chris Prime
But then the skulls don't make sense because the skulls can be moved around a lot, so it's not like it's a permanent thing.
00:12:45
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm.
00:12:48
Chris Prime
You see what I mean? Like, it in a comedy movie, that would have made sense. In a comedy movie, probably the skulls sang. what I
00:12:56
Zach Sheets
They talked.
00:12:56
Chris Prime
Just something stupid, and it would make sense, but here they tried their best with it, and it just comes out weird.
00:12:58
Zach Sheets
a
00:13:05
Zach Sheets
like what if it's Like, what if you're in a room with no map? Like, what do they do? Like, it just burns a hole in the wall?
00:13:12
Chris Prime
Like, do you have to... Is it like when they first meet, they only show you one time where the third one might be? How did the skulls not notice the fourth skull in the room?
00:13:27
Chris Prime
don't See, I don't want to get into that one yet, but we'll get, I mean, we're gonna, because I got so many questions about that.
00:13:33
Zach Sheets
Well, the skull, like the skulls is what the, uh, kind of the big, the big intro, like the our kind of intro to like the Phantom is that he's stopping.
00:13:37
Chris Prime
It's like the MacGuffin.
00:13:42
Zach Sheets
We're trying to stop, a bunch of like, a bunch of like evil,
00:13:44
Chris Prime
The Sangpire Hood?
00:13:47
Zach Sheets
like archaeologists or evil grave robbers from taking one of the skulls. because it Which like James Remar is leading them as Quill, who's big who's kind of like an evil Indiana Jones.
00:13:59
Chris Prime
But he's not good at his job.
00:14:01
Zach Sheets
but he's that smart. Yeah.
00:14:01
Chris Prime
Yeah, it's weird because it makes it seem like I honestly you watch the beginning. You just think he's one of those like roguish archaeologists that is just like he shortcut it his way and he's sort of bumbling his way up. So like I could see that as like, oh, is James Raynard the the the phantom like a really bad phantom.
00:14:23
Zach Sheets
he's reading He's reading the map
Character Motivations & Plot Devices
00:14:24
Zach Sheets
upside down.
00:14:25
Zach Sheets
It's like the the big joke.
00:14:26
Chris Prime
and he's no he And he's nowhere near civilization, so they just drove like in pure luck that they were getting there.
00:14:34
Zach Sheets
Well, luckily they hired a boy, or they kidnapped a boy that like knew where they were going.
00:14:41
Chris Prime
Yeah, I think they kidnapped him.
00:14:44
Zach Sheets
Yeah, and then they end so they end up in like this you know tomb, and then there's like like but it's's name it it's like a trap where like a guy gets killed by a skeleton that like comes to life.
00:14:56
Chris Prime
just strangles whoever's within
00:14:57
Zach Sheets
straight so like Somehow it's the strength to strangle a guy.
00:15:00
Chris Prime
it only works if you the skeleton gets you within an arm's distance but if you like duck out the way or I don't know are stronger than a skeleton
00:15:11
Zach Sheets
And is is it like a mechanism that like whoever like left the skull there like built? Or is it like actually like like a supernatural skeleton coming to life?
00:15:21
Chris Prime
If it was a supernatural skeleton, why is it that they only have one? And it it doesn't stop anyone else after that.
00:15:25
Zach Sheets
okay
00:15:29
Zach Sheets
Because there's a lot of skeletons in that tomb that they were like in. There should have been like army of skeletons that rises up and like attack attacks them
00:15:37
Chris Prime
That makes sense. And then maybe the villains use dynamite to destroy them. So like they didn't weren't around for that. So they don't know how to fight that. And for a sacred treasure that is...
00:15:51
Chris Prime
Kind of like, you know, on this island. Shouldn't there have been guards? Like, it seems like this whole island has guardians in certain regions, but not there.
00:16:02
Zach Sheets
Yeah, it's very it's very unprotected. like They left one booby trap skeleton. There's no other traps or no other ways to protect the skull. The skull's kind of like also just like lying out there, not hidden at all. It's like, hey, there's a skull.
00:16:17
Zach Sheets
One of those powerful objects in the world.
00:16:19
Chris Prime
yeah Oh my god. So, again, Indiana Jones, this is where it fails, because Indy would have done, like, a trick, would have read some sort of puzzle, maybe. They would have done another, like, let's just brute force this tactic.
00:16:35
Chris Prime
And they don't. I get, like, it's the first opening act, but it really deflates, like, the momentum. It only picks up when, like, the Phantom gets, like, the Phantom Alarm.
00:16:50
Zach Sheets
yeah
00:16:51
Chris Prime
Which, i don't know who called him.
00:16:53
Zach Sheets
I guess, like, the Jungle Patrol, but then it seems like they didn't realize it until, like, he drops them off to the Jungle Patrol.
00:17:02
Chris Prime
Yeah, I think, like, at the end, he just... He draw he gave them, like, the two people he fought, but...
Narrative Structure & Pacing Issues
00:17:10
Zach Sheets
Maybe... It seems it seems like he hit like this version of the Phantom has possibly psychic powers, because like you hear his thoughts talking to, like, his horse and his dog. And then they kind of like respond to him his thoughts.
00:17:23
Chris Prime
I mean, they respond by looking, but I mean, they don't have a conversation.
00:17:25
Zach Sheets
Yeah. maybe maybe he like yeah he gets like so or like Maybe his ghost dad told him
00:17:33
Chris Prime
Yeah, I would have loved more Ghost Dad stuff. it's it's It's a lot of scenes already, but I kind of would have liked a... Oh yeah, like all the old Phantom family mentors the new members. Kind of like the Avatar.
00:17:50
Chris Prime
like the Avatar state he enters, where it's like, or like Wakanda, like he goes to the the tree.
00:17:54
Zach Sheets
Yeah. Yeah.
00:17:58
Chris Prime
I'm fine with that. I think they might do that in the comics. I'm not sure. The other thing i know I know he does is he he consults like the family diary.
00:18:02
Zach Sheets
Yeah, I don't... The giant the giant tome. It's like like the a gigantic book.
00:18:15
Chris Prime
But I guess each member writes their like chapter of what they've done. so that any of the previous, the newest members can go and get a recap and just be right on track.
00:18:26
Chris Prime
It sounds weird, but that's what that is. It's like a yearbook. And then they can just pick up where they left off and then kind of be the same person.
00:18:38
Zach Sheets
Yeah, because that's like one of the things about the Phantom is that they they don't reveal their identity. So like and like so everyone kind of thinks the Phantom's immortal because there's always a Phantom showing up. Stop.
00:18:48
Zach Sheets
For like 400 years, there's only been a Phantom showing up. So they're like, oh, it's the same guy. He's immortal. You can't kill him.
00:18:56
Chris Prime
Even though clearly there's like age things and size differences. But somehow all the people they fight all have brain injuries so that they can just confuse things.
00:19:10
Zach Sheets
The impact from the skull ring damages their brains.
00:19:14
Chris Prime
Actually, that have been a cool trick is that that's what people can't get a good look at him because the skull ring like obscures his true identity.
00:19:22
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm.
00:19:23
Chris Prime
Or like changes those physical details. Just how Superman in the in like the comic is apparently vibrating at a high level so no one can like pick out extinct distinct features of him.
00:19:36
Chris Prime
Did you ever hear that part?
00:19:39
Zach Sheets
I've heard that before, no.
00:19:40
Chris Prime
Yeah, like he can he has a me he spins so fast for modern technology that like he vibrates so that when people take photos of him, like it's all blurry.
