Rating: 
Summary: Full of Sound and Fury
Review: Argento is often praised for his lavish cinematography and the inventive staging of graphic murders, obviously his main interest. While I certainly agree with the former I don't agree with the latter, actually many of his cinematic murders are quite ugly and clumsy, but that's not the case with Opera. The title suits the style of the movie well, it's pompous and showy and the "Peep-hole Murder" could be the most well-crafted murder scene this side of Psycho, certainly Argento's finest moment since Suspiria (1977). The story is as usual quite absurd, but we've come to expect that from an Argento-flick. Reasonable continuity and minimum sense are apparently too much to ask from him or else he just doesn't care, which would be rather strange, since his genre is the Giallo - detective-stories are usually based on precision. The allegorical voyeurism is handled quite well, but the main attraction is of course the visuals and Argento is more mannered than ever, displaying his various fetishes and phoebias with a lot of devotion and style. This is perhaps his most visually striking work since Suspiria.
The ending is disastrous.
The DVD looks great.
Rating: 
Summary: pretentious and pompous
Review: Maybe I am just getting tired of Argento' work but every other his movie I watch seems worse and worse. Yes, as with other Argento movies a cynematography is unusual, but when this doesn't accompany anything else you start to question the meaning of this creativity. The plot is absurd, acting is horrible (the actress playing the main character is the worst), suspense is minimal. Even gore, that I personally don't care much about but which should be there according to the genre, is totally unimpressive. Plus, it's plainly boring.
Rating: 
Summary: Sing Along
Review: Dario took a short leave of absence after Phenomena(which wasn't met with the best reviews, but what do reviewers know?), and helped Lamberto Bava with his Demons films. He returned with a vengence with Opera. He abandoned the supernatural element of his previous three films and went back to his "giallo" formula. The plot is far from being original(you can only do so much with these "giallo" plotlines), but Argento is able to make it interesting nonetheless coz....he's Argento. You can make a movie about anything and make it interesting if you present it correctly. Argento is certainly a master of presentation. There is no one who can film a murder scene like him. He makes it into a bizarre art form. Even if it's just your average stabbing, it's far from average in Argento's hands. If you happen to like Argento's work, then it would be a sin not to see this one coz it's definitely one of his best. Pay no attention to those idiot reviewers who review Argento films and bash them when they don't like Dario to begin with. I don't go reviewing Gus Vant Sant films. And bring me the head of Zack Snyder!
Rating:
Summary: A real Collector's
Review: It's not probably among the masterpieces of the Maestro of Terror, but this DVD edition really rules! The video is clean and the audio is available also in THX. And the package comprises a previously unreleased 35-minute interview with all the people working on this film. Director Dario Argento, actors Urbano Barberini and Daria Nicolodi, director of the cinematography Ronnie Taylor take your hand and lead you through a detailed reasoning on the creation and the development of this thriller which doesn't offer a wonderful screenpaly or a superb acting, but gives it all on the magical atmosphere around a misterious chain of gore murders seasoning the theatrical release of the Macbeth. Disc two launches the evocative original soundtrack. A must for Argento's fans all over the world.
Rating:
Summary: Weak from Argento, weak in general
Review: Here is my rating for Opera:acting=1 star
effects=4 stars
ending=1 star
atmosphere=4 stars
Directing and Editing=3 stars
storyline=2 stars
replay value=2 stars As you can see, it's a big disappointment. While the atmosphere is quite good, the acting, the dialogues and the ending ruins the whole movie. This is the silliest ending for a horror-film I've ever seen.
Sorry Argento.
Rating:
Summary: Mixed bag
Review: The first Argento film I ever saw. Viewed it twice now and the second time around I enjoyed it more. It seems like you have to digest Argento's films properly before you make up your mind.
On the upside there are lots of crazy visuals here and they are mostly brilliant. The camera seems to be all over the place and you get dizzy watching some scenes. As with the murder scenes, they are also brilliant (one in particular, I won't spoil this one).
