The Phantom of the Opera

Just one word.
A total DIS-AS-TER!!!!
Good grief, I can't believe I let myself be talked into seeing that movie, but my roommate just kept insisting and wouldn't take no for an answer...
By the end of it, neither of us actually enjoyed it at all. Okay, look, I knew it was a musical, so I wasn't expecting a five-star masterpiece, but still...
Some musicals do a pretty great job transitioning from a stage production to the big screen—take Chicago, for example—but with The Phantom of the Opera, I felt like I was just watching a filmed stage show the entire time.
The "acting" was honestly awful... just completely over the top and totally hammed up.
And Minnie Driver was especially terrible. I mean, sure, her role was supposed to be this over-the-top Italian primadonna, but still...
The movie is way too long and... well... just boring.
The only thing I actually liked was the cinematography.
On top of that, the theater was so freezing that I felt like I was sitting in a walk-in freezer! I guess they were trying to save money on the heating bill or something...🙄
And the popcorn was bone dry. Ugh. 👎

Two and a half hours of the most hideous music ever composed. I wouldn't sit through that even if my life depended on it.

I mean, what else could you really expect from Schumacher?

"From the director who gave Batman those tiny little nipple details on his suit"😬

Honestly, I actually got goosebumps just watching the teaser trailer.
😁My hair practically stood on end when I saw the 'Phantom' in the preview. That mask, which is supposed to be hiding his hideous features, looks more like some ridiculous high-fashion accessory you'd see on a runway.

Yeah... plus they really messed up with that mask situation and everything else... because once you finally see him without it, you realize his face is actually quite scarred, and those areas the mask wasn't covering—which they just moments ago were shown as being absolutely flawless—are actually quite different...

Just one quick question: does everyone in this movie just sing non-stop?

It just keeps coming non-stop!!!! It's enough to drive anyone absolutely crazy...

I’m honestly only going to check this out because of Gerard 😍

Seriously, the sexiest Dracula ever 😍

Steven Ruiz said:Yeah... plus they totally botched it with that mask and everything else. Because once he finally shows up without it, you realize his face is actually a mess—and the parts the mask didn't cover, which they just spent the last ten minutes calling "perfect," look completely different.

🤣 🤣Just great.

Here’s my honest prediction: anyone who sits through this movie is going to absolutely die of boredom...
The only way you might actually survive such a total disaster is if you happen to be a massive fan of 80s synth music...😁

Steven Ruiz said:Here’s my take—anyone who sits through this is gonna die of pure boredom.
Unless you're some huge fan of that cheesy 80s synth music, you probably won't survive that disaster.😁

I honestly don't get why you even bothered going to see it? 😕

Steven Ruiz said:The only way you’re getting through that absolute train wreck is if you happen to be some huge fan of 80s synth music.😁

😍

I guess I actually have to go watch it now.

dustyscout53 said:I honestly don't get why you even bothered going in the first place! 😕

Well, I already told you, my roommate basically forced my hand!
We were planning on hitting up the movie theater together.
He was dead set on seeing The Phantom of the Opera, while I was really pulling for House of Flying Daggers... so we ended up bickering and eventually just flipped a coin to settle it. He won the toss, so we went to see his choice, and honestly, we both walked out thinking the whole thing was a total waste of time... 😁

rajka said:Two and a half hours of the ugliest music ever written. I wouldn't sit through this even if someone held a gun to my head.

😁 👍

I caught the stage production about two years ago,
then finally saw the movie three days ago at AMC Theatres...
To be perfectly honest, musicals and operas aren't usually my thing, but this one was exceptionally
good...
I’ll give a slight edge to the theater version simply because it is almost 100% identical to the film...
However, one must account for the fact that the movie utilizes cinematic tricks and multiple takes, whereas in the theater, everything is "live"—though, again, the performances are nearly indistinguishable....

I highly recommend this film to anyone who appreciates opera, musicals, or mystical romantic dramas........

👍

I actually sat down and watched it the other day. It’s a beautiful film.
To be honest, musicals aren't usually my thing, and I haven't exactly been binge-watching operas lately, but this movie hit me right in the feels regardless.

The score is incredible. I ended up downloading the soundtrack online, and I can't seem to stop looping "All I Ask of You." Once I get a song stuck in my head like that, there's no escaping it...

