Le fantôme de l'opéra

Aside from the original musical, this is probably the pick of the crop out of the cinematic versions of the story.

Charles Dance does an outstanding job, making good use of the script and direction, both of which are well above average. Other performances were pretty excellent too. The music is engaging and well worth adding to any non teenage-dirtbag collection!

This could easily have been a disaster, but instead turned out to be surprisingly - and pleasantly - good with interesting variations on a theme. Good, clean entertainment that the whole family can enjoy without the usual Hollywood crass to spoilt it! All in all, a big thumbs up to all concerned.

The Phantom of the Opera in this movie is not the classic Leroux or Webber version that many people envision. However, the story told is a good one. If you have some free time and you are ready for a good romance novel with a little bit of action, then pick up this movie. Charles Dance creates a sentimental Phantom of the Opera, but he shows a more powerful side by the end of the movie. Definitely a love story!!

If you are a Phantom phan, or know anything about POTO, then it may help you to know that this is the movie version of the Yeston/Kopit musical. It doesn't have the songs, but it follows the same basic plot line.

I saw this 2 parter on NBC back when Andrew Lloyd Webber was sitting on top of the musical world with his Phantom of the Opera. This is a decent musical story version of the Leroux tale. The year before in 1989 Golan and Globus hired up Robert Englund a.k.a. Freddie Krueger to do a slasher movie version of the story which was a total off the original storyline of the Phantom of the Opera. That movie in all honesty, sucks ! When Yestin and Koppit released this mini series they returned Erik to Paris, France and to his beloved Opera House and once again he is deeply in love with engenue chorus girl and understudy to