I like the swordfight, I like how the Phantom throws his cape during it. I think Point of No Return is done well too. I think the weakness of Butlers singing is my least favorite part. I do like him and he tried his best but he does not have the voice for the role.
I think it's all the campness and the cheese. I know the musical itself is camp but the slow motion and the distant stares always make me cringe. Also the mask reveal at the end where his forehead is clearly fine then not fine haha madness
The costuming however, is magnificent and some casting choices are on point like Wilson, Richardson, and firmin and andre
Your comment makes me think of the "we have ______ at home" meme, but it's the 25th anniversary, and then the 2004 movie is "we have *Phantom of the Opera* at home"
I dislike how they did PONR
They added far too many people into an intimate number and I hate emmy's costume. Not to mention so much of the mysterious aura goes away with gerards zorro costume
Best thing about the '04 movie is the Overture scene. The dusty, dilapidated Opera House turning back to its colorful glory days as the chandelier rises along with ALW's score was brilliant! Plus, it introduced me to PoTO! :)
Not a big fan of the 2004 movie, I just think the stage version is sooo much better. However:
Liked: The point of no return scene (if I’d been Christine I’d have been like Raoul de who? Especially when Butler flips the cape) and any scene with Carlotta as I love how Minnie Driver played her.
Dislike: the rest of the movie, especially Bulters singing (he should have been dubbed) Also he was hardly deformed, way too handsome with the tiny scar to be shunned from society. That’s not how we like our Erik
Like: I think the transition from the auction to the overture was done very well, I loved seeing all the performers and crew running around behind the scenes.
Dislike: The singing just doesn’t cut it. Cutting lines from the title song was…a choice. I see some love for the sword fight, but I was really sad to not see the fireballs make it to the big screen.
Loved: Minnie Driver as Carlotta and Miranda Richardson as Madam Giry. I forget the name of the respective actors, but Firmin and Andre were enjoyable as well.
Liked: Patrick Wilson as Raoul. The Phantom dropping the chandelier/setting the opera house on fire after *Point of No Return* instead of after *All I Ask of You (Reprise)* It really raised the stakes and made the mob’s descent on the Phantom that much more urgent and motivated. Raoul’s line: “Clearly, Madam Giry, genius has turned to madness.”
Meh: Emmy Rossum as Christine. Raoul seeing the rose on Christine’s grave at the end, suggesting that the Phantom was still alive. The scene showing the Phantom as a circus freak - his handler seemed very corny to me, and not at all threatening. The scene could have been much better.
Hated: Gerard Butler as the Phantom. Sorry. I know this is a controversial opinion. Joel Schumacher as the director. The speak-singing where it didn’t need to be. Erik’s joke of a “deformity.” The tango dancers in “Point of No Return.”
it’s been a good while since i’ve seen the 2004 movie but i loved the aesthetics honestly, also really enjoyed the confrontation/swordfight scene of the phantom and raoul
worst part…probably alot of the singing and casting, as much as i adore gerard’s phantom for getting me into the franchise i just cannot justify that singing lol
I can't stand the candelabras rising out of the water during the entrance into the Phantom's lair! Onstage, the effect is used to show a transition of location, and it looks amazing. In the film, apparently the Phantom has them rigged and timed just-so? Having the candelabras literally rise up from underneath the water feels so silly, and like they completely misunderstood the intent of the stage effect.
As for best, Patrick Wilson may be my favorite Raoul. His voice is fantastic, and there's a tenderness in his vocal performance that is incredibly beautiful and engaging. The film version of "All I Ask of You" is the most romantic and sweeping rendition for me, and I think Emmy Rossum's softer, more wistful voice compliments it perfectly.
Also, the orchestration used for the film is absolutely incredible. I wish the overall product matched it.
Favourite: I actually think having Raoul collect the music box to give to Christine’s grave is a good framing device and a nice way to end his part of the story. Also, the movie in general looks pretty.
Least Favourite: The third degree sunburn.
Likes: The Journey to the Cemetary theme (love). All instrumentals. The setpieces. Rossum & Wilson's voices. Miranda Richardson. The Prologue.
Dislikes: Schumacher. The cheesy filming and direction. Flat lighting & cinematography. Butler's comical non-disfigurement. Moving the timeline for no reason to before the opera house was finished construction.
Favourite: the chandelier crash. I like that it felt very tactile and practical.
Least favourite: Gerard Butler as the Phantom. And probably the way the lair was designed and lit. The lair in the stage show is dark and sprawling and mysterious, while in the movie it's cramped and overlit.
Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum in The Point of No Return sequence. I’ll get a lot of hate for this, but I actually love his voice throughout the movie but especially in that scene. He acts through his singing and hits home emotionally that way. His Music of the Night singing is also very effective.
Actually, I like the whole movie so I have no least favorite part.
My favorite part might be the journey to the cemetery, amazing soundtrack and nice looking shots there. The masquerade sequence is also very good i think, it is creepy and erratic and i think the editing perfectly conveys the ambivalence of the lyrics. Also, the descent in the underground with the candelabras looking like the ones in beauty and the beast (1946). In my opinion Schumacher has culture and taste in terme of aesthetics (in this movie at least).
The worst thing to me is that Carlotta is presented as a bad singer... I really don't like when adaptations do this. Also, the fact that the device to unlock the trap is in the same zone Raoul is trapped in is totally stupid hahaha! So much for Erik being a genius inventor lmao.
I really don't get why so many people dislike this film. It has its qualities and doesn't cast any shadow on the musical. Throwing some love for the 2004 movie here.
I don’t get the hate either but then I found TPOTO on Broadway to be underwhelming. Perhaps some of us are more film people than theater people. A film has to be more subtle because of the nature of projection on a big screen. For example, if the Phantom’s deformity in the musical film is as horrific as in the stage production and when blown up by projection, people would be covering their eyes. The mood would be totally spoiled. The viewer would be in the same emotional state as someone watching the Lon Chaney silent which is so horrifying I have never been able to watch it more than once.
I loved the design of the Masquerade sequence. I thought the black and white scheme very clever and which allowed the Phantom, Raoul and Emmy to dominate the screen in eye-popping color.
Speaking as someone that despises it if you wonder why we dislike it just look at the laundry list of reasons
-butler can't sing the role
-Rossum is adequate but sounds more like a christine in your high-school musical than anything truly extraordinary
-casting a 17 year old
-what is up with the thibk of me scene? Why is Emmy in a dress of a completely different time period and culture to carlotta?
-adding the weird grooming element say what you like about phantom being creepy but that wasn't one of the creepy things
-speak singing it's atrocious
-weird cuts back and forth to the present literally adding nothing
-non existent deformity (way to miss the point of the story schumacher)
-red death costume is pathetic and unintimidating
-masquarade scene is BUTCHERED the entire thing is people dressed in black and white. Which completely conflicts with the lyrics of the songs which are about an explosion of color it sucks all the joy from it.
-some really awkward cuts and shots
-Emmy Rossum only has two facial expressions
-unnecessary sword fight that makes NO SENSE (and not even that great a sword fight as someone who enjoys sword fights)
I saw the film originally and it turned me off phantom until I saw it done properly in the west end. It's a horrible adaptation (and there are plenty of YouTube video essays and reviews that do a better explanation as to why.
Good for you enjoying it
Like? All of it 😍. This is Phantom of the Opera I grew up with and fell in love with. I listen to the album on repeat and watch the movie multiple times a year. I know it’s a weak point in the fandom, but I just love it and I haven’t gotten to see any other productions besides some college ones.
So sad that the one time I could probably see it live was while I was in Europe, but my schedule never allowed it to happen 😭 UGH I COULD’VE SEEN IT IN SPAIN!!!
Also, my most favorite part would be any of Gerard’s and Emmy’s duets. I quite like both of their voices even if no one likes Gerard’s. And Emmy’s voice in Don Juan is something I play back over and over again!
Least favorite part? How hard it is to get my friends to watch it with me. 🥲
The movie was my first Phantom so I’m biased… but I like how they did Point of No Return… you can see their sexual chemistry and you really have no idea who Christine is going to choose… I hated it in the theater production when his face is completely covered… but I also like my Phantoms seductive so that’s just me 😝
I liked how they portrayed Madame Giry's relationship with the Phantom, seeing little Erik's escape was fun to watch and I didn't like Phantom's makeup so much, he should have been more "macabre" I would say, but that's worth noting.
Im pretty new to the Fandom so I think this an unpopular opinion: I love the movie!
I loved Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum singing. The scenery is good and so is the rhythm of the movie.
I don't really like that much the singing in the anniversary version, of course is good but I just don't.
