Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera

(Originally published in Rocky Mountain Bullhorn)

Those who love Andrew Lloyd Webber and his Broadway version of “The Phantom of the Opera,” may well take to Joel Schumacher’s messy, excessive cinematic adaptation of the stage musical. For those of us less inclined to suffer through Webber’s bombastic tunes or his dramatically mushy retelling of the classic horror story – in which the fiendish tale of obsession and madness is oversimplified into a hot-blooded love triangle – be warned: this Phantom, with more cluttered production design, clumsy camerawork, and incoherent editing than one thought possible in a two-and-a-half hour film, is the kind of movie musical that deserves to be locked up in a dank, water-filled dungeon and left to molder.

Schumacher, a filmmaker without a subtle instinct in his body, works overtime to drench his film in ornamentation, yet with the exception of his staging of “Masquerade,” the film – a big, splashy sea of gold ruffles, feathers, flowers and candles – quickly drowns in opulence overload. It’s true that Weber’s grandiose Phantom lends itself to such extravagance, but the director’s visual lavishness is chintzy when it should be luxurious, suffocating when it should be alluring. Vainly attempting to amplify the play’s sexuality, Schumacher has his blandly handsome Phantom (Gerard Butler) bellow and pout like a childish maniac. And while the fetching, full-lipped Emmy Rossum provides a competent (and surprisingly strong-voiced) Christine, her tepid, googly-eyed romance with Patrick Wilson’s Raoul is – like so much of this odious, overblown opus – merely the stuff daytime soap operas are made of.

Comments

[Katie Beth and Ariel]

I think "The Phantom of the Opera" is the best broadway musical, and the best movie in the entire world me and my friend ariel watch it like every day and still can not get enough of it. The top thing on my birthday list which is July 27 is "The Phantom of the Opera" soundrack!! I can't wait to get it!! i Just wanted to tell ya'll how much ariel and i adore this movie!!! we love Gerard Butler in this movie!!!!!! He has the song of an angel!!!!(The angel of music that is) also i think all the other cast members that were casted in this movie were absolutely perfect for the part!! Emmy Rosssum did an awesome performance in this terrific movie!!!

Thanks for listening,
Katie Beth and Ariel

[MY NAME IS BILL]

COME ON ANDREW WE ALL KNOW THAT MICHEAL CRAWFORD IS THE ONLY GREAT PHANTOM AND SOME HOW SOME WHERE THAT THE PHANTOM SHOULD SHOULD WIN THE HEART OF CHRISTINE AND GET MARRIED AND LIVE A HAPPY LIFE TOGETHER. EVEN IF HE HAS TO HAVE HIS FACE FIXED

[Nick]

Yeah, come on Andrew! Give us a happy ending!

[Nate]

Oh yeah, a man who's responsible for the death of innocents, a stalker and an obssessed madman should get exactly what he wants. He lost Christine, he eventually got over it and lived on. The ending was happy enough thank you very much!

[Me]

Thank you for not giving the Phantom's part to Michael Crawford!

[Nick]

Um, you're welcome?

[Emmy Rossum # 1 fan]

I TOTALLY DISAGREE WITH THIS REVIEW!!! though we r all entitled 2 our opinions I find it quite rude. i believe it was fantastic! i have seen and heard the stage production, but what reall y blew me away was this movie. Sure there are a few mistakes, but blam schumacher, NOT the amazing cast. They did a terrific job, but this is ALW's fault. He is the one who wanted it this way.

[GreenandCrunchy]

I actually liked the musical. Alas, the movie was just painful. I went with my girlfriends, and I think there were three instances when the theatre erupted into giggles. One was Raoul's romance-novel cover ensamble, and the fact that he then lept onto a convenient white horse. I had to buy my friends a round to make up for inflicting the movie on them.

Ouch. I've never seen a movie version of a musical that actually had all of the subtle background sub-plots REMOVED before...Minnie Driver as mean-girl Diva Carlotta was the only bright spot.