Since the last time I watched this movie, I’ve watched just about every version of Phantom I could find, including the stage production…eight times, actually! I know this, because I know I haven’t seen it since the first time I saw the stage production. I say “finally” because I haven’t seen it in…at least eight years. I personally thought there were a lot of positive elements in this film, including Schumacher’s lavish direction, but this one was a near miss.I finally watched the Gerard Butler Phantom. Although the Phantom curses Christine when she privately removes his mask, he in fact loves her and commits a sacrificial act in the end. There is also a hanging scene which is brief but it would be unnerving for many viewers. A man mocks the diva Carlotta by dropping his drawers. Unfortunately for our Dove family viewers, we cannot award our Dove Seal to the film as it contains brief male rear nudity. The music is great and it is understandable why the original soundtrack sold zillions of copies. She makes a very convincing ingénue and helps carry the film.

On the other hand, singing is something which Emmy Rossum does very well. He chews up the scenery and does a very credible job.

Singing isn’t Butler’s strength, but he is adequate and his phantom has a strong and charismatic presence. Both Butler and Rossum do a fantastic job. The leads in this film are Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum, who replace the stage duo of Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman.

This film is based on the wildly popular “Phantom of the Opera” play produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber in the mid 1980’s.

New phantom of the opera movie