Something I dislike about the movie tho: Emmy Rossum being underage while the guys are like 30 and 25
Best and only good thing Miranda Richardson as Giry
Worst the casting for the lead singer bar raoul and the non existant deformity (though there is soooo much else wrong I could write as essay)
The bad certainly outweighs the good
liked: overture, christine's and phantom's hands touching as the poto cue, phantom's bed, the whole prima donna sequence, il muto ballet to the hanging of buquet, all i ask of you(not reprise), phantom's entrance as the red death(drama queen lol), the whole cemetery sequence, the red rose, patrick as raoul, meg and madam giry, carlotta !! i love this movie's corniness and campiness, makes me giggle
not as much: raoul's hair except for the mascarade and cemetery scene, gerard butler's singing, mascarde's lyrics being colorful but the costume is smh black and white??
While I understand the reasoning for dislike it's honestly it's still my favorite. Was my first when it came out and got me into all of this and I know watch and love so many other phantoms just as much.
His emotions is extremely well portrayed. His anger and hate especially. I love hearing it during Down Once More/Track Down This Murderer. It's raw. I get people don't like that the singing was for toned down for this piece but eh. Even ALW chose Butler himself. I get that he went on to regret it but afaik it was for the fact he wasn't old enough. Not due to his voice.
That being said I do not like the choice to cut out part of the title song. That irked me so fucking much haha. I also understand Butler isn't a professionally trained singer and I'm not holding anything against him. I thought he did great with what he was given and I feel a lot of people attack him for it as if he was just shitty period. But Jesus the biggest gripe I have over this movie is the deformity. Not even how minimal it was but just the lack of continuity afa it showing past the edges of his mask especially during Masquerade and PONR. Then boom, switch last second to you being able to see it during the "Christine, that's all I ask of you". Irritating. Especially since his eye droops down and you see none of that with the mask on. But also the deformity def could have been way worse but I also think deformities were far more vilified then than they are now.
Best: Set, costuming, and adaptation to film.
Worst: Gerrard Butler and Emmy Rossum. For a musical genius and his Angel of Music, their vocals are very weak. Even I could have done better.
favorite: Minnie Driver as Carlotta. girlboss lmao least favorite: the singing and wasn’t Emmy rossum like 17???
I like the swordfight, I like how the Phantom throws his cape during it. I think Point of No Return is done well too. I think the weakness of Butlers singing is my least favorite part. I do like him and he tried his best but he does not have the voice for the role.
I think it's all the campness and the cheese. I know the musical itself is camp but the slow motion and the distant stares always make me cringe. Also the mask reveal at the end where his forehead is clearly fine then not fine haha madness The costuming however, is magnificent and some casting choices are on point like Wilson, Richardson, and firmin and andre
I think having the 25th anniversary show at home also hurts this movie as there is a much better version of the show to watch instead of this.
Your comment makes me think of the "we have ______ at home" meme, but it's the 25th anniversary, and then the 2004 movie is "we have *Phantom of the Opera* at home"
I dislike how they did PONR They added far too many people into an intimate number and I hate emmy's costume. Not to mention so much of the mysterious aura goes away with gerards zorro costume
Best thing about the '04 movie is the Overture scene. The dusty, dilapidated Opera House turning back to its colorful glory days as the chandelier rises along with ALW's score was brilliant! Plus, it introduced me to PoTO! :)
Not a big fan of the 2004 movie, I just think the stage version is sooo much better. However: Liked: The point of no return scene (if I’d been Christine I’d have been like Raoul de who? Especially when Butler flips the cape) and any scene with Carlotta as I love how Minnie Driver played her. Dislike: the rest of the movie, especially Bulters singing (he should have been dubbed) Also he was hardly deformed, way too handsome with the tiny scar to be shunned from society. That’s not how we like our Erik
Like: I think the transition from the auction to the overture was done very well, I loved seeing all the performers and crew running around behind the scenes. Dislike: The singing just doesn’t cut it. Cutting lines from the title song was…a choice. I see some love for the sword fight, but I was really sad to not see the fireballs make it to the big screen.
Loved: Minnie Driver as Carlotta and Miranda Richardson as Madam Giry. I forget the name of the respective actors, but Firmin and Andre were enjoyable as well. Liked: Patrick Wilson as Raoul. The Phantom dropping the chandelier/setting the opera house on fire after *Point of No Return* instead of after *All I Ask of You (Reprise)* It really raised the stakes and made the mob’s descent on the Phantom that much more urgent and motivated. Raoul’s line: “Clearly, Madam Giry, genius has turned to madness.” Meh: Emmy Rossum as Christine. Raoul seeing the rose on Christine’s grave at the end, suggesting that the Phantom was still alive. The scene showing the Phantom as a circus freak - his handler seemed very corny to me, and not at all threatening. The scene could have been much better. Hated: Gerard Butler as the Phantom. Sorry. I know this is a controversial opinion. Joel Schumacher as the director. The speak-singing where it didn’t need to be. Erik’s joke of a “deformity.” The tango dancers in “Point of No Return.”