00:19:51
Zach Sheets
Hmm.
00:19:52
Chris Prime
So that's why they couldn't tell like Clark Kent and Superman the same person. And then he does it in a way that like human brains can't like interpret like distinct features. So that's why they can kind of like ignore him because he doesn't stand out even though he's the size of Superman.
00:20:07
Chris Prime
But yeah, like weird alien explanation and versus like a magic ring that like, yeah, that's how he's able to do this for like a longer
Action & Set Design Critique
00:20:17
Chris Prime
time in the story.
00:20:19
Zach Sheets
He's wearing a domino mask. That's not good enough.
00:20:23
Chris Prime
Yeah, but how many like people on this island don't have like a weird domino mass suntan? you know like it's It's a very distinct look. He's on a beach a lot.
00:20:35
Chris Prime
skin
00:20:35
Zach Sheets
Yes. so
00:20:36
Chris Prime
So it's not like he's covered head and toe, where like he's he doesn't tan. He's constantly outside in the jungle. like His skin would change colors, and then the like the the shape of his face would be there.
00:20:50
Zach Sheets
Yeah, that that would like that would be a dead giveaway. of like, oh, why do you have the such weird tan lines, Kit Walker?
00:20:57
Chris Prime
and it's only like It only makes sense if he comes out at night. It only makes sense if he fights people like in a not sunny place. It's the reason why Batman doesn't go to like California and just hangs outside. because it's like i mean yeah we modern like sunscreen don't tan as much, but this is like nineteen thirty six they barely had sunsgreen
00:21:21
Zach Sheets
they They thought cigarettes were healthy.
00:21:23
Chris Prime
Yeah, between every you like scene, they're just all smoking.
00:21:26
Zach Sheets
it's
00:21:26
Chris Prime
Like, I don't need to go to the doctor. i just smoke every day.
00:21:29
Zach Sheets
Your doctor's smoking.
00:21:33
Zach Sheets
i do i do like the bit in the opening where they're in the truck and then the truck is but like it's on like a rope bridge and then like the bridge like starts collapsing but then the truck is like still hanging on the bridge and kind of like oh goes all the way upside down.
00:21:49
Zach Sheets
because caught in the vines. That was like a fun twist. Instead of it just like falling off immediately.
00:21:55
Chris Prime
It is little like movie magic because it doesn't make sense how the bridge was able to like hold the truck like with this this old bridge that somehow has like the tensile strength of like an American like something made out of steel to hold up a army truck.
00:22:01
Zach Sheets
but truck.
00:22:13
Zach Sheets
Well, they specifically have to have everyone get out of the truck and have the kid drive it across to start with. Because they don't trust the bridge. But obviously, when they're like's there's like a big chase, and then like it's like the like the there's like a bunch of guys in the truck, and then it like collapses. but then because Because the Phantom saves the kid, Quill gets away with the the skull.
00:22:37
Zach Sheets
Then this way he goes to the Skull Cave afterward and is like, oh, shit. I let a super powerful artifact get away from me. Well,
00:22:47
Chris Prime
Yeah, like it dawns on him like how important this like thing was so it wasn't just random garbage.
00:22:53
Zach Sheets
his dad shows up as a ghost and is like, you let a Skull of Tegunda get away, idiot?
00:23:00
Chris Prime
Also, like Ghost Dad, why aren't you just like standing guard there and then running out to me when that happens? Because it seemed like Ghost Dad knew that's what happened.
00:23:07
Zach Sheets
Yeah,
00:23:12
Chris Prime
Or did Ghost dead like read the same report? i Also, we're still debating if Ghost Dad was real or not. If they're actually all in Kit Walker's head or like there is a Ghost Dad.
00:23:24
Zach Sheets
yeah because i don't I don't think that's a power of like comic book or comic strip fandom is to like you know talk to like the previous fandoms as
Third Act & Climax Analysis
00:23:31
Zach Sheets
ghosts. Or like the like if you're a fandom, can come back as like like a Jedi ghost, basically. like it he yeah kind of seems like it this is just like a delusion of Kit Walker.
00:23:42
Zach Sheets
Because no one else no one else sees or hears the ghost and everyone just looks at him like he's a maniac.
00:23:48
Chris Prime
We still can't figure out like you know how does how the how does like the dog appear every place.
00:23:58
Zach Sheets
Dog and the horse. which they They apparently talk to each other too because there's like a was great scene where like the dog just like shows up and like I don't even think barks at the horse. just like like like Looks at the horse and they're like, alright, we gotta go.
00:24:10
Chris Prime
andt like It makes a noise, and somehow they had a conversation. So yeah, it's a lot of like fantasy, which I'm for. Like this movie, this movie falls apart hard if you just don't suspend your belief on things.
00:24:31
Zach Sheets
Yeah, it's it's like pure like pulp adventure. You to just like be in that mindset.
00:24:36
Chris Prime
But I watched this movie with that same mindset. Actually, I saw this movie in theaters. I this saw this movie like opening week where they're handing out phantom rings to attendees.
00:24:48
Chris Prime
I think as a kid it fit on my like middle finger. Now it barely fits on my pinky finger. And it's heavy for like a free ring.
00:24:57
Zach Sheets
and was It wasn't plastic?
00:24:58
Chris Prime
No.
00:24:59
Zach Sheets
Wow, okay.
00:25:00
Chris Prime
i know. That's why i still have it. It just turned turned to dust
00:25:04
Zach Sheets
Like, i'm I'm surprised it wasn't just like, you know, like a spider ring, but like a phantom ring.
00:25:08
Chris Prime
Yeah, i'll I'll post it later on the socials and when we talk we talk about this.
00:25:08
Zach Sheets
Like,
00:25:11
Chris Prime
i'd be like, anyway, I slammed evil when I was like nine.
00:25:16
Chris Prime
But it's not to scale. I don't think it's like the full... I gotta look at it recently. like Look at it, but like yeah, it's not the full like covers your finger. I think it's like it's definitely like a kid ring.
00:25:28
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm.
00:25:28
Chris Prime
Yeah, man, i went I went all in on this and was like, yeah, Phantom. Don't know where it's like what Phantom was and then I saw I was like, alright. I get lot, but I also have questions about everything.
00:25:42
Chris Prime
Like, I also didn't know what, like, World War II was yet, because, you know, you're nine. So, there's this weird era where America is just, like, coming out of the Depression, even though they are not. Like, it you know what I mean? Like, in this time, no one seems like they're having financial issues for, like, the Great Depression era.
00:26:01
Zach Sheets
I think Drax mentions it like once or something or about how like the U.S. is like, he's the site returned to like its economic greatness or something where he's going to like do something about like part of his like great big scheme.
00:26:17
Chris Prime
and And here's the thing, too. So they mentioned the beginning of the Brotherhood of Sang, the Sang Brotherhood, right?
00:26:24
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm.
00:26:24
Chris Prime
Where there have been like an ancient society that has been trying to conquer the world. But like Drax did it better before them. Like Drax had like such a better business plan and he was able to figure out like in in New York from a distance how to do all this jungle stuff.
00:26:42
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm.
00:26:43
Chris Prime
for he said, okay, I have to be there in person because like if I don't oversee this, this is not going to go well.
00:26:49
Chris Prime
like It got to the point where a random newspaper owner was going to just write exposés about everything. And that was like where it went into action.
00:27:00
Chris Prime
And instead of like killing, you know like silencing all these co like people that are just trying to like leak stuff, He tries to kidnap the niece, which is like, okay, now you definitely like got near on like the radar now.
