The Phantom of the Opera (TV Miniseries)

Rating:
Summary: Mixed feelings cloud my judgement
Review: This is not a terrible version of the classic tale at all. I'm such a HUGE fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage version, so I tend to always compare the two. But without the comparison, it's not that bad. I liked that we get a lot of background on Erik's (The Phantom) past. Charles Dance played a nice Phantom, his vocals sounded menacing, yet soothing at the same time. I didn't like that the part of Raoul, was changed to 'Phillipe' (but here I am comparing again). Teri Polo (now of 'Meet the Parents' fame) plays a nice Christine and it's heartbreaking when Carlotta drugs her and she's booed off the stage. At three hours or so, this really is an epic version of 'The Phantom'. There are some great images... when Christine and Phillipe (eye roll) take a midnight carriage ride or when The Phantom leads Christine through his lair. The set is so different. It's forest-like with stuffed birds/deer etc... all over the place. Creepy... It was nice to see Burt Lancaster and he did a good job. It was an interesting twist to have the former Opera manager actually be the Phantom's father. I agree with another viewer. Where's the Masquerade ball? That's one of the most stunning sequences in all of Broadway history and should have been included. The end is kind of unnecessary and plays out more like a suspense thriller with a chase on the Paris Opera rooftops. All in all, though, this is a decent version and has it's virtues. We benefit from good performances (esp. by the actress portraying Carlotta) and a film version actually being shot in the famed Paris Opera House.

Rating:
Summary: Not quite a 5, definately a 4.5
Review: I really like this movie. It's one of the better movie adaptations of the Phantom (at least until we see the musical this December *crosses fingers*), however, it is a shame that it didn't stick to the original story.

I did like it on its own. If you didn't know much about the story, then you would probably really enjoy the movie. If you have read the story, and countless retellings of it, you may be dissapointed.

Raoul has a completely different name and he's the one who sent Christine to the Paris Opera house for singing lessons. She was NEVER a dancer in this movie. The old manager knew about Erik and kept him hidden in the Opera house rather than trying to hunt him down. Carlotta is vain and foolish (which is a lot of fun) and is probably the closest to true character. The Persian is nowhere to be found, although you could argue that the character of the Persian is grafted onto the old manager.

All in all, I do enjoy this movie. The humor quotient is refreshing, the plot is plausible (sometimes a little shakey), and the characters are likeable. And Erik actually acts like someone who has no human contact, he is a bit socially inept.

If you are a diehard of the original, you will be dissapointed. If you can step outside of the original's shadow, then you might enjoy this movie for what it is: a take on a classic story, told for modern audiences.