jodie-47 Review of The Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of the Opera (1998)

Interesting take on a familiar story

[7/10 · 24 April 2006]

I've seen probably the majority of Phantom films ever made and own a number. This one I left until just last night to watch because I suspected it might be a little on the odd side. During the entire movie, I just wanted Julian to wash and brush his hair! Really, Dario wanted to make his own version of a familiar story and he did just that. If you look at it as merely someone's new take on the old story, then it can be viewed in an objective fashion. To be honest, I quite enjoyed it and loved the end scene. I actually felt some sympathy with Julian's phantom - Christine was just an irritation and obviously had no idea of how to fake a singer's breathing. Both she and the Phantom look pretty OK naked though.... Can't complain about that because every one wants the Phantom and Christine to get together, and here finally they did. It was a little more graphic that I had expected and a little more violent (I had imagined a more romantic tryst). The ratcatcher I would personally have gutted much much earlier in the movie - talk about a pain in the butt! Raoul was a nothing and could pretty much be ignored. Overall, I enjoyed the DVD and will be happily keeping it in my Phantom collection for a long time to come.