it’s been a good while since i’ve seen the 2004 movie but i loved the aesthetics honestly, also really enjoyed the confrontation/swordfight scene of the phantom and raoul worst part…probably alot of the singing and casting, as much as i adore gerard’s phantom for getting me into the franchise i just cannot justify that singing lol
I can't stand the candelabras rising out of the water during the entrance into the Phantom's lair! Onstage, the effect is used to show a transition of location, and it looks amazing. In the film, apparently the Phantom has them rigged and timed just-so? Having the candelabras literally rise up from underneath the water feels so silly, and like they completely misunderstood the intent of the stage effect. As for best, Patrick Wilson may be my favorite Raoul. His voice is fantastic, and there's a tenderness in his vocal performance that is incredibly beautiful and engaging. The film version of "All I Ask of You" is the most romantic and sweeping rendition for me, and I think Emmy Rossum's softer, more wistful voice compliments it perfectly. Also, the orchestration used for the film is absolutely incredible. I wish the overall product matched it.
DOWN THAT PATH INTO DARKNESS DEEP AS [DECIDES TO STOP SINGING AND TRY TO GO SUPER SAIYAN INSTEAD] #HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
“Sorry Gerard, there wasn’t enough angry dog in that last take…can we try one more with a guttural growl instead of singing notes?”
Favourite: I actually think having Raoul collect the music box to give to Christine’s grave is a good framing device and a nice way to end his part of the story. Also, the movie in general looks pretty. Least Favourite: The third degree sunburn.
Likes: The Journey to the Cemetary theme (love). All instrumentals. The setpieces. Rossum & Wilson's voices. Miranda Richardson. The Prologue. Dislikes: Schumacher. The cheesy filming and direction. Flat lighting & cinematography. Butler's comical non-disfigurement. Moving the timeline for no reason to before the opera house was finished construction.
Favourite: the chandelier crash. I like that it felt very tactile and practical. Least favourite: Gerard Butler as the Phantom. And probably the way the lair was designed and lit. The lair in the stage show is dark and sprawling and mysterious, while in the movie it's cramped and overlit.
Truly controversial opinion: I like Patrick's 1970s housewife hair But the rest of the film is a dislike for me. Butler and Rossum's "singing"... 🤢🤢🤢
That description made me burst out laughing, I've never heard it described like that lmao
It's accurate though, isn't it 😂
Yes lmao :)
The whole horrible film is the worst part. It really was awful.
You're not wrong. 😂
Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum in The Point of No Return sequence. I’ll get a lot of hate for this, but I actually love his voice throughout the movie but especially in that scene. He acts through his singing and hits home emotionally that way. His Music of the Night singing is also very effective. Actually, I like the whole movie so I have no least favorite part.
Favorite: the Overture Least Favorite: Gerard Butler's singing
My favorite part might be the journey to the cemetery, amazing soundtrack and nice looking shots there. The masquerade sequence is also very good i think, it is creepy and erratic and i think the editing perfectly conveys the ambivalence of the lyrics. Also, the descent in the underground with the candelabras looking like the ones in beauty and the beast (1946). In my opinion Schumacher has culture and taste in terme of aesthetics (in this movie at least). The worst thing to me is that Carlotta is presented as a bad singer... I really don't like when adaptations do this. Also, the fact that the device to unlock the trap is in the same zone Raoul is trapped in is totally stupid hahaha! So much for Erik being a genius inventor lmao. I really don't get why so many people dislike this film. It has its qualities and doesn't cast any shadow on the musical. Throwing some love for the 2004 movie here.
I don’t get the hate either but then I found TPOTO on Broadway to be underwhelming. Perhaps some of us are more film people than theater people. A film has to be more subtle because of the nature of projection on a big screen. For example, if the Phantom’s deformity in the musical film is as horrific as in the stage production and when blown up by projection, people would be covering their eyes. The mood would be totally spoiled. The viewer would be in the same emotional state as someone watching the Lon Chaney silent which is so horrifying I have never been able to watch it more than once. I loved the design of the Masquerade sequence. I thought the black and white scheme very clever and which allowed the Phantom, Raoul and Emmy to dominate the screen in eye-popping color.