On the downside it's got horribly uneven perfomances from the actors. Christina Marsillach is just plain bad, as is Daria Nicolodi. Normally you don't expect good performances from the actors in Dario's films but these two are really too much. Ian Charleson is very good however, playing a horror film director turned opera director. The music is weird and fits well in some places and not so well in others. The story is implausible at best, this is mostly a visual experience. Plus the ending is a bit of a letdown.
All in all a mixed bag from the italian horror maestro. Worth a look to be sure, but in my opinon not nearly his best. But then again I've only seen it twice.
Rating:
Summary: Explores The Theme of Twisted Relationships and Illusions
Review: Argento's film isn't just about a psychopathic killer who stalks pretty young opera diva Betty, it's a study in the theme of twisted relationships, the way people can become enmeshed or entangled with someone without knowing how, or why, by blindly assuming that someone is a "certain" way just by taking appearances into consideration, which can be deceiving. As Maitland McDonagh, famed Argento scholar wrote, this film is about "eyes," how we see people and ourselves and relate to others because of illusion. Just take a look at the cover of the video and see the proof for yourself. This film is not just about getting some sadistic kicks from watching Betty undergo these horrendous tortures, but much much more. NOT for the faint of heart! Be forewarned. Also, might I mention the filmmaking and storyline truly is impressive, as well as boasting a superb soundtrack. I highly recommend this film to anyone who is an armchair psychologist or just enjoys movies which are eccentric, not in a bad way, but in a very visually stunning sense.
Rating:
Summary: Gore-geous.
Review: While lacking the hallucinogenic colour schemes of "Suspiria" and "Inferno", this film has a distinct aesthetic of its own, and it is beautifully executed. It perfectly synthesizes all of the most endearing (or alienating, depending on who you are) stylistic and thematic elements of an Argento film: fetishism, bravura camera and editing techniques, murder setpieces as clever as they are brutal, stagey acting, and nonsensical dialogue. The camerawork is endlessly inventive, swooping and spinning and diving in for ludicrously tight closeups like it's being operated by a five-year-old on ten cups of coffee. I especially love the scene in the wardrobe department when you're not sure when the camera represents the killer's POV and when it's just a camera; you just KNOW the costume designer's going to get it, but the camera keeps you guessing when it's going to come. It's very disorienting, but in a perfectly intentional way. Although it's technically a giallo, "Opera" borders on a horror movie sheerly by virtue of its style. Even hardcore fans have complained about the ending, which seems too bright and happy for an Argento film, but I think it's just perfect. C'mon...a one-eyed killer chasing a beautiful young opera diva around the Swiss Alps to the tune of '80s thrash metal--what's not to like? All I can say about most of the negative Argento reviews I've read is that they miss the point; some critics feel compelled to focus on narrative "weaknesses" that obviously were of little interest to Argento because he was busy creating a stylish masterpiece. If you're the sort of person who can lose yourself in the internal meaning of the movie without quibbling about how unrealistic or nonsensical it is, you may like this one. I don't understand the mentality that equates "realistic" with "good". It's ART, for crying out loud! Anyway, the Anchor Bay package is lovely. The picture and audio are as vivid and crisp as if it were just shot and recorded yesterday. The soundtrack CD is a very nice bonus. Claudio Simonetti recorded some decent music for this one: some heavy instrumental synth-rock and some pretty, opera-esque music with a slightly creepy edge. Throw in some crazy thrash metal by a couple of 80's bands, and you've got a soundtrack as bizarre as the movie it graces. Also, there's an EXCELLENT making-of documentary.
Rating: 
Summary: Rubbish, like the rest.
Review: Like much of Argento's oeuvre, this rubbish is a mess: it's trite, badly acted, scripted, produced. The age old excuse that he 'prefers style over substance' is more than just a little simple minded. His films are the equivalent of cheap roller coaster rides at run down theme parks, they provide the rush, but at the cost of a willfull disdain for the audience and the narrative conventions that simply must be adhered to when genres like this are attempted.
