Official "Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera" Reviews Thread- Page 4

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 6:10pm

I could care less what critics say. It is just a person's opinion (Just they get paid for it) and most of the time I I like (not neccesarily love) movies that are panned by the critics. I am seeing the movie Sunday and you better believe I shall be postin my review and dang it, bww.com needs to send me a check.

[Expressboy69]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 6:34pm

1) I have noticed that most of the reviewers that gave it horrible reviews, hated the show in the first place...it seems that some of them are getting thier revenge for the show prospering so well.

2) How can it recieve all of these bad reviews and get all of these nominations, it was even nominated for the critic's choice awards, so someone must like it, because people are voting for it!

I cannot wait to see this movie!

[jo]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 6:38pm

I love musical theatre and movie musicals when they were very much in vogue. I do not have a trained ear for music or a trained eye for acting - I am really just "one of the people in the dark", as Norma Desmond describes fans of the silver screen ( and also true for theatre enthusiasts)!

I am going to see the movie on Opening Day here in Manila ( won't be till January, though, according to the RUG website) and have an open mind about enjoying this film adaptation. I am sure the visual spectacle, the musical score and the singing, and the film acting will provide me good value for money. Ironically, I have spent a lot more money to see some stage musicals that are sometimes overhyped and didn't leave me profoundly or emotionally affected.

Phantom of the Opera is not my favourite ALWebber - but I am very supportive of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Joel Schumacher's efforts to bring this show to a much wider audience. And I hope it enjoys wide box office success world-wide...and bring on more filmization attempts of other stage musicals!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 7:33pm

We intend to see it Christmas day.

I am trying to figure out how the film ends with the chandelier as opposed to where it happens in the show

Crawford was to old to play it now. He was so overweight in DOTV he could have played the chandelier in the movie

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 7:37pm

CAN'T WAIT! AH!!!! And a newspaper from a near-by city (Charlotte Observer) gave the movie HIGH praise (and this is from the south, people). If I really want to invest in a critic review, I will pay more attention to local papers than major critics. But, that is just me.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 7:53pm

Just in from seeing so here goes:

Overall it is a great movie. It may drag here and there a little but, for the most part, it stays intact. The lip synching is a little off but, not being a huge ALW fan, I enjoyed myself.

If you see this movie for any reason, see it for Emmy Rossum. She absolutely wowed me! She is gorgeous throughout this entire film and her voice, although pre recorded, was amazing. She sings like an angel. Her performance is absolutely superb and this will me the movie that's going to put her on the map. (I still can't believe that Katie Holmes was supposed to play this part.)

Gerard Butler's voice may get a little rough here and there, but his acting is filled to the brim with PASSION. He lives and breathes the character and can hold a tune pretty well. I can tell that the director was going for a very sexy and rough Phantom, and he achieves it without compromising the validity of the work. It was an excellent casting choice.

Patrick Wilson is Patrick Wilson. His voice is as sweet as honey and he truly does Raoul justice. In fact, I could not see Alan Cumming playing this part. There's really nothing more to say about him. He does an excellent part and you can tell he has the most stage experience. He feels right at home in this movie and does a great job in the part.

Sadly, I was dissapointed in Minnie Driver. I really wanted to see her do well. But, I found myself searching for a reason to like her in this movie. Her Italian accent was awful unfortunately and it's so obvious that it's not her voice singing. She does, however play the part off decently. She has a very pompous air to her and she really embodies Carlotta in her body language...but not much else.

The set is amazing...truly amazing. And so are the effects. The music is wonderful. Some of the dancing seemes a bit too choreographed. The "Masquerade" scene, I feel, should have been done a little differently. It seems it was directed to be for the audience. I don't know how to put it into words...it just seems that, at that moment, they knew that they were performing in a movie rather than being at a party. If that makes any sense at all. The costumes are absolutely gorgeous.

I am not the best reviewer in the world but I tried to give my honest opinion without sounding biased. Overall it is a very enjoyable night at the movies. Just make sure you go to the bathroom before you take your seat...I didn't...nuff said.

[dreamer32811]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 8:19pm

I just saw it today. I've been really looking forward to it and have been planning on seeing it opening day for quite some time.

First, let me say, I've never been much of a Phantom fan. I've seen it 4 or 5 times (which is nothing for me, most shows I've see 12-15 times). I could never stand Christine's voice, I could barely understand the lyrics, and while I knew (and understand most of) the plot, I didn't see what people "got it" or equated any real emoition with it.

This movie did it. It was, IMHO, FABULOUS! I;m not one to exagerate, but it is the best movie I've ever seen- if not, it's deffinately in my top three. Yes, there were about 4 moments that I questioned why it was done the way it was, but the movie as a whole will addict A LOT of newbies to musical theatre and I don't think the could have done it any better.

