"Master of magic spells and illusions!" That's all I remember from the horrible even when I was a child Defenders of the Earth cartoon. Mandrake the Magician was one of the core members, and I always thought it was especially lame to have some stage act as part of a superhero team. The concept itself was cool, though, because the team featured both The Phantom and Flash Gordon as well. But Mandrake always felt second-rate. When DC(probably Vertigo) Comics released a Mandrake series a couple of years ago my friend and I nearly cried with laughter it looked so lame....and then we bought the first issue ofcourse to verify its lameness(it was).
So who the hell thinks it's a good idea to produce a Mandrake movie? Well somebody does, and there've been some developments. Originally, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers(The Tudors, Bend it Like Beckham) was attatched to play the title role. But he has since dropped out, and now the cardboard talents of Hayden Christensen are taking over. The film also stars the always reliable Djimon Honsou. Mimi Leder(Deep Impact, Pay It Forward) is on board to direct.
I like the idea put forward in the script, which is that Mandrake is tasked by the CIA with breaking out a deep cover agent from a maximum security prison, only to discover that things are not exactly as he thought(What, the CIA lied? Surely you jest!). I like the focus on Mandrake as more of an escapist than an actual magician, so this might actually turn out halfway decent if ol' Hayden can produce something akin to acting. Worth keeping an eye on.
