These are my personal comments about the mini-series.
First - the good parts:
Update of Phantom story - excellent - the world has changed since the 1500's, 1930's, 40's etc. About time The Phantom updated to the 21st century;
Kit's character and family history - excellent, 'believable', perhaps a little too much time spent setting the scene.
Update/modernisation of Phantom's support organisation - Bpaa Thap & bad guys - The Singh Brotherhood - excellent. Great ideas.
Location (island in ......- & not the Caribbean) & design (inside - above and below) of phantom cave - believable
Loved the 'training camp' scenes. He doesn't have 'super/magic Powers', he is simply fit, works hard, trains hard and experienced in what he does (or at least getting there).
Most people would feel silly in the original purple suit these days. Nice revision.
Guran's updated character - excellent!
For once, an important (lead?) female character does NOT fall in love with the leading male!
yes - Guran helps Kit (it's her job), and Kit has a girlfriend, but thankfully there was not a 'competition for the guy' sub-plot!.
Acting of main characters, including the villains, and most of the extras, excellent!
Second - not so good parts:
1. Depiction of Bandar people - weak.
Spoiler Alert:
Bandar are people - pygmy size.
When movie introduced them, the two 'Bandar' looked like children in costume and make up. And from what I could tell, about the only kids in Hollywood who couldn't act! No wonder they 'dissapeared' quickly after Kit sees the cave.
Spoiler Alert:
Scene of 'tribal initiation' of Kit - great idea, but:
It may have been better to portray them as the living descendants of the 'Flores Man' -
ref: http://www.nature.com/news/specials/flores/index.html
"Researchers have unearthed remains from individuals who were just one metre tall, with grapefruit-sized skulls. These astonishing little people, "
After all - it is widely held that Modern Man was descended from Neanderthals and/or Cromagnons, for both of which we have found fossils. Modern Man's brain has developed since the Neanderthal, so why not intelligent descendants from the 'Flores Man'? The Bandar are a very secretive tribe.
In summary:
Great update to The Phantom story; a few parts, especially the Bandar, could have been done better.
First - the good parts:
Update of Phantom story - excellent - the world has changed since the 1500's, 1930's, 40's etc. About time The Phantom updated to the 21st century;
Kit's character and family history - excellent, 'believable', perhaps a little too much time spent setting the scene.
Update/modernisation of Phantom's support organisation - Bpaa Thap & bad guys - The Singh Brotherhood - excellent. Great ideas.
- Spoiler Alert:
Location (island in ......- & not the Caribbean) & design (inside - above and below) of phantom cave - believable
- (though the 'Deep Woods' seems to be suffering a bit of a drought - El Ninyo effect?)
- Spoiler Alert:
Loved the 'training camp' scenes. He doesn't have 'super/magic Powers', he is simply fit, works hard, trains hard and experienced in what he does (or at least getting there).
- Spoiler Alert:
Most people would feel silly in the original purple suit these days. Nice revision.
Guran's updated character - excellent!
- spoiler alert:
For once, an important (lead?) female character does NOT fall in love with the leading male!
yes - Guran helps Kit (it's her job), and Kit has a girlfriend, but thankfully there was not a 'competition for the guy' sub-plot!.
Acting of main characters, including the villains, and most of the extras, excellent!
Second - not so good parts:
1. Depiction of Bandar people - weak.
Spoiler Alert:
Bandar are people - pygmy size.
When movie introduced them, the two 'Bandar' looked like children in costume and make up. And from what I could tell, about the only kids in Hollywood who couldn't act! No wonder they 'dissapeared' quickly after Kit sees the cave.
Spoiler Alert:
Scene of 'tribal initiation' of Kit - great idea, but:
- 'native' actors were too large to look like pygmy Bandar; - 'Witch doctor' character -> hmmm - far too much makeup.
It may have been better to portray them as the living descendants of the 'Flores Man' -
ref: http://www.nature.com/news/specials/flores/index.html
"Researchers have unearthed remains from individuals who were just one metre tall, with grapefruit-sized skulls. These astonishing little people, "
- quote from above web site.
After all - it is widely held that Modern Man was descended from Neanderthals and/or Cromagnons, for both of which we have found fossils. Modern Man's brain has developed since the Neanderthal, so why not intelligent descendants from the 'Flores Man'? The Bandar are a very secretive tribe.
In summary:
Great update to The Phantom story; a few parts, especially the Bandar, could have been done better.