Emmy is marvelous. Finally, a Christine that looks (and sounds at time) like a protogé. Lyrics that are actually enunicated. Depth to the role of Mme. Giry and giving both Christine and the Phantom a past.

The costumes (with the exception of Masquarade, which I was very dissapointed with) were beutiful, the orchestrations perfect as always, I loved the flashbacks (espically the ending!!!!), and the new use of the chandelier was better than I expected.

True die hard Phans may not be staisfied, but most of them see Crawford and Brightman as definitives and would never consider anyone else. Personally, I can not stand Brightman's voice and I never "saw" what others did with Crawford (not bad, but not worth the over-the-top acclmates given to him).

Oh, and as a side note, Patrick Wilson is beautiful and my jaw little dropped in the first squence when I saw Gerard Butler. I'm not much for movie stars, but he is ridculously beautiful :).

While I may not describe perfectly what I saw and liked about this movie, let's just say I'm seeing it again Saturday and again next Thursday (and that's just for starters).

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 8:22pm

I liked it a lot. It's quite thrilling. Gerard is so frikin' sexy as the phantom. Emmy is charming and Patrick is just adorable. I loved the long hair I think it looks great on him. I was surprised how intact it actually came. About 90% of the stage version is preserved on film. It's only when Mdm. Giry begins talking about the traveling circus and that whole flashback scene that the film starts to vier off in a different direction than on stage, but over all I was very impressed. I loved how they continued the flashbacks to the auction all through out the film. On stage we see the auction and then that's it. Never again. On film we're able to see the whole story through the eyes of the older Raoul and Mdm. Giry who in reality should be dead by 1919 but whatever...

Umm... the nudity was pretty funny. A stage hand moons Carlotta during "Prima Donna". That was hilarious.

Patrick in a ripped shirt on a white horse was awesome and Gerry's sexy chest hair cut between his ripped shirt for the final lair scene was all just soooooooooooo sexyful.

I was very pleased. I think they did a great job.

I think, however, had they placed the "We Have All Been Blind"/"Twisted Every Way" song where it is supposed to be: AFTER "Why So Silent?" the last part of the film would not have dragged so much as everyone is saying... Updated On: 12/22/04 at 08:22 PM

[SallyBrown]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 9:10pm

I have a question about this movie.
In the book, the phantom is ugly..and from what I've seen this phantom is very very not ugly hehe
Or did I totally miss something in the book?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 9:24pm

Gerard Buttler is very, very SEXY. they tried, obviously to make him look ugly, but even with part of his face boily and his hair thinning on the one side, I'd still let him rape me...

[SallyBrown]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 9:35pm

....they didn't do a very good job of making him ugly, I mean look at him!!!!! *swoon*

okkay I'm done, I CANT WAIT TO SEE IT!!

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 9:39pm

Well, the critics are wrong.

Wound up going tonight because I had nothing better to do. I wasn't a fan of the show or the score. Tonight, I fell in love with it. This is by far one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. The costumes, the scenery, the performances, the score are all brilliant and beautiful.

See Gerard Butler for yourself. He sent shivers down my spine (the good kind).

Just... go. Take your OWN opinion, not a critic's or anyone's on here.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 9:46pm

LOL CATSNYrevival...I totally agree with you. Although, I think I'd rather let Patrick Wilson take advantage of me. During this movie I just wanted to jump through the screen on him. Yum!

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 9:51pm

well, Patrick goes without saying. we've all seen him naked, but I was surprised by Gerard. I've never been that glued to someone in a movie before... his shirt for the final scene was just awesome. I kept thinking, "you're in the water! take it off!!!"

[StephanietheStar]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 9:55pm

I personally really loved it...but I have yet to see the show live. The only problem I had was that a lot of times they weren't lip synching good AT ALL...and Emmy has a tendency to just sing really high and not articulate. But I loved it.

Ok guys-don't make fun of me but what is the whole thing (at the end) with Patrick having to keep his hand at his eye level? I'm sorry, I'm a little slow...

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 9:57pm

Yes...he certainly has a knack for playing great literary characters...Dracula, The Phantom, and now I see he's playing Beowulf in a film adaptation of the classic story. Perhaps that will be the one where the shirt comes off????

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 9:57pm

and the torture chamber! In the novel one of the rooms of the torture chamber burns with the heat of the sun or something along those lines (blah) and Raoul and the Persian strip. After Patrick survived the water torture room I was hoping he'd fall into the steam room, but alas... no. perhaps it'll be a deleted scene on the dvd...

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 9:59pm

"keep your hand at the level of your eyes" is in reference to the lasso that the phantom uses a lot to kill people. Joseph and Giry demonstrate in the film when she put the lasso around his neck and he was able to put his hand up in time to keep from being choked... hope that helps.

[broadway geek]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 10:57pm

The movie was ok. The dorks that we are, my friend and I saw a Tuesday night midnight showing in DC.

