Release: The Shadow

 

The Shadow

Genre: Action/Thriller/Superhero

Director: Francis Lawrence

Writer: Diane Esposito

Based on the novel by James Patterson & Brian Sitts and the character created by Walter B. Gibson

Cast: Henry Cavill, Nico Parker, Bella Heathcote, Joe Taslim, Barbara Hershey, Jackie Earle Haley, Christopher McDonald, Boris Kodjoe, James Frain

Budget: $83,000,000

Domestic Box Office: $75,488,204

Foreign Box Office: $83,399,426

Total Profit: -$15,040,011

Reaction: Obviously not the box office results writer Diane Esposito was looking for with her first LRF production. We were hoping that Henry Cavill's name could help elevate the box office of this latest big screen take on an old character. At least it performed a lot better than the previous Alec Baldwin-led film adaptation.

"Based off a truly terrible novel from James Patterson's book factory writing style, it's a miracle this film turned even halfway watchable. That's all this film is though - halfway watchable. The plot, stakes and villainous plans are wishy-washy at best. The interactions between Henry Cavill and Nico Parker work well, but the changes in time period feel forced and not fully developed and the film was a bit lacking in the action department in the second act." - Clark Davis, JoBlo.com

"Despite appreciating the soundtrack and the attempt to revitalize the IP in a way that surpasses the Alec Baldwin version, I find myself having reservations about Cavill as the title character. Furthermore, the storyline feels overly familiar, lacking originality that even a minor disturbance could expose its predictability. Lastly, the final act falls disappointingly short, leading one to ponder initial expectations for the film." - Ryan Amini, The Atlantic

"On paper, everything about The Shadow is seemingly top notch. The production is slick, with a good soundtrack and strong design elements. The film is based on a best-selling novel by a world-famous author, and features a handsome movie star branching out in a new potential franchise under a GRA-nominated director. In execution though, The Shadow is hit-or-miss. Cavill is good as the title character and the actions sequences are decent. The plot itself doesn't always make much sense though and hampers the elements that actually work constantly." - Dave Manning, Ridgefield Press

Rated PG-13 for action violence and scenes of peril