I was curious why this was on the list, but we were dedicated to seeing what the movie had in store for us. I've read the book and watched the silent movie, among other things Phantom related. The book is my favorite thus far, probably followed by the stage show.
This is one of those times where the writers took good source material and butchered it beyond recognition. From what I read, people were giving it fairly decent reviews, but I'm not sure if they were watching the same thing I was.
The music: This is opera heavy, but it wasn't what I expected. I also didn't recognize the operas. I don't know much about opera, but I didn't know there was an opera about the Revolutionary War, a Jane Austen opera, or one about Genghis Khan. These musical sequences would go on for an extended period of time. Wasn't expecting that.
Raoul: So this character is a detective in the police department. We don't get background on his initial connection to Christine (were they childhood friends as in other versions?). He's trying to compete with a singer for Christine's heart, but he's also having to solve a murder. More on that later.
Christine: I wasn't shocked she was dumber than a box of rocks. She didn't recognize the Phantom's voice when he was trying to pull her into the sewer. She was leading on both the detective and the baritone, and it felt like she had one from each generation after her. At the end, she was a poop to both the men. At least she didn't faint. She probably didn't want to get dirty.
The Phantom: In a weird twist, the phantom is created by a woman throwing acid on him after he murders some guy. He thinks the man has stolen his concerto, but he doesn't know the whole story. While he's running, he finds a grate and lowers himself into the sewers. Then he splashes sewer water on his burned face. Eww by the way. He just pops up and murders the Carlotta character and her maid, and then he kills some undercover policeman to grab his cloak. He walks around the stage then makes his way up to the chandelier and spends an hour working on the large chains with a fragile-looking hacksaw. He actually didn't look that bad. The way he was obsessed with Christine was pretty uncomfortable.
The catacombs: Wow, these things are in really bad shape. There's a whole opera house on top of them, but when Raoul shoots one bullet into the ceiling, the whole thing comes down. And why did baritone man move his arm?
The tone: In every other version of Phantom, the tone was very clear. It was a somber tale of love and regret. But for some reason, this one decided to go the goofy humor route. The love square was so weird. Why did they add the baritone dude as a love interest? Just so he could sing all the time? I didn't get it. It was like they wanted someone Christine's age, her father's age (I'm being a little unfair on that one), and then the Phantom was more her grandfather's age. The colors were bright and didn't match the murders. Every once in a while, they would have a little moment of humor, and it was just confusing.
A sequel?!: When I read they had originally planned a sequel, I was floored. What in the world made people like this? Was it because it looked good in color? I mean, it did, but still. Also, the fact it didn't happen due to Claude Rains's schedule was probably a blessing.
As you can tell, this thing isn't getting a good anything review. I refuse to even call him by the hallowed name O.G (explained in book review). We actually checked how much time was left twice, and we were disappointed both times. We did try to hit some high notes with the music, but it was mostly to amuse ourselves. It was so bad, Mom thought I just made her watch it. She didn't believe it was on the list. To be honest, neither do I. Since I liked the original story so much, it was tough to see it treated this way. This movie totally missed the whole point of the story, and it hurt to watch.
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