Redwarmin This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Moustroll Good movie but grossly overrated

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Tobias Burrows It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

thesar-2 Half of me feels bad I barely paid attention to this second viewing after a two decade gap from my first time seeing it. The other half recognizes it was the movie's fault for not keeping my attention.YES, The Shadow debuted before Batman, but this film adaptation was an incredible rip-off of the Caped Crusader. Probably because of 1989 when the original Tim Burton comic book movie was launched, everyone wanted to capitalize on its success. Only, this took it a little too far. Even the setting was close to the same. The Shadow was set in the 1930s, which was when it initially debuted and though Burton's Batman was set in modern day, it did look 100% like the 1930s. I guess I could also say this was thoroughly like 1990's Dick Tracy (another comic-book to feed off the Dark Knight's Box Office) but it's been 16 years since I've seen that movie and the same year, 1990's Darkman. I have recently rewatched that one, and yeah, this also mimicked that movie. But, beyond the similarities, the movie and cast were just not interesting. Poor Alec Baldwin. I've always liked him. Despite all the background with his wives and real-life controversies, I've always liked him in his roles. Even here, he's trying. Real hard. But, maybe he didn't get it. 'It' being the character.Basically, a ruler with a black heart is turned around, trained and now fights crime in…the…Shadows…of NYC…eight decades ago. That's what I can remember. There has to be a bad guy…oh, some Genghis Khan descendant that The Shadow James Bonds with. Again, I was only half-paying attention. I saw this movie when it debuted in 1994 and didn't care for it much back then. Once the movie lost my undivided attention 15-20 minutes in this time around, I did other things while The Shadow mostly investigated and missed a bunch of stuff that went on around him (like someone falling to their death literally RIGHT BEHIND HIM.) The sets were actually pretty good – they did try as did the cast, but the overall movie was so bland, forgettable and probably only for die-hard The Shadow fans. And speaking of which, even in 1994, how many were still alive since the original broadcasts in the 1930s??***Final thoughts: Okay, there was a reason I barely paid attention. What I wrote above is all true, but the background is: I was rewatching this because the fantastic bad-movie podcast, How Did This Get Made?, covered this and I like to watch all of their movies before I listen to their show. Since I hadn't seen this in more than two decades, it was time to refresh my memory…even though the Shadow was already supposed to KNOW.

decodame Enjoyed the stylish setting, clothes and period details of this well-made film. Alec B. and Penelope M. are at their best here in this period thriller. So much fun, even with an over-the-top plot. Great attention to detail--wish I could visit 1930s NYC and go to the Cobalt Club and wear such swanky gowns... We first saw this when it came out in 1994 and I enjoyed it even more recently. The original radio shows were before our time so I don't know how accurate or faithful it was to the series, but I felt the concept and characters were conveyed in an original, entertaining way. The tension between the leads was believable and subtle, and their chemistry was wonderful. What a treat--a feast for the eyes and still GREAT after 20 years!

Duncan Gosseyn Then again, I'll admit I don't care much for Batman at all. It's too bad The Shadow has basically been forgotten in modern times since I thought it was pretty fun. It had its problems, definitely. Many of the characters weren't developed enough, especially Shiwan Khan and Tim Curry's character. Also, as someone who has had no previous encounter with the franchise, I honestly was a bit confused about the powers of The Shadow. Some of the effects look pretty dated. The climax was a bit disappointing, since Shiwan Khan doesn't really fight back against The Shadow. Still, the movie had charm. Alec Baldwin is pretty good as the titular character. The other actors do well with what they're given, with the exception of Penelope Ann Miller. I'll admit I didn't really like Penelope Ann Miller as Margo Lane. I can't really explain it but I just thought she delivered her lines in an uncanny way, like she was really close to delivering them right but didn't quite do it right. Anyway, the climax was flawed but it was still suspenseful. Oh, and I really liked the song performed by Taylor Dayne that plays during the end credits.

SnoopyStyle It's after WWI Tibet. Lamont Cranston (Alec Baldwin) is a brutal opium drug-lord known as Ying-Ko. He is kidnapped by the men of holyman Tulku. Tulku teaches him to cloud men's minds except for his shadow. Seven years later, he is back in NYC as a vigilante crime fighter known as The Shadow. Shrevnitz (Peter Boyle) is his cab driving sidekick and police commissioner Wainwright Barth (Jonathan Winters) is his uncle. Cranston falls for socialite Margot Lane (Penelope Ann Miller) but her natural telepathic power threatens to reveal his secret. Her father Reinhardt Lane (Ian McKellen) is an atomic scientist working for the War Department. Shiwan Khan (John Lone), the last descendant of Genghis Khan, is another student of Tulku. He is even more powerful than Lamont. He has resisted the change to good and plans for world domination. He has accumulated a special metal and with a mind-controlled Reinhardt, he is building an atomic bomb.This has a lot of visual style of a comic book late 20s. It's well done with the Chinese motif. The style does overwhelm the movie a bit. I wonder if the movie needs some humor to balance out the darker tones. Baldwin has a couple of snappy lines. I think he could have done more along that line. Also he needs a funny sidekick. The movie is not serious enough to go all dark.