His cinematically galvanising murder scenes usually have women as their subjects. This is not so much as a result of Argento having a plethora of sick, twisted, nightmarish psychoanalytical "issues" (an idea which I'm sure he cultivates consciously to maintain his status as a cult 'icon') as much as pandering to his devoted fans who by now expect a number of women to be offed during the course of one of his films. In fact, the apparent psychoanalytical underpinnings of his films are so trite, so simple-minded and sophomoric, they're actually laughable. Bravura technique (in both senses of the term) is not that difficult to pull off, anyway. A stupid, silly, laughable exercise in idiot filmmaking. Too absolutely moronic to be taken seriously in any light.
Rating:
Summary: Contrived and silly = not scarey or suspensful
Review: Anyone who has seen Phenomenon or Inferno knows Argento's problem with logic. Operas problems: It's neither scary nor suspenseful mostly because of a very low credibility quotient and a multitude of extravagant, annoying distractions and contrivances.
There are too many overly familiar hooded killer clichés, silly dialogue, unintentional camp, and nonsensical situations, illogical chracater decisions, odd dubbing and questionable acting The Low Logic Quotient: Members of a close knit opera company are being brutally killed -yet the remaining members handle the news as if it's only a minor annoyance.
The Opera's star is tortured and forced to watch brutal, bloody executions of the stage hands - What does she do? - She goes for a walk, tells the disinterested director. What does he do - he drops her off at her apartment has a chat and says good night.
A homicidal butcher is caught in the act by a young woman. What does she do? She waits around to tease him so he can butcher her too.
An Opera company member purposely and without warning drops a huge steel cage in the middle of the theater's stage almost crushing the innocent actors and causing a dangerous stampede in the audience. Instead of being flogged for this life threatening stupidity he is met with adulations and the words "You're a genius!"
Birds obsess on avenging the murder of their bird friends.
Finally by the end is no logic behind the motives or actions of the killer or the heroin. Silly distractions and contrivances Every time there is a murder annoying heavy metal music breaks out.
Cheap lighting affects, camera angles and moving cams are chopped into the film wily-nily only to distract from the suspense.
The killer's brain is seen intermittently throbbing when he is on the prowl - this is highlighted by a shaky cam and heart beat accompaniment - an inane cliche.
The editing lingers far too long on gore effects - destroying their impact and allowing the audience too much time to analyze and discuss and laugh at the fake blood, rubber knives, and latex.
Some very good actors come off as amateurish due to hokey dialogue, dubbing and ludicrous situations. The film simply seems like a rag tag bunch of familiar Argento hooded killer clichés, slice-em-up vignettes, and M-TV video contrivances mechanically chopped together. The effect is that it creates a very goofy, unmoving, annoying and uneven film. Operas pluses. Top grade photography, set design, and costumes.
A good line up of actors (its not their fault that they come off badly).
A great opera house setting.
Superb opera music.
One memorable scene. A bullet traveling through a peep hole, into an eye a head and a telephone.
Some interesting and original twists on the original Phantom of the Opera theme. *Spoiler - In particular - ( and I wonder if anyone noticed) the phantom is good looking, low key and polite only becoming disfigured and deranged after his identity is known.
Anchor Bay has provided a beautiful picture and Dolby 5.1 sound.
The film is compelling only due to its out and out flamboyance. Bottom line I can recommended Opera to those still curious about Dario Argento's work (I admit that I'm one of them). But Opera is no Deep Red, or even The Bird with the Crystal Plumage for that matter. For non Argento fans - the film will probably be a tedious experience with a high unintentional cringe and laugh factor - all for the wrong reasons.
Note:
Someone should do a study on the films of David Lynch and Dario Argento. There might be little difference on paper. Argento and Lynch can both be incomprehensible, campy, metaphysical, and phantasmagorical. Lynch works in film noir with elements of horror. Argento works in horror with elements of film noir. Both Lynch an Argento films often present us with some original film making angles not encountered before. Both directors use excellent photographers but only in Lynch's films - is the camp, humor, weirdness, the fantastic and the cryptic deliberate, calculated and meticulously seamed into the film. This means that for the most part a Lynch film consistently works while only sporadic parts of most an Argento film works.
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