Phantom--Movie vs Stage- Page 2

Posted: 8/12/05 at 11:25pm

I don't really blame the way the movie was shot... more so that I couldn't stand any of the actors playing the characters in the movie. It wasn't prejudice or anything, because I didn't really know any of them before the movie, but I felt their performances were awful. I could only stand Patrick Wilson, and it bothered me that they used Minnie Driver's face but not her voice in the movie. I don't understand why they had to use Minnie Driver's face... it just really bothered me.

--korenglish

[roquat]

Posted: 8/13/05 at 12:08pm

Someone said on this thread that the biggest assets of the stage show were the sets and costumes. True--and the movie even screwed THOSE up! There was a lot of talk about all the money spent on the production, but it certainly wasn't spent WELL--every set looked tacky and uncomfortable, and the Phantom's lair resembled a King's Dominion water ride in Wisconsin. I almost cheered when the chandelier finally crashed--anything to get rid of that set!

[One Song Glory]

Posted: 8/13/05 at 4:17pm

I like the stage version better.

[RebelRouser]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 1:46am

the stage version is the best for me

[Pinguin]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 1:48am

The move is a disaster. I vote stage version :0)

[TheatreManiac]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 10:22am

I totally agree with the comment made by Born2cthelightsofbway...

"I hated the movie, the acting and singing was terrible, and to be honest, I am a huge fan of the show, but it really doesn't work on film, the movie bored me!!!!"

and to add, I was sooo disappointed when I saw the movie because my memories of seeing Phantom for the first time were so pleasant. It was so mystical and magical -- I'd hoped that element was captured in the film but it was totally lacking. And now I don't feel like such a dud since everyone else that I know who's seen the movie has been in love with it and I just couldn't figure out why. For me, it's the stage show all the way!

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 1:20pm

I saw the stage show twice with Michael Crawford in L.A., and once with Robert Guillaume. Michael was a force of nature in the role. He dominated the production, which is interesting since he's not actually on stage all that much (when you count minutes). The show changed dramatically, when I sawe Guillaume in the part. He was good, but not electric or "other worldly." As a result, it became Christine's show (which I think ALW had always intended, since he wrote it for his then-wife).

The movie was dull and unimaginative. A very straight-forward presentation. ALW kept saying it was completely different than the stage show, but I found very few surprises in it. There was no cinematic interpretation or spin on it. "Moulin Rouge" and even "Chicago" had wonderful stylistic ways of telling their stories. The Phantom movie was point-and-shoot. And the musical direction was terrible. Most everything seemed painfully under-tempo and over-stated, except for the "Masquerade" number which felt comically rushed, as if everyone suddenly was fighting the urge to go to the bathroom. I just didn't get it.

The cast was okay, but not outstanding. I actually felt sorry for Mr. Phantom, who had to act like another one of Schumacher's caped superheroes. He wasn't scary in the least... and the Phantom SHOULD be scary. The romatic aspect should lie in the audience's imagination, not in the muscles of its leading man. It's a shame that ALW didn't trust the story or his own material more. In cutting-edge, imaginative movie-making hands, this could have been something very special.

Updated On: 8/14/05 at 01:20 PM

[Conor]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 8:28pm

I LOVE the stage version of the wish I were older and could have seen the original cast, especially because i'm a huge Sarah Brightman fan. That said, I really enjoyed the movie despite finding huge flaws in it. It was visually stunning, and I really liked how there was more backstory and it just kind of made more sense, but I thought the casting was atrocious. Emmy Rossum was horrendous in my opinion, she had neither the voice nor teh acting chops for the role. Gerard Butler was also terrible, and while I liked that they wanted a rougher voice for the role of the phantom, I would have preferred if they got a rougher voice that could carry a tune. Patrick Wilson I thought was good, and the rest of the leads were fine, although I thought it was unfair that Minnie Driver got into the cast based on star power alone, they should have let someone who could sing the role have the role. Despite all of my copmlaints I really enjoy the movie, I honestly can't explain why. It baffles me. But I definetly infinitly prefer the broadway show.

[Radioactiveduck]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 8:37pm

I'm a phanatic, and I rather enjoyed the movie. Gerry wasn't the best Phantom we could have hoped for, but he still did a very respectable job. I'll still always like the stage show better, but I think they did a very good job capturing the essence of the show on film.

[sanda]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 8:40pm

I think the movie is much better than stage. Emmy and Patrick are great Christine and Raoul . But Butler is an awful Phantom.

[KristinChenowethFan]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 11:19pm

I have been a phantom phan forever...the movie really REALLY disappointed me...I love the stage version but I just remember walking out of the movie theater shaking my head...I did buy the movie though just to humor myself.

[phantom_tenor]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 9:36am

Shockingly bad. Gerry sounded like he was suffering from the flu the whole way through the recording session. Emmy is one of the suckiest singers ever, and her "acting" consists of one look: frightened deer in the headlights.
Patrick Wilson was the only consistantly good cast member, but his voice, while very nice, doesn't really have the power for Raoul. He did a good job though.

What happened to Simon Callow's voice? It's all but gone, where before it was quite passable.

And they added swelling pomposity and pretentiousness to the orchestrations too.

You might say i prefer the stage version.

[Justin D]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 12:42pm

simply put, as a huge fan of the stage version, and being in total support of a movie being made, when i saw the finish product, it was a total dissapointment, so much so that i cant watch it, it is gaudy and the actors suck and cant sing (any of them) and their jonts on screen is an insult to all those over at the Majestic.

i would not be suprised in the least if the new Rent film does better (and i hope it does what Chicago did for me, where the movie was way better than the show)