The Shadow (1994)

In 1930's New York, reformed criminal Lamont Cranston (Alec Baldwin) is a pretty playboy by day, much to his uncle's (Jonathan Winters) chagrin, and a crime-fighting hero by night. Trained by a Tibetan mystic, Cranston has mastered the art of mind control to defend New York for gangsters and hood. Cranston meets his match in the lovely Margo Lane (Penelope Ann Miller) debutant and daughter of Dr. Reinhart Lane (Ian McKellen). Margo is outspoken and impervious to The Shadow. With the help of Margo and cabbie sidekick (Peter Boyle), Cranston must fight Genghis Khan's descendant Shiwan Khan (John Lone) who is determined to rule the world.

The Shadow is delightfully campy and melodramatic. Reminiscent of film noir with a splash of Joel Schumacher, The Shadow embraces its roots and celebrates them. Thanks to an amazing ensemble cast that delivers solid, if cheeky, performances, the film is an underrated gem that few have seen. Baldwin is pitch perfect, as is Miller, but stealing the show is Tim Curry as Farley Claymore.

The production is nicely stylized and the special effects are mild, but charming. 1930's era New York is lavish and engaging. Our characters beautifully attired. The film moves at a nice clip, advancing characters and the outlandish plot quickly but without sacrificing any element. The dialogue, equal parts humor and drama, is easily a highlight of the film.

My love for The Shadow is unwavering. Sure, it's not particularly award-worthy or even technically spectacular, but as I see it, The Shadow is what you want in a movie--it's entertaining. Oft-overlooked and completely enjoyable, The Shadow is deserving of another chance from the fickle superhero fans.