Phantoms

Based on the Dean Koontz book, Phantoms is a mishmash of mystery, science fiction, and the supernatural with an unlikely cast of characters. Try imagining teen heart-throb Ben Affleck as a seasoned small town sheriff, or stately Peter O'Toole battling amorphous evil creatures. You get the picture. In the mountainside hamlet of Snowfield, Colorado, 700 residents have either disappeared or been made into mincemeat. Enter O'Toole, an expert in ancient epidemics, who suspects that the entire village was a victim of "the Ancient Enemy," a horrible and undefined force capable of destroying mankind. He joins Sheriff Ben and two surviving sisters (played by Rose McGowan and Joanna Going) in an improbable battle against an amalgam of every evil force that has ever existed. Admittedly some of the special effects are nifty and a few on-screen puns are worth a laugh. For the most part, though, Phantoms is a mediocre head-scratching thriller. (A. Glover)