Review of The Shadow

The Shadow(Alec Baldwyn), that great crime-fighter based on the popular radio serials, must contend with Shiwan Khan(John Lone)..an old acquaintance who wishes to--yep, you guessed it--rule the world! Scientist Dr. Reinhardt Lane(Ian McKellen, surprisingly quite hammy)has almost put together a major atomic bomb for the government's war department, but a specific component must be used for it to be fully operational. This bomb is Khan's ticket at complete rule so he will enlist Lane's assistant Farley Claymore(Tim Curry, chewing the scenery as always)who is only happy to be a partner that might see him as a King over a world at their feet. Khan has the ability, much like The Shadow, to control weak-minded individuals, and through that will become a successful nemesis to the crime-fighter trying to stop him. Penelope Ann Miller plays the cool, sassy babe Margo, who is Reinhardt's daughter and The Shadow Lamont Cranston's love-interest. The Late Peter Boyle has an amusing turn as Cranston's cabby, always on call when the crime-fighter needs him.

Thanks to good production design and beautiful photography, the film is certainly great to look at, but the style has a hard time masking the cartoony theatrics of the characters and story premise. Baldwyn seems, to me anyway, to fit the role of crime-fighter extraordinaire The Shadow. The film has quality visual effects specifically in how The Shadow operates supernaturally. Still, the story itself, not to mention the development of The Shadow himself, left me a tad disappointed. There's a feeling of the film lacking something..perhaps a stronger villain who is laughable where he should be ominous.