00:27:19
Chris Prime
I don't know if this is taken from like a specific arc in the Phantom comics. yeah, like the uncle that is owning the newspaper is never brought back again.
Potential for Comedic Version
00:27:30
Zach Sheets
Well, he he comes back when Kit like goes to the New York to like find the second skull. like they meet at his office but i think that's the last time he sees him and then he kind of yeah he gets like totally he like is removed from any danger like like like drax totally forgets about him
00:27:49
Chris Prime
Yep. And that was like the big thing. That's like the catalyst where Drax is like, okay, they're onto it. And they're getting closer.
00:27:54
Zach Sheets
yeah this this newspaper this newspaper guy is like uh getting too close
00:27:55
Chris Prime
Like, in fact...
00:28:00
Chris Prime
Yeah, like they're confirming the details. You know, whatever the source they're getting it from and I'm getting it could be the same. So... Because Drax is literally just shooting in the dark to see, you know, where everything is. Even though he was right about the first skull. So... know, he wasn't just... but He wasn't incompetent.
00:28:21
Zach Sheets
Drax is kind of like, he's kind of like an evil Howard Hughes.
00:28:24
Chris Prime
Yeah. He's eccentric as hell. I love it. Trent Williams put such a great performance in this.
00:28:29
Zach Sheets
true True Williams is having like a blast, you can tell. this is like like may wish his mustache was longer so he could twirl it. He's got that he's got that great mustache. Yeah, he's just like... he's he's yeah he's like
00:28:43
Chris Prime
He's swarmy. He's smug. He comes in the room. just, hello. Like he has to be the center of attention. And then he doesn't fight. Like, he surprises people, but in a one-on-one combat situation, he's not going to win.
00:28:55
Zach Sheets
here
00:29:00
Zach Sheets
I mean, I think the best scene with him is when he calls in the like a like librarian. Because he's been going to like the restricted area of the New York Public Library and looking up books.
00:29:11
Zach Sheets
But then that got leaked to newspaper. So he's like, oh, this librarian leaked that was going this section. So then he calls him into his office. And he's he's like, oh, by the way, look in this microscope. I want you to see something.
00:29:25
Zach Sheets
then it's a like a microscopic note that says liar. And then he's rigged his micro microscope with eye-gouging blades and kills the guy.
00:29:37
Chris Prime
Yeah, it he could have done it in another fashion, but he just wants like this weird, ironic presentation. And he killed a librarian with like a microscope, which is not like it was the librarian also a biologist.
00:29:53
Zach Sheets
he's he's he's like a so He's like a scientist.
00:29:57
Chris Prime
Ways of signs of books, like I get, but yeah, it's not even like a super ironic, like just saw trap.
00:30:07
Zach Sheets
And then he's also, he's like, he's got like the like the police commissioner is on his payroll. He's like working with like the local crime family, the like the mafia.
00:30:16
Zach Sheets
But it's buts he's got like like, he's kind of like got his own like brotherhood. Like he's got like his like, lead like you know, like Legion of Doom.
00:30:25
Chris Prime
See, I would have liked it if his thing was a different branch of the Sang Brotherhood. So it keeps in line with the origin of the beginning of the movie.
00:30:38
Chris Prime
So it's like, okay, the Sang Brotherhood's still alive, still alive. Like, the war continues between this these two rival, like, groups. But...
00:30:50
Chris Prime
I mean, later in the movie, you find out that the Sang Brotherhood is is just like doing like just chilling at their house.
00:30:59
Zach Sheets
What was that? Like like Las Vegas, like pirate show.
00:31:02
Chris Prime
Yeah, and Treasure Island.
00:31:04
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
00:31:05
Chris Prime
They're literally on a Treasure Island like set just like hanging out. I mean, it's great, it looks but it looks like already like a stunt show set.
00:31:13
Zach Sheets
it's yeah it's it's it's like It's like you're at like like a medieval times style restaurant, but it's like a pirate restaurant. it's
00:31:19
Chris Prime
It's like right before Universal really went hard on... Or was it Six Flags? think was Six Flags. When they went hard on Waterworld. And they still had the...
00:31:28
Zach Sheets
Well, that was that that was Universal. which is yeah the Universal Hollywood still has Waterworld.
00:31:33
Chris Prime
So, like, that's what Like, it's one of the, like... Well, for me, it was Six Flags that had it. Jersey. Jersey.
00:31:41
Zach Sheets
Hmm.
00:31:43
Zach Sheets
it must It must have been different movies. I feel like Universal like had like the Waterworld license. Maybe they did a knockoff like a generic Waterworld.
00:31:53
Chris Prime
I swear, the one in Jersey had Waterworld for the longest time.
00:31:58
Zach Sheets
Hmm.
00:31:59
Chris Prime
But, anyway. It was like that.
Shift to New York & Character Development
00:32:02
Chris Prime
It was like a stunt show that is like, the set is designed exactly for these stunts to happen at these areas. And i'm like, is that what they just practice here? Because they're not pirating. It's not like, during the movie, you see another cargo ship get plundered, and they're using, like, a skull or anything, like,
00:32:21
Chris Prime
it It should have been that even though the skulls are like set apart, they still are powerful like with the wielder. And then if you combine them, it's like you get like more power.
00:32:33
Zach Sheets
Yeah, each one should give you like a power and then when you get all three, then you get like the ultimate of power.
00:32:37
Chris Prime
Yeah. Doesn't that make sense? Like Trent, like, I mean, Drax gets one. So like he's able to conquer New York and then the pirate king is conquering the sea because he's like, I have one too.
00:32:50
Chris Prime
And it's like they either team up and then betray each other to get the third one.
00:32:56
Chris Prime
i like it's it like i but You mentioned that Joe Dante wrote the script. would be funny if like they just like did a dance-off and then that's how they get the skull. like you know like that's Essentially, that's what happens. like They just do like a kind of like, hey, you want this? Cool. You want that? I don't know. like Nothing happens between them for a while.
00:33:19
Zach Sheets
Yeah, because their big scheme is... Because Palmer, the newspaper guy, is going to send his niece down to Bengala because they he's found like the Sang Brotherhood symbol, but no one knows what it is. But he knows it came from Bengala, so he's going to send his niece Diana down there to meet with...
00:33:41
Zach Sheets
like the head of the jungle patrol to find out what the symbol means. But then Drax is like, well, I'm going to, I'm going to have kidnapped Diana. And then they'll like, they'll like deal with the, with Palmer. Like we'll force him to stop writing his article, I guess, or like do something to him, blackmail him.
00:34:00
Zach Sheets
And then that's how Catherine Zeta-Jones gets involved. Sala. Is it Sala or Sala?
00:34:08
Chris Prime
Sala kind of like from Indiana Jones.
00:34:09
Zach Sheets
solid it Yeah. Yeah. It was like the leader, like the all female, like air pirates.
00:34:17
Chris Prime
Which I feel like is from the comic. If it wasn't, it's it's still like a good choice.
00:34:24
Zach Sheets
Yeah. I think that, I think that's, that's from like one of the Phantom comics. There's a comic called the sky band that is like all about like, yeah, these like female pirates and,
00:34:36
Chris Prime
I mean, it's it's cool because it seems like they were just like a mercenary group. They don't seem like they... they have They're all in on, like, the brotherhood or anything.
00:34:49
Chris Prime
And it's like this weird lesbian energy between her, like Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Kristen...
00:34:56
Zach Sheets
Swanson?
00:34:57
Chris Prime
Chrissy Swanson.
