Rating of
2.5/4
Not bad
TheWolf - wrote on 08/03/07
must say I was pleasantly surprised, and thought this was a beautiful film. Just to let you know where I'm coming from here, I have never seen the stage play, and as a rule I cannot stand opera and have only moderate tolerance for musicals in general. But yet I was completely overcome by the movie's grand sets, attractive costumes and awesome cinematography - the very gorgeous appearance of this film was a sight to behold.
As for the Phantom himself, I have nothing to compare him with as I never saw the stage show, but I liked the fact that we could feel both pity for him and also despise him at the same time. He was enough of a villain when he needed to be, yet a sad and tragic character too -- and that was a hit with me. And I appreciated the fact that he was given an origin.
While a lot of people say that it doesn't compare to the theatrical version, and the vocal work is mediocre at best, I didn't think it was too bad. If you have never seen the play, then you will probably enjoy this, if you have seen the broadway show, then you may be slightly disappointed.