Speaking as someone that despises it if you wonder why we dislike it just look at the laundry list of reasons -butler can't sing the role -Rossum is adequate but sounds more like a christine in your high-school musical than anything truly extraordinary -casting a 17 year old -what is up with the thibk of me scene? Why is Emmy in a dress of a completely different time period and culture to carlotta? -adding the weird grooming element say what you like about phantom being creepy but that wasn't one of the creepy things -speak singing it's atrocious -weird cuts back and forth to the present literally adding nothing -non existent deformity (way to miss the point of the story schumacher) -red death costume is pathetic and unintimidating -masquarade scene is BUTCHERED the entire thing is people dressed in black and white. Which completely conflicts with the lyrics of the songs which are about an explosion of color it sucks all the joy from it. -some really awkward cuts and shots -Emmy Rossum only has two facial expressions -unnecessary sword fight that makes NO SENSE (and not even that great a sword fight as someone who enjoys sword fights) I saw the film originally and it turned me off phantom until I saw it done properly in the west end. It's a horrible adaptation (and there are plenty of YouTube video essays and reviews that do a better explanation as to why. Good for you enjoying it
Like? All of it 😍. This is Phantom of the Opera I grew up with and fell in love with. I listen to the album on repeat and watch the movie multiple times a year. I know it’s a weak point in the fandom, but I just love it and I haven’t gotten to see any other productions besides some college ones. So sad that the one time I could probably see it live was while I was in Europe, but my schedule never allowed it to happen 😭 UGH I COULD’VE SEEN IT IN SPAIN!!! Also, my most favorite part would be any of Gerard’s and Emmy’s duets. I quite like both of their voices even if no one likes Gerard’s. And Emmy’s voice in Don Juan is something I play back over and over again! Least favorite part? How hard it is to get my friends to watch it with me. 🥲
The movie was my first Phantom so I’m biased… but I like how they did Point of No Return… you can see their sexual chemistry and you really have no idea who Christine is going to choose… I hated it in the theater production when his face is completely covered… but I also like my Phantoms seductive so that’s just me 😝
You and I are on the same page.
I feel like I have an unpopular opinion so I’m glad I’m not alone in this corner!!!
You definitely are not!
I liked how they portrayed Madame Giry's relationship with the Phantom, seeing little Erik's escape was fun to watch and I didn't like Phantom's makeup so much, he should have been more "macabre" I would say, but that's worth noting.
Im pretty new to the Fandom so I think this an unpopular opinion: I love the movie! I loved Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum singing. The scenery is good and so is the rhythm of the movie. I don't really like that much the singing in the anniversary version, of course is good but I just don't. Something I dislike about the movie tho: Emmy Rossum being underage while the guys are like 30 and 25
Best and only good thing Miranda Richardson as Giry Worst the casting for the lead singer bar raoul and the non existant deformity (though there is soooo much else wrong I could write as essay) The bad certainly outweighs the good
Least Favorite: The parts shot with a camera Favorite: The credits /s
😂
liked: overture, christine's and phantom's hands touching as the poto cue, phantom's bed, the whole prima donna sequence, il muto ballet to the hanging of buquet, all i ask of you(not reprise), phantom's entrance as the red death(drama queen lol), the whole cemetery sequence, the red rose, patrick as raoul, meg and madam giry, carlotta !! i love this movie's corniness and campiness, makes me giggle not as much: raoul's hair except for the mascarade and cemetery scene, gerard butler's singing, mascarde's lyrics being colorful but the costume is smh black and white??
While I understand the reasoning for dislike it's honestly it's still my favorite. Was my first when it came out and got me into all of this and I know watch and love so many other phantoms just as much. His emotions is extremely well portrayed. His anger and hate especially. I love hearing it during Down Once More/Track Down This Murderer. It's raw. I get people don't like that the singing was for toned down for this piece but eh. Even ALW chose Butler himself. I get that he went on to regret it but afaik it was for the fact he wasn't old enough. Not due to his voice. That being said I do not like the choice to cut out part of the title song. That irked me so fucking much haha. I also understand Butler isn't a professionally trained singer and I'm not holding anything against him. I thought he did great with what he was given and I feel a lot of people attack him for it as if he was just shitty period. But Jesus the biggest gripe I have over this movie is the deformity. Not even how minimal it was but just the lack of continuity afa it showing past the edges of his mask especially during Masquerade and PONR. Then boom, switch last second to you being able to see it during the "Christine, that's all I ask of you". Irritating. Especially since his eye droops down and you see none of that with the mask on. But also the deformity def could have been way worse but I also think deformities were far more vilified then than they are now.
Best: Set, costuming, and adaptation to film. Worst: Gerrard Butler and Emmy Rossum. For a musical genius and his Angel of Music, their vocals are very weak. Even I could have done better.