This watered-down "Indiana Jones" is based on the comic- strip your grandfather read in the local paper until the day he died. It's about a string of fathers and sons who each, in his turn, takes over the reigns of the company business which, in this case, is being a super-hero in a far of jungle somewhere. Along with the job comes a pretty ridiculous purple suit, the ability to relate to animals, and the love and admiration of the jungle folk (who are all probably pretty tired of guys in fedoras coming to steal all the gold they've let lie in caves for years).

But this cinematic incarnation of the comic-strip has a major problem: It doesn't really want to make fun of itself and yet, it doesn't want to take itself to seriously either. It's as if the producers and writers wanted to be campy but the creator of the strip, Lee Falk (or his estate?) and the "King Features Syndicate" slapped them down at every turn. We know the producers planned on being campy with the piece because they hired a goofy actor to play the lead, Billy Zane. And while Zane does get to mug for the camera at many turns, it's not enough. The film wanders along the straight- and-narrow line throughout only wavering at times to be smug and silly. It's not enough to make us enjoy the film. Zane seems to be having the time of his life, but, in all honesty, I'd rather watch Michael Keaton brood as "Batman."

The film has Treat Williams as a bad guy who has loads of anti-Indiana Jones types in the jungle hunting down 3 skull for him, one made of jade, one of silver and the other gold. Together the 3 skulls create a magnificent force that enables one to "rule the world" or some such nonsense. Williams also seems to love his role as the villain but he isn't in the film enough. He doesn't get to do enough. The film is rated PG so Williams has to find his kicks in throwing spears at his cohorts while stroking his pencil-thin moustache.

Also along for the ride is Elisabeth Shue's seemingly younger sister Kristy Swanson ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") as Zane's love interest and a sort-of (you guessed it) female Indiana Jones type. She spends a lot of the film taking care of herself only to have Zane step in and save her when she falters. So much for equal rights.

The point is this, none of the actors have the capacity to make the film a campy classic. Zane tries but we think he is being his usual self. Williams tries and is successful, but he's the villain, he's allowed. Swanson in so hemmed in by her femme-fatal role-playing that she's helpless. Of the other actors in the film, Patrick McGoohan and Casey Siemaszko don't really get to add anything. Samantha Eggar has a small role which she gets lost in. Only the female villain (Catherine Zeta Jones), who eventually gets pulled over to Zane (and Swanson's) side has any luck at being off- beat; But again, she's a villain. She's allowed.

The special effects in the film often leave a lot to be desired. Zane and Swanson pull off the old dropping-from-an- airplane-onto-a-galloping-horse trick in an editor's nightmare that barely works before the plane hits a mountain and explodes in an obvious superimposed effect. The film also begins with a sequence straight out of Henri Clouzot's classic "The Wages of Fear" sans explosives and with a child in danger instead. Yuck. At least we immediately know the film is going to be bad.

"The Phantom" really has little reason to exist. It's not fantastical enough for "adventurer" film fans and not campy enough for those of us who might enjoy that kind of humor. It just lays there. Worse yet, it has an ending where the visual is obliterated by the voice-over narration. In the end, Swanson rides off into the sunset alone leaving Zane in the jungle. But Zane needs a bride to produce the next "Phantom" (and for the next sequel). Zane's man-servant, who has obvious lust for his hero, won't do. How does director Simon Wincer ("Free Willy") navigate his way out of this one? Simple. He has the announcer tell us that Swanson comes back. "Ignore that image of Swanson riding off alone into the sunset," the voice seems to boom at us. "She'll be back. Really, she will. Trust me." Note:

Script by Jeffrey Boam ("The Lost Boys," "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade"). Music by David Newman. Joe Dante is one of the Executive Producers and Alan Ladd Jr. is one of the Producers.

Jim Henson's Workshop did some effects for the film.

Filmed in Thailand, Australia and L.A.

Falk created the strip in 1936, two years before "Superman" appeared and three years before "Batman" appeared on the scene. "The Phantom" still appears in more than 500 newspapers daily. He is the subject of a best-selling comic book in Australia and has his own theme park ("Phantomland") in Sweden.

Review written in 1996

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