PHANTOMS

PHANTOMS

PHANTOMS: C-

Nothing special about this film, but it is sit throughable. It's nice to see that Joe Chappelle was able to direct something decent during his career, although all of his trademarks that make me loathe him as a director still find their way into the film. I don't see why he thinks the incredibly fast flash scenes, that cause severe motion sickness are cool. I also don't understand his usage of showing empty rooms to indicate that the bad guy might still be out there, when 2 minutes later he reveals that the bad guy IS still out there. Doesn't that undermind the point of the scene?

Maybe this film wasn't decent and I'm so used to anything that Chappelle touches being such garbage, that by comparison I can't help but call this film somewhat decent. Had it been directed by someone else, and had I expected more, maybe it wouldn't have gotten a C-. Yet compared to Halloween: the Curse of Michael Myers and Takedown (Which I accidentally watched thinking it was the Lorenzo Lamas/Edward Herrmann Take Down) this was much better. Hence the C - .

As I usually do, I enjoyed seeing Liev Schreiber on screen and I don't think it's possible for Peter O'Toole to give a bad performance, no matter how weak of a script he's given to work with.

Rose McGowan, as she always does gives her typical at best mediocre peformance and Joanna Going, seemed like she regretted signing on to this film throughout her entire lackluster performance. Ben Affleck at least tries his best.

Roger Ebert hated this film, so I'll end on a happy note. He and I don't agree whole heartedly very often.