First of, Emmy. I think she was well casted but she could have used some more emotions that what I will call "mystified," which basically consists of her looking at someone with a blank look. She improved by the end.

The lip-syncing in the beginning was atrocious, I don't know what happened but thank goodness it didn't last the entire movie.


SPOILERS-------

The B&W scene with the deer, didn't get it. Maybe someone could explain it to me.

During "Think of Me," when they superimposed the back of her head after the camera spun around already once, didn't like that.

Why does Christine inexplicably stop "singing" while the soundtrack is still going during "The Phantom of the Opera" (the song). Plus the background was a little weird in that part.

Laughed at the random black horse she rode for, well lets see, about ten feet.

And last, but not least, the almost drowning scene was a waste of time, added almost no suspense to the movie (granted I knew he was going to live, but who wouldn't, are you really going to end a movie like that?). It broke up what I though was the best part of the movie.

END OF SPOILERS-------

All in all, I liked it more the stage version. I think that type of musical lends itself to a movie and they did a admirable job adapting it except for my few gripes above.

[shesings]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 11:07pm

Just my two cents ... I enjoyed it, however I think overall it won't be recieved well by the general public. I think broadway fans will get it, but this isn't going to be the next hit like Chicago. I'm afraid a lot of non-theatre people are going to go see it b/c they liked Chicago and be bored out of their minds. It seems to me like perhaps we're taking a step back. It was visually stunning, Minnie was fabulous, Patrick is hot but I'm afraid overall people just aren't going to be entertained. I just saw it at the Zeigfeld theatre. I also saw Moulin Rouge and Chicago there on opening day. Moulin Rouge and Chicago were both sold out to adoring crowds and recieved applause after the musical numbers. This audience was maybe 1/2 full, and pretty dead. I think this is just they way its going to be. Sad really. Hopefully "The Producers" will bring back some musical fans!

[Feathah]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 11:24pm

As I posted earlier in this thread I was determined to remain positive. And I'm glad! Just got home from seeing it at the Ziegfeld. I really loved it! Is it flawed - yes - but so is the original show in my opinion. If you hate the show you'll hate the movie. If you love/like the show you'll enjoy it.

A few gripes - Gerard Butler is almost *too* goodlooking. When he takes off the mask all I could think was "hey, he's still pretty hot!" I like the unpolished quality of his voice. This doesn't mean he can't sing - he can - but he has a different take on the role vocally. LOVE love love Emmy. And of course there's our Patrick who, imo, could never disappoint. Minnie Driver is hilarious as Carlotta.

The only thing that consistantly drove me crazy was the Phantom constantly sweeping his cape around - enough! But that's the director's choice, not Gerard Butler's.

SPOILER ALERT
I absolutely loved that they changed the point in the plot where the chandelier falls. Much more dramatic! It would have been a great idea for the stage version for the events to enfold in the same way.

All in all - I really really enjoyed it. Critics shmitics!

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 11:25pm

I just got back from the movie, and he's my small "review:"

I thought the entire thing was amazing, and much more effective and heartbreaking than on stage. I really really loved every second of it, and my only complaint would be the lipsinking. This movie is spectacular, and I had chills through most of it. No, their voices weren't as strong as those I've seen do it on Broadway and as a soundtrack, I would much rather listen to the OLC than the movie but their voices worked very well in the movie and I didn't find them weak at all. Some people have said that there's no emotion in the acting of Christine and the Phantom, but I found them both amazing and they kept me interested and actually caring about their characters the entire time. I've never seen the Phantom so attractive and sexy before, and until this movie I never really accepted the phantom as a "normal" human being and could never understand why Christine would be so drawn to him. Gerard is gorgeous! Maybe I loved it more than most people I've talked to because I went in expecting it to be wretched. Seeing this movie really reminded me of why I first fell in love with this show years ago. Maybe it's only me, but this movie is the only time I actually cared about Christine's emotions, and the first time the Phantom actually broke my heart I thought it was a truly beautiful film. The ending was great - I loved the black and white segments. I'm definitely going back!

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 11:35pm

ahhh!!! Gerard IS too pretty!!! the mask came off and I didn't care!!! I still wanted him! It is toned down a bit than on stage though. on stage no matter who plays the phantom the make up is too horrendous but here it was very minimal. just some redness, a bit of uneven skin tone, some blisters and hair follicle issues. He just looked like he had really bad acne on one side. again. who cares!!! PEOPLE chose Jude Law over Gerry??? There is no justice in the world I tell ya! None!

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 11:41pm

I really don't think the Phantom being that hot is a bad thing at all - you can't be TOO goodlooking. It makes you feel worse for him and actually want him to get Christine. If the Phantom in this movie had been nasty looking, I wouldn't be interested in his character.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 12/22/04 at 11:49pm

I think it's great. I was glued to him. I went in thinking Patrick is sooo sexy and by the end of the film I was much more interested in Gerard...