The cast is solid—the Phantom (Gerard Butler) is incredibly charismatic, Christina Aguilera (Emmy Rossum) holds her own, and Minnie Driver as Carlotta 😂 is just perfect. She plays that hysterical, self-absorbed, "the world revolves around me" diva to a tee. It really suits her; it reminded me a bit of those roles Rosie Perez typically takes on.

It leaves you with this lingering, bittersweet aftertaste. Though, if I'm being real, it leans much more toward the bitter side.😢

I just watched it and absolutely loved it.

I’ve had the soundtrack from the stage production for ages, so I decided to give it another spin recently. 🙂

I haven't actually had the chance to see the live show yet, though some people I know who have seen it claim the stage version is superior.

So, I have a few questions for those of you who caught it at the theater—specifically analogseal39 😉.

- What exactly happens with the chandelier in the theater? Does it swing, or does it actually fall? And if it falls, where does it land?
- Does the Phantom only "kill" on stage, or does he go after people in the audience too?

When I actually sit down and think about it, the stage production truly is superior... even if the movie is excellent in its own right...

- In the theater, the opening remains the same—the auction and all that. But once they mention the chandelier, that's when the magic happens. It’s identical to the one in the movie, but it rises from the floor and takes flight; it's rigged with chains and manipulated throughout the entire show, moving left, right, forward, back, up, or down as needed. Even the Phantom himself descends and ascends on it a few times...
So, just like in the film, the chandelier falls, though obviously, it never actually hits the floor and shatters; it just simulates the impact very convincingly...
- The Phantom only commits his murders on stage, but since the stage itself often depicts an opera being performed with an audience present, he uses it to intimidate them. Of course, there isn't a real audience watching him do it 🙂 unfortunately 😢

However, the film is almost identical to the play. It features that mirror scene at the beginning where he calls out to Christina Aguilera, and later, he rows across the stage through rising fog (simulating water) while candelabras emerge from the floor...
Then, just like in the movie, there is a sequence where the Phantom vanishes through a trapdoor in the floor. It is brilliantly executed because there is a sudden flash of light at the exact moment he disappears...
Furthermore, the scene where he hangs Joseph also takes place on stage; there are suspended walkways built above the platform where the two struggle before he hangs him (causing the dummy to fall onto center stage)...
The production is genuinely spectacular. Everything you see in the film is present in the play, except that while the movie relies on cinematic special effects, the stage version does everything live, right before your eyes. 🙂

I actually saw the show in New York City at the Majestic Theatre, where they have been running it nightly for years. The entire interior of the hall is customized specifically for this production; you have the orchestra in front of the stage, and the stage setup mirrors the atmosphere of the Opera seen in the film...
The question remains: what is the experience like in other theaters???

If anyone else has attended a performance, I would be glad if you could provide a brief description...

Kiki said:Exactly... plus they completely botched the whole mask situation anyway. When he finally takes it off, you realize his face is actually disfigured, even in those spots the mask wasn't covering—parts they just moments ago presented as being flawless.

Jesus........😲
It is pure symbolism, Kiki!!!!!!
Even his hair turned gray right after he removed the mask!!!
That is artistic liberty through symbolism...
It represents more than just physical scarring; it represents his spiritual and emotional devastation too....

Please, try to have a little objectivity when making these kinds of assessments...
😉

Kiki said:It’s non-stop!!!! Honestly, enough to drive you insane.

Seriously. You'd think you were watching some musical or something. 😬

BTW: It's a shame you guys haven't seen House of Flying Daggers. It's a stunning film, absolutely meant for the big screen. And I'm not just saying that because of Zhang Ziyi. 😍

Kiki said:Some musicals actually nail the transition from the stage to the big screen (take Chicago, for example), but watching The Phantom of the Opera, I felt like I was just stuck watching a filmed stage show the whole time.

That’s an interesting take. 😁
For me, it was the exact opposite. 😁
I was practically counting down the minutes until I could leave the theater after seeing Chicago.👎

Kiki said:On top of that, the theater was so freezing I felt like I was sitting in a walk-in freezer. I guess they were cutting corners on the heating bill or something...🙄

It seems some things are universal, whether you're catching a screening in London or right here in the States. 😁
I was absolutely freezing my ass off at the local AMC.😲