00:34:58
Zach Sheets
I
00:34:59
Chris Prime
It's like, as a kid, I was like, does this woman like this woman? Like, you could... There's like chemistry between them, like this weird chemistry. it's There's more chemistry between those two than the guy that kissed, yeah.
00:35:08
Zach Sheets
like like me i just yeah i was just say that, yeah.
00:35:13
Chris Prime
that That random cuck guy that shows up.
00:35:16
Zach Sheets
oh like Jimmy but also like the first the first thing that happens like like when like the Phantom like drops in like he's like he sees he sneaks into like their base and they ends up in like vent and like falls down and like exactly where diana's being held and they cast me just like oh who's this guy and like just like I mean like kisses him
00:35:18
Chris Prime
Yeah. Which I guess is from the the original, but like, it's like, who's the square?
00:35:44
Chris Prime
I mean, she's like, oh, you, yeah, like, you're a man all in purple.
00:35:45
Zach Sheets
You're interesting.
00:35:49
Chris Prime
That's cool.
00:35:50
Zach Sheets
You're so buff.
00:35:52
Chris Prime
I get it. You're on a ship full of, like, women, and she's not into that all the time. So, like, yeah.
00:35:59
Zach Sheets
Go there, guys. James Remar. Like a scuzzy James Remar.
00:36:03
Chris Prime
So, yeah, she's like, I'll take what I can get.
00:36:07
Zach Sheets
But then, yeah, so that's this so there's like yeah there's another like big like kind of chase sequence, and then they manage to get out.
00:36:16
Zach Sheets
and then But then, so Diana goes back to New York, and then Kit goes to New York, because he he learns that like the second skull is in New York. And then this is this is where, like, the Phantom, like, is weird because, he like, Kit doesn't have, it's like he's not like Bruce Wayne.
00:36:31
Zach Sheets
Like, he doesn't own, like, an industry or a business. Like, he he's just he was just, like, he is he literally just disappeared one day, like, from New York.
00:36:39
Chris Prime
He's just a regular guy to most of society.
00:36:41
Zach Sheets
Yeah, he has no he has no power over New York. Yeah.
00:36:44
Chris Prime
You find that at real quick when he can't he doesn't figure out currency. Like, he's not worldly prepared.
00:36:51
Zach Sheets
I mean, he he, like, he, I guess he got his education in, like, America, and then he went back, when his father got killed, he went back to Bengala, became the Phantom.
00:37:00
Zach Sheets
But yeah, but yeah, like, like, the like Kit Walker is, like, does, have has, like, no, like, cachet anywhere. He's not like, yeah, he's not like a Bruce Wayne where he just be like, hey it's me, I'm billionaire playboy Kit Walker.
Climactic Buildup & Comedic Undertones
00:37:13
Chris Prime
International man of mystery.
00:37:15
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
00:37:15
Chris Prime
He's not that. Kit Walker shows up. People are like, who are you? He looks like generic everyday man.
00:37:22
Zach Sheets
is
00:37:24
Zach Sheets
who used to, he used to date Diana, and but then, yeah, like, just disappeared.
00:37:30
Chris Prime
So he blew that shot.
00:37:34
Zach Sheets
And then then they find out that, like, the second skull is just, like, sitting in, like, the Museum of World History. It's not when you open. So then they up end up there, and then, like, Drax and his guys end up there. And that's the scene where we're talking about, like, Drax gets the second the two skulls and puts them together, and then, like, it burns the location of the third skull into the conveniently placed map that's on the wall of the museum.
00:37:56
Chris Prime
Which, again, i don't understand how the skull power works. Because sometimes, like, put them together and they smoke. Put them together, they make a float, and then they they also, like, point at maps, like, nearby maps.
00:38:13
Chris Prime
And then, Yeah, like, scene transitions are weird. Like, did you notice this? This movie has a whole bunch of, like... Uh...
00:38:25
Chris Prime
Like, just scenes and end, and then they just show up in the next place, and then... Like... When they they do, like, okay, well, we know where the map is, and they just walk out.
00:38:37
Zach Sheets
Yep.
00:38:40
Chris Prime
There's no, like, this the unless the museum is in on it, too. Like, is that how powerful Drax is? he He actually runs the museum? Yeah.
00:38:49
Zach Sheets
Well, Drax is like a Bruce Wayne. He's like an evil Bruce Wayne. He has all the influence, all the money.
00:38:54
Chris Prime
if anything, everyone in New York loves Drax because it's like, oh, he's like this man of mystery, rich philanthropy man.
00:38:56
Zach Sheets
Hmm.
00:39:01
Chris Prime
And then, you know, here comes this like jungle man who people forgot about. And then he's just like, anyway, he's got my skulls.
00:39:06
Zach Sheets
Hmm.
00:39:12
Zach Sheets
Yeah, there's like there's this mask there's like strange masked man with like two guns running around new York City like like trying to kill
00:39:20
Chris Prime
Because they they make it a big deal later where it's like, alright, Drax, the police is corrupt, they want to give him like an escort, and it doesn't really pay off? It's not like the Phantom fights the cops?
00:39:31
Zach Sheets
He just...
00:39:31
Chris Prime
I mean, they kind of yell at him, but that's it.
00:39:34
Chris Prime
That's the best they do................
00:39:34
Zach Sheets
yeah Yeah. runs into like Central Park Zoo and then... hides in the tiger cage because he befriends the tiger. The Phantom's power or he just has this innate kinship with animals.
00:39:52
Zach Sheets
It's like barely used except for like his dog and his horse.
00:39:56
Chris Prime
But I guess it works on, like, any large deadly predator slash workhorse.
00:40:03
Zach Sheets
Yeah, I think in like in like the comic strip and like some of the other stories, like he's got... like Along with like Devil and Hero... Devil a Dog and Hero the Horse, he's got like dolphins and he's got like a bunch of other animals that are like like his Yeah, he's like... allies
00:40:20
Chris Prime
It's so funny to think that like he always needs to be someplace that like animals can like have a pen.
00:40:27
Zach Sheets
yeah he's he's like if he's not in the jungle, like he's at a very like big disadvantage. like He still has like his guns, but he doesn't have any so other sort of like yeah like animal friends or like knows the terrain that he can use against everyone.
00:40:42
Zach Sheets
did think it was pretty cool when he's in the he's like trying to escape from the building and he uses like his guns as like brakes on the elevator chip like cable and like slides down it.
00:40:52
Chris Prime
Yeah, that that's like a big like stunt. There are things about this movie that they actually did like throw stunt actors in, which I think is like one of the...
00:41:01
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
00:41:04
Chris Prime
like I don't know how well this movie holds up compared to modern superhero movies that aren't Marvel or DC movies, but they tried to do like like classic cool-looking things.
00:41:16
Chris Prime
like heroics you know like cool looking things
00:41:20
Zach Sheets
yeah There's like that but' they're big, like when they jump off the plane onto hero.
00:41:26
Chris Prime
i would say like you're reminding me basically of the of what they're trying to do of the old serials where they actually did throw like stunt guys out windows like and then like hey hey like let's do like a cowboy trick yeah like the new york scene is fine but like they really want to get back to the jungle like
00:41:45
Zach Sheets
yes like we we have to get back to like an island we need to get a tropical island
00:41:47
Chris Prime
Yeah, like, they really want to stress that he can't do well in the city because he stands out like a sore thumb. And then they just, they wrote themselves in a corner by having the MacGuffin already leave the the state, I guess.
