MWG: Phantom of the Opera
Posted On August 26, 2009
Amy has August’s pick for the Movie Watching Group (MWG). She picked the latest movie version of Phantom of the Opera. When quizzed about why this was her movie pick, she responded, “It was next on my Netflix list!” There you have it folks!
Netflix Synopsis: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s stunning musical comes alive on-screen in this Joel Schumacher rendition. A talented recluse (Gerard Butler) disfigured in a tragic accident roams beneath the Paris Opera. Fueled with resentment, he terrorizes other musicians until he falls for the lovely Christine (Emmy Rossum), a formidable singer whom he takes under his wing, molding her so she can become the sensational soprano he envisions her to be.
RT Score: 33%
Watch it and come back here to review it!
2 Comments
and finally I watched it!
I think this was a very nice movie version of the musical! I liked the acting and sets and of course the music! Some parts that I noticed: when the managers are convincing Carlotta to stay and they give her all sorts of gifts and finally a black poodle to match her white one – so cute; I loved the grave yard and how they redid “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” a bit – very nice; also when Christine kissed the phantom – very touching; and I liked all the sparkle stars in her hair when she sang the aria from Hannibal!
I saw this on stage in LA with Benson as the Phantom and I like to listen to the soundtrack in the car and I think this movie was very good, so basically, I like Phantom of the Opera! Only downside is this makes me think of a mug we got in LA and when you put something hot in it, the mask would show up! it was so awesome but then that kinda wore off and you’d see the mask all the time and then I think it broke or something.
I’ve never seen any previous movie version or actual musical performance of it, so the story and movie were new to me. I recognized the first song Christine sang and the Phantom of the Opera song. I had no idea I would know anything from it.
I think they should have gotten a better Phantom since Gerard Butler couldn’t sing all that well. At times, I kept thinking of the Dracula musical that is in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. He sounded just like Jason Segal! That was hilarious to me.
I found Phantom’s sewer lair place very much like the Pirates of Caribbean. That made me think of Disneyland and made me happy, but they didn’t spend all their time there.
I got why she didn’t want to be with crazy-mad Phantom, and I would guess she would want to be with her childhood sweetheart, but floppy hair boy just looked like a wuss to me so I kept praying he was going to get killed.
My favorite part of the movie was Jer trying to sing opera with his own lyrics about everyone taking too long to get to the point and pretty much acting stupid in general. No one else will get to experience that though.
I don’t know if it was this version of it, the storyline in general, or just Jer singing along to it, but this wasn’t really my kind of movie. It was better than I expected though.
Rating: B-