The Phantom (starring Ryan Carnes in the title role) tells the story of a superhero who serves as the defender of justice for all.
The mini-series, which also serves as a pilot for a potential television series, has enough action and romance to make you forget its length. The adaptation of the Phantom gives us a superhero with a clear-cut and unbendable knowledge of right and wrong that has been mostly lacking in the modern superhero movie era.
Those already familiar with the comics will find enough of the comics' elements in the mini-series to satisfy the spirit, if not the absolute letter. However, purists of the comics and those unwilling to suspend some disbelief will find extreme difficulty in enjoying a mini-series that brings the franchise into the 21st Century.
If there are any defects to this show, it is at times when the mini-series works too hard at looking like a pilot, having many scenes throughout to serve as the background for future plots and character development. Especially the final scene (Which I won't give away) that could have served well as the cold opening for the first episode of the first season.
This series is well worth watching. Here's to hoping SyFy can make a cut in the Roger Corman Knockoffs Deptartment to give The Phantom chance it deserves. After all, no one refuses the Phantom.