Final Battle & Plot Resolution
00:42:02
Chris Prime
It's like, all right, Drax is going to go head towards.
00:42:07
Zach Sheets
this uncharted island in the devil's vortex
00:42:09
Chris Prime
Yeah, yeah. And then he already has the girl. And then Salah sort of just like, oh, we should be friends.
00:42:18
Zach Sheets
well that is like yeah like catherine jones has like this like the like quickest kind of like character turn it's all it feels like it's all just because because like christy swanson's like don't you care about anything and she's like Hey, I don't.
00:42:31
Zach Sheets
I should, maybe.
00:42:33
Chris Prime
Yeah, it's a weird change of heart. It's not like one of the pilots gets killed by Drax or, you know, she's going to get bartered for the pirate king.
00:42:44
Chris Prime
And then he's like, oh, I'll take her, too. It's like, I will give you the skull, but you got to give me like Sala or something.
00:42:52
Zach Sheets
It's it's like it's it's just Chris Watson's saying, like, man, you're so mean. Why don't you care about people or care about something? And she's like, you know what? You're right.
00:43:02
Chris Prime
I mean, it really, it's bizarre because like at this point they had all the chips like they they were winning.
00:43:07
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
00:43:09
Zach Sheets
She's like, oh, I'm going to change my allegiance now to like the losing side.
00:43:15
Chris Prime
Just because like they asked me if I cared.
00:43:18
Chris Prime
Like no one in her crew, and her pirate crew, like ever asked that question.
00:43:22
Zach Sheets
Yeah, they' they're never seen again. she's that you like i don't know what the rest of her restaurant crew are doing, but they're they're not involved in anything else beyond that first like sky hijacking.
00:43:32
Chris Prime
Do you think they're still sky hijacking people?
00:43:35
Zach Sheets
Maybe.
00:43:36
Chris Prime
Or just boarding planes and shooting doors and then hopefully like not everyone gets sucked out the airplane?
00:43:41
Zach Sheets
that's That's such a funny, like, like it's like like a like like a bunch of stuff that uses that as like a 1930s Like, oh yeah, 1930s, everyone's like flying around in seaplanes and hijacking people.
00:43:54
Chris Prime
Well, I mean, they they they weren't flying in a higher altitude.
00:43:55
Zach Sheets
Like, tailspin, like,
00:43:59
Chris Prime
I think, like, their planes couldn't handle that. And then they weren't going in crazy jet engines because they're just going on, like, propeller. So you can only go, like, 40 miles.
00:44:10
Zach Sheets
Yeah. But like every plane in this movie is a seaplane. There's like no normal planes.
00:44:17
Chris Prime
Well, again, because everyone wants to go back to the goddamn island.
00:44:19
Zach Sheets
yeah I guess so. And I do love the fact that Kit has to hang on the like the skid for the entire flight.
00:44:28
Chris Prime
Yeah, how's he not cold? I get it. It's not like jet fast, but he's still high in the air and it's like freezing up there.
00:44:36
Zach Sheets
I guess...
00:44:36
Chris Prime
Planes have like frost problems still.
00:44:38
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm. His costume, I guess, keeps him warm.
00:44:42
Chris Prime
His magic ring.
00:44:44
Zach Sheets
His magic ring.
00:44:45
Chris Prime
The magic MacGuffin everything.
00:44:49
Zach Sheets
But yeah. but so So they get to... Yeah, the Yunchard Island that is home of the Sang Brotherhood, which you've mentioned. is like They go in there and it's this crazy set of every kind of like mismatched pirate thing you could think of. like It's like sails and pirate flags and there's like a like as bunch of guys that are dressed like in like a bunch of different pirate crews like just thrown together whatever.
00:45:13
Chris Prime
yeah There's no theme in their pirate crew. like It's like Spanish pirates. There's like Caribbean pirates. What is in this group? There's an Asian pirate.
00:45:21
Zach Sheets
He's like a Russian pirate, I think, with like like like a fur hat, I think.
00:45:26
Chris Prime
And the the place, if you again, for people who haven't seen this movie, weird, but like definitely have to go see the set. It looks like someone took like like one of those like theme restaurants and then put like a boat in it.
00:45:43
Zach Sheets
Yes. Mm-hmm.
00:45:44
Chris Prime
And then the boat itself is like half a pirate ship that I think is sinking? Like it's at an angle.
00:45:52
Zach Sheets
And there's and there's like a very small moat around everything that like sharks swim in. But there's like a tiny, tiny bridge that you you walk across, like go over this like tiny moat that goes in circles around everything.
00:46:04
Chris Prime
Yeah, why does the tiny moat only have like just enough sharks to like...
00:46:09
Zach Sheets
It's like two sharks.
00:46:10
Chris Prime
Two sharks, right? It's just like... Do they throw people in that tiny emote on purpose? Is that just like for decoration? Is Is that to help with the feng shui?
00:46:19
Zach Sheets
I mean...
00:46:20
Chris Prime
and
00:46:21
Zach Sheets
I mean, it if it feels like like you what you see in like a restaurant if you walked inside a building where you like walk in and it's like, hey, here's like our here's our moats, are our island moats.
00:46:32
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
00:46:32
Chris Prime
I mean, that thing would be like behind so much glass, you know, like no one could just easily fall in.
00:46:38
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm.
00:46:40
Zach Sheets
But yeah, the the the head pirate, the Kabai-sang, played by the late great Kari Hiroyuki Tagawa, just looking awesome.
00:46:50
Zach Sheets
Like looking in like like full shinsung mode.
00:46:54
Chris Prime
post-Shang San mode, I think.
00:46:55
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
00:46:56
Chris Prime
And what's even more crazy is that like he's wasted on the third act. He should be in this movie more.
00:47:03
Zach Sheets
Yes.
00:47:04
Chris Prime
Like, this movie is told out of order. This should have been the second act where Drax is, like, consulting the pirates for things, and then, like, they are hanging out their lair, like, telling
Narrative Flaws & Power Dynamics
00:47:16
Chris Prime
Drax to do things, or, like, kind of bartering with them.
00:47:20
Chris Prime
And then... You know, the Phantom gets Christy Swanson and then explains his origin to her.
00:47:30
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
00:47:31
Chris Prime
And then it's like, oh, I got to prepare. Like, you know, I've been fighting. My family has been fighting the Shang Brotherhood. And like, um'm you know, sometimes that like I've lost family members to him in the past. Like their army is no one to be like tussle with.
00:47:46
Chris Prime
Like they're they're his sworn thing.
00:47:49
Zach Sheets
Yes. Mm-hmm.
00:47:50
Chris Prime
like The whole purpose of Phantom was to fight the Brotherhood.
00:47:53
Zach Sheets
yes
00:47:55
Chris Prime
And Kit just kicks their ass.
00:47:57
Zach Sheets
yu
00:47:58
Chris Prime
Lips them out completely.
00:48:00
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
00:48:01
Chris Prime
and and really like They're like a comical pirate only. like They still keep with the lore of being a pirate. we're like like they can modernize They can still be pirates but with guns.
00:48:14
Zach Sheets
Yeah, they're they're using so they're only they're using swords, and then they have like like an actual like ship cannon. Which... they shoot When they shoot the mobster guy, is that's like insane.
00:48:28
Zach Sheets
Instead of blowing up, he flies across the like the entire room and like ends up in like the the moats.
00:48:32
Chris Prime
Oh yeah, in real life, that man would have been just like a cloud of dust.
00:48:36
Zach Sheets
Exploded, yeah.
00:48:36
Chris Prime
Yeah, that would have just been like a shadow and there would have been pink mists everywhere and chunks.
00:48:36
Zach Sheets
it
00:48:44
Chris Prime
But I get it, it's PG. But see, that just tells me this is like a stunt show where like that guy is rigged up to fly in the air.
00:48:53
Zach Sheets
Well, the tone is, like, you mentioned this PGD. Like, the tone is weird because, i it's like, it's like burning guy's eyes gouged out. And then a guy gets thrown into, like, Kari Hiroi Yoko Tagawa gets thrown into the moat and eaten by sharks. And there's, like, a ton of blood that comes out of the water.
00:49:08
Zach Sheets
But then, like, other times, like, people are just getting knocked out or, like, comically, like, you know, defeated. it's just like, what is the tone in this movie? Yeah.
00:49:17
Chris Prime
Yeah, you're right. It does change, like, it does change, like, up and down. You know, where, like, the, it's it's more comedical, and then out of nowhere, like, violence.
00:49:31
Zach Sheets
Yeah, sometimes the Phantom will shoot guys and he does justice shots on them and shoots their guns out of their hands. A lot of times it's just shooting them and killing them.
00:49:42
Zach Sheets
So it's like, alright, how does he decide like who like dies and who doesn't?
00:49:48
Chris Prime
I don't Ghost Dad? There's like a scene where Ghost Dad is pointing at everyone. Like, that guy. That guy.
00:49:55
Zach Sheets
Yeah, because that yeah cause that like that is like the Phantom's main power. is like I have guns. I have two guns.
00:50:00
Chris Prime
I shoot really quick.
00:50:03
Zach Sheets
He's almost doing like a Robocop style where he's not even looking. He's just like she's just like shooting in different directions.
00:50:09
Chris Prime
Yeah, he like aims from the hip, but he's dead on accurate.
00:50:12
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
00:50:14
Zach Sheets
And he does some swashbuckling. He gets a sword. He fights like Kariyukutawa. They have a big sword fight.
00:50:22
Zach Sheets
But then but then the the the the big thing is that Drax gets the third skull. So now they're all combined. And the big reveal of like the ultimate weapon, which they've been building up, you're kind of like are like, is it like an atomic like bomb level? like What is this weapon that like will let control the world? It's like turns's it's a laser. It's like a green a green laser that shoots out.
00:50:45
Zach Sheets
and it kills, like, Quill, like, James Reymar Quill gets, like, hit with it and, like, turns to like, dust. And then, like, Drex is like, I'm gonna rule the world with this!
00:50:57
Zach Sheets
Look at this power I have!
00:50:57
Chris Prime
Like, it's cool that he has a laser, but I don't know if, like, it's more pal more things are going to happen after the laser. Like, the laser could just be, like, the one thing.
00:51:09
Zach Sheets
i mean, if you if you're up against, like, an army, i don't think i don't think, like, a laser's gonna be enough to, like, stop an army.
00:51:15
Chris Prime
you're still pretty vulnerable for, like, everything. Like, you have to hold it, and then you have to, like, point at You know, it's not like an all area thing. It's not like instantly everyone in the certain radius turns to dust.
00:51:28
Zach Sheets
And it seems like it's like very hard to control because it's like fighting him.
00:51:32
Chris Prime
It's like shaking and pushing back.
00:51:33
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
00:51:36
Chris Prime
Like, I get it as a like artillery or like, OK, it's cool to like last minute laser blast someone. But. Yeah, this is not going to make you conquer like the world.
00:51:49
Chris Prime
Or maybe like it's a source of power later. They're going harness the skull laser to power up ships and stuff.
00:51:56
Zach Sheets
Maybe, yeah. Maybe he'll, like... It'll will help, like... It'll help, like, develop some sort of technology that will, like, let him take over. Like, it's like, we're gonna make laser guns out of, like... the like We'll figure out how this laser works and make laser guns.
00:52:09
Chris Prime
Yeah, see, that makes sense. it's like Drac Industries. like I want to study the skulls, harness their powers, and like weaponize it. But I get it. like you just He just wanted the skulls. And that was like, even the mobster was like, you don't even have the skulls and you've got this crazy plan.
00:52:25
Chris Prime
But like, Drax was right. He somehow got all the skulls. That
00:52:29
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
00:52:31
Zach Sheets
He just didn't realize that the there was the secret force skull, which is the Phantom Skull Ring. And then they have a classic like power beam battle where you have to use your will and like your strength to push your beam into the other guy's beam.
00:52:49
Chris Prime
Yep, very classic. Even though, like, it doesn't really represent, like, anything to the viewer, because just two guys just, like, grunting at each other.
00:52:58
Zach Sheets
It's like, I'm going to push my beam harder than your beam.
00:53:02
Chris Prime
So, is it that the the fourth ring, even though it's the smallest, controls the three other rings? Is this, like, a Lord of the Rings analogy?
00:53:12
Chris Prime
Like, the one ring to rule them all, the one skull ring?
00:53:17
Zach Sheets
Yeah, I don't i don't know if if the Phantom had destroyed the rings, if he could have, like, yeah if he could, like, take in full control over the skulls or something, and, like, that unlocks, like, the full power if he, like, uses, like, if he, like, punches them with his skull ring or, like, inserts his skull ring into them or something? I don't know.
00:53:32
Chris Prime
I mean, he could have had a new weapon where he just bashes people with the skull rock.
00:53:38
Chris Prime
Or he just lasers them.
00:53:40
Zach Sheets
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
00:53:41
Chris Prime
Oh, cool. my Does his ring also laser other people? Or is it only against
Conclusion & Legacy of The Phantom
00:53:45
Chris Prime
another ring? Like another skull?
00:53:48
Zach Sheets
Yeah, is that is that like permanently unlocked now where you can just like blast people with a laser?
00:53:52
Chris Prime
I mean, that's pretty powerful. and I mean, it's slow because you have to like point at it with your whole arm. And then you've got to grunt to like really unlock the power.
00:54:01
Zach Sheets
Well, I guess, I mean, yeah if he's not like fighting another like beam, I guess it would probably be but better. It would probably be like a lot faster. Yeah.
00:54:07
Chris Prime
We'll never know.
00:54:08
Zach Sheets
Yeah,
00:54:09
Chris Prime
also it doesn't seem like Kit knew what was going on either. Because
00:54:11
Zach Sheets
yeah he's like, oh shit, laser. Yeah.
00:54:15
Chris Prime
he does his reveal, which is like, I know the other ring. Like, I know about the other skull. It's like, do you? It's like, yeah, I don't understand it, but... Like, your dad never told you about the death laser beam on your finger?
00:54:27
Chris Prime
your dad know that you're a laser beam?
00:54:29
Zach Sheets
I'm agree with Patrick McGowan showed up in that scene and was like, oh shit, I forgot to tell you, yeah, you're you're your ring's a laser.
00:54:35
Chris Prime
See what I mean? That's a comedy. That's a late minute. Oh, by the way, like, son, even though i you have the mantle of the Phantom, I never told you, like, the super duper, like, ultra power that could have gotten you out of so many situations.
00:54:50
Chris Prime
Like, if you see this whole movie, and you saw this, like, a lot of the the situations he ended up in, he could have just lasered the airplane. He could have just lasered his way out of a lot of... He could have lasered James Raynard right in the beginning.
00:55:07
Chris Prime
Oh, you killed my dad? Laser. Oh, is there a truck problem? Laser.
00:55:10
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm. I'm chasing these cars in New York City. Laser the wheel off or laser.
00:55:15
Chris Prime
Laser the wheel.
00:55:16
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm.
00:55:16
Chris Prime
Yeah. Instead of hopping around and jumping in horses, laser.
00:55:22
Chris Prime
Oh, you want to do what I say? Laser.
00:55:25
Zach Sheets
Talk about Slammy Evil.
00:55:27
Chris Prime
Laser evil.
00:55:29
Chris Prime
So yeah, again, this movie suffers from like late addition powers. I get like, he maybe he said like, oh, like I'm not supposed to show like use this, it goes against my code, which we don't get his code at all.
00:55:40
Chris Prime
If he was just like, I only get to like, you know, the three skulls only come together and they give you this, like with a fourth one, I get this, like
00:55:51
Chris Prime
And it's like, maybe that's why... Did that African tribe or the Bengali tribe make the phantom that, like, as a joke? It's like, they didn't... Like, okay, you'll never get, like, all pieces. Because Because they didn't... Like, his family didn't find the ring, you know? Like, the the tribe did.
00:56:09
Zach Sheets
Yeah, the the tribe gave it to like the original like little kid that like washed up on shore. Like, hey, here's here you go. Here's our most powerful artifact, like the skull ring.
00:56:18
Chris Prime
What?
00:56:19
Zach Sheets
You're going to be phantom that protects this land. like the phantom that protects like this land
00:56:24
Chris Prime
See, maybe maybe there's a part in the origin... See, this is weird. They should have done this, where the first kid earned it by like fighting everyone and then just sort of like getting the mantle of the Phantom. like There might have been another Phantom or a precursor, and then he earned like the ring, and he's like, well, I'm no longer you know this person. I'm the Phantom now.
00:56:49
Chris Prime
Kind of like the Batman... like, begins thing where, like, he went to, like, a ninja assassin in school.
00:56:54
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
00:56:55
Chris Prime
So...
00:56:55
Zach Sheets
Yeah. Yeah. they They really don't explain how like the original fandom became the fandom. was like, and he became the Phantom.
00:57:04
Chris Prime
I mean, they don't, but then right after this laser battle, they do again.
00:57:09
Zach Sheets
Yeah. Yeah.
00:57:09
Chris Prime
they They really do, like, another... Anyway, here's the origin story for a second time what before we we end this movie.
00:57:16
Zach Sheets
Yeah, so which which yeah after after they blow up the entire island, because the the skulls blow up, they the Phantom wins like the the beam off and then blows up Drax. That causes the entire island to blow up.
00:57:32
Zach Sheets
But luckily, the Sang Brotherhood has as a... Their one like modern world thing is they have a submarine.
00:57:42
Zach Sheets
So so like it's like Diana and Sala and Kit are able to escape in the submarine.
00:57:49
Zach Sheets
And I think, i don't know if I misheard, but I think, was was Kit's original plan was he was going shoot them out on torpedoes?
00:57:56
Chris Prime
Well, he was going to use the periscope to guide the ship out.
00:58:03
Zach Sheets
Yeah, because I feel like they they talk about like, oh, look, it's got torpedoes. And like and like it's like, oh, I'll guide you. like look Hang on to the torpedoes and I'll guide you and so you don't hit anything. Because Because like Catherine Zeta-Jones is like, they're live warheads.
00:58:19
Chris Prime
You know, I might have missed that part. it was It was weird that like the ship had different exit chambers and he had to pick the right one that wasn't blocking anything.
00:58:21
Zach Sheets
Yeah. i
00:58:29
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm.
00:58:30
Chris Prime
Because that was like the big MacGuffin of like why he had to stay behind and and use the built-in periscope to shoot not a torpedo, but like a submarine?
00:58:42
Zach Sheets
cause cause the Because cause they were shooting torpedoes out.
00:58:42
Chris Prime
Or no, wait, wait.
00:58:44
Chris Prime
So was the whole that part of the building... like, the torpedo chamber. And so they swapped out the torpedo for the submarine and then used it like a torpedo chamber to shoot a submarine out.
00:58:59
Zach Sheets
The same brother who was like, that that's why like it's the devil's like double's vortex. That's why like ships are disappearing. It's because they're seeking them with torpedoes.
00:59:06
Chris Prime
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
00:59:07
Zach Sheets
So, yeah, i've it to watch it I did have to watch it like that made that particular scene again, but i feel like Kit's original plan is like, hey, hang on, ladies, hang on to these torpedoes, I'll shoot you out, and then I'll make sure you don't hit anything.
00:59:21
Zach Sheets
And then that's how you hook
00:59:23
Chris Prime
But then the lady just got into a submarine and left.
00:59:25
Zach Sheets
it out. But then it's yeah it's it's a submarine, you just get a submarine and leave.
00:59:29
Chris Prime
My idea was he originally was like, oh, like I'll figure out how to like get you out of here. Instead of shooting a torpedo, i'll shoot you i'll let's push out the submarine.
00:59:39
Zach Sheets
I
00:59:39
Chris Prime
And they reloaded the submarine in the chamber and then picked the right exit tube to line out. And then that's why he had to use the periscope to align the the guns?
00:59:51
Chris Prime
Like, that would would have been a normal gun, but instead, it's also a submarine launcher?
00:59:57
Zach Sheets
guess, yeah.
00:59:58
Chris Prime
I guess. See, like, it's at this point, you're like, whatever. Like, again, really falls apart by the third act.
01:00:06
Zach Sheets
They get out. And he has in he has like he has to drag behind like drag behind another vehicle. like He doesn't get in the submarine. He's dragged behind out chain. Yeah.
01:00:13
Chris Prime
Well, that was like he wanted to get into the tub in time as it's leaving, but he had to do a fight first.
01:00:20
Zach Sheets
And yeah, they get so they give it yeah they back to Bengala and then Dana's like, oh, hey, by the way, I know your kit. I figured it Yeah.
01:00:28
Chris Prime
Time to get lasered. If you don't marry me, you get lasered.
01:00:34
Zach Sheets
And then Patrick Magoon is like, his ghost is like, get get some of that kit.
Podcast Wrap-up & Next Week's Preview
01:00:41
Chris Prime
you We more phantoms.
01:00:42
Zach Sheets
You're like it slipping to your fingers? Go!
01:00:46
Chris Prime
This whole movie has been me trying to convince you to have another phantom.
01:00:52
Zach Sheets
and then like the weird like voiceover from Patrick Magoon the end the where he's like, Well, you know, one day she did decide to come back. So that's that's good, right?
01:01:02
Chris Prime
In a sequel you will never see.
01:01:05
Chris Prime
though I feel like the time is appropriate it is sequel and it's just like old billy's older Billy Zane and it's like you know grandson of Kit
01:01:15
Zach Sheets
Make Phantom 2040 movie. Bring that cartoon back.
01:01:20
Chris Prime
and it's the ghost of Billy Zane you know like what rules there no no idea
01:01:27
Zach Sheets
Well, I guess Billy and Zane signed up for two sequels, but then because this one did so bad that they just canceled the sequels.
01:01:34
Chris Prime
I mean, he probably got all that money, which is like, thank you. and then I don't need to make more? Okay.
01:01:42
Zach Sheets
I'm this movie called Titanic.
01:01:46
Chris Prime
And I don't need to wear a giant, like, purple suit.
01:01:51
Zach Sheets
I guess like Jim Henson Studios designed the suit, too. That was like a weird fact.
01:01:55
Chris Prime
it's It's not a bad suit. Like, it looks like more of an athletic wear now.
01:02:01
Zach Sheets
hu
01:02:02
Zach Sheets
like Very wetsuit-like, kind Yeah,
01:02:02
Chris Prime
But...
01:02:04
Chris Prime
Yeah, yeah. And, like, if you stare at it, you see more subtle details about it.
01:02:08
Zach Sheets
yeah lot there's like this like yeah like a pattern in
01:02:12
Chris Prime
So I don't mind the suit. And it's, like... You know, it's comic accurate.
01:02:18
Zach Sheets
Which, yeah, which, I mean, you know, you go to, like, the the earlier, like, Marvel movies, like, X-Men and stuff, where, they like, we're not doing comic-accurate stuff. They're all in black leather.
01:02:30
Zach Sheets
Like, it is, it's, yeah, is like, fun to see, like, a, like, super comic-accurate, like, superhero suit in the 90s.
01:02:37
Chris Prime
Mm hmm. Again, like it's not a terrible movie. It this they tried. i actually like that they went for like a very pulpy attitude and that they have like they they got like the tone right for what it is like. They didn't try to introduce more zany things. It's just that they did things out of order and it's just some rough editing.
01:03:01
Chris Prime
Otherwise, i like I love the villains. you know Trent tre Williams is awesome.
01:03:05
Zach Sheets
True, yep.
01:03:06
Chris Prime
Kari Hiro Togawa is like amazing.
01:03:10
Zach Sheets
Okay.
01:03:11
Chris Prime
i just wish there was more of the pirate community in it. Because for an anti-pirate person like that the Phantom is, like he doesn't fight pirates until the third act.
01:03:24
Zach Sheets
yeah which is Yeah, his entire reason like, you are youre we we saved the original fandom so that he could fight pirates for us.
01:03:32
Chris Prime
As like a backup in case they ever come back. And he's like protector of Bengali.
01:03:37
Zach Sheets
Yeah, I feel like all these like you all the all the pulp 90s movies are all pretty fun in their own ways.
01:03:46
Chris Prime
Yeah, I mean... the the For me, it's always been the shadow, just because he's more closer to what I want out of my like vigilante hero. Where the Phantom is not really a vigilante. He just shows up. and like For the most part, it's like everyone loves him. like His whole community loves him. He's friends to everybody except for like humans.
01:04:08
Chris Prime
Or or like civilized Western people. And then, yeah, there's a lot of... like I don't know. like When he goes to New York, that's like the lull of this movie.
01:04:21
Zach Sheets
But there's there's also you know the Rocketeers in that category. You got Mask of Zorro. probably like the the Brendan Fraser Mummy too.
01:04:32
Chris Prime
I kind of think that's more of universal monster thing than a pulpy hero.
01:04:37
Zach Sheets
I mean, that the Mummy is like is also like like super heavily influenced by Indiana Jones.
01:04:43
Chris Prime
True. True.
01:04:45
Zach Sheets
yeah think I think we need to another like another like run of movies.
01:04:54
Chris Prime
He'll come back.
01:04:56
Zach Sheets
i feel like is it is is there a new there's like a new flash gordon thing right or maybe
01:05:01
Chris Prime
There's a comic.
01:05:02
Zach Sheets
yeah i feel like i I feel like we need like a Defenders of the Earth movie or something. get all Get all three of those guys, and like the Phantom, Flash Gordon, the Magic Magician in there.
01:05:14
Chris Prime
Well, they're still doing comic series. It's not like... You know, they went away. They just come back every few years and then just like, this is cool, right? And then comic fans like me like read it, appreciate it.
01:05:26
Chris Prime
And it's not like deep lore to get into it because they know there's like limitations of error-specific.
01:05:35
Zach Sheets
I feel like, particularly with the Phantom, there's always some sort of... There's always something kind lingering out. There's some Phantom thing happening in the background of pop culture. There's that game that just came out a little bit ago, the beat-em-up.
01:05:51
Zach Sheets
And like you said, the comics have been going on.
01:05:56
Zach Sheets
And then you had 2040 around time of this movie
01:06:02
Chris Prime
you I never ever gave like the TV show a chance. Or...
01:06:06
Zach Sheets
I guess there was like a sci-fi, like a sci-fi, like 2009 or something, there was like a series.
01:06:13
Chris Prime
Original series?
01:06:14
Zach Sheets
Yeah. So you guys want a fandom show on sci-fi? No? Okay.
01:06:17
Chris Prime
Yep. I mean, it only had like two episodes, so...
01:06:21
Zach Sheets
yeah
01:06:24
Chris Prime
Basically just like a pilot movie that did exactly what it was.
01:06:27
Zach Sheets
guys you guys wanna to you guys want us like phantom show on sci-fi no okay
01:06:34
Chris Prime
Yeah, they like they did it exactly as like, hey, let's try it out. Okay, we made like no splash. Alright. Under the radar, no one loved it. No one hated it. It didn't and it doesn't really end up on any like top worst list
01:06:51
Zach Sheets
Yeah, think i I think the game was probably the most recent, like, Phantom thing.
01:06:56
Chris Prime
Can't say if it was good or bad because it's like no one talks about it.
01:07:01
Zach Sheets
played the demo. It was alright.
01:07:04
Zach Sheets
You know, it was no Shredder's Revenge, but...
01:07:07
Chris Prime
you just play as like the Phantom only?
01:07:09
Zach Sheets
Yeah, and you play this Phantom... Was there other characters? I think there might have been other characters, possibly. But you call you can call them, if you build up like enough like like but but like a power bar, or I think it's like maybe like a but like a special item, you can call them Devil, and they'll run in and grab a guy's arm and punch that guy
01:07:28
Zach Sheets
And you can use like guns along with like your fists. Obviously, because the whole thing is just shooting people.
01:07:36
Chris Prime
It's weird that like there's just no Wikipedia entry for it. like it It acknowledges that it happened, but no one wrote anything about it.
01:07:45
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
01:07:47
Zach Sheets
But yeah, so that's the Phantom. you can watch And you can check it out now on 4K if you want to see it in the highest quality it's ever been in.
01:07:55
Zach Sheets
And come back next week, we're we're staying in kind of like the period 1930s era, because we're talking about The Quest, the Jean-Claude Van Damme movie, directed by and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme.
01:08:09
Zach Sheets
his His directorial debut. He's like, what am i going to make for my first movie?
01:08:11
Chris Prime
He just made Kickboxer again.
01:08:16
Zach Sheets
Like the third, like my fourth, like tournament fighter movie.
01:08:21
Zach Sheets
So, yeah, this summer gets 30th anniversary next week, so we'll dive into all all the fighting of of the quests.
01:08:30
Zach Sheets
And so, yeah, head over to the site. We all were doing stuff there. We got news, reviews, trailers. Tons of trailers. it was It's CinemaCon this week in Las Vegas. All the theater chain owners are in Las Vegas getting pitched all the new movies. And then some of them are leaking out or getting released to the public. So there's but there's a ton of new trailers for stuff like like The Mandalorian Grogu and... I think there was then on new Street Fighter trailer. like ton Tons of trailers to check out on the site if you want to head over and see those.
01:09:02
Chris Prime
Thank you.
01:09:03
Zach Sheets
And all of our usual like yeah news reviews. Also our PAX East comic report is up. You can check out what we saw at PAX East recently. All the games, all the like all the panels, all the whatever else happened at PAX.
01:09:18
Zach Sheets
That's up now.
01:09:22
Zach Sheets
And yeah, so for Chris, I am Zach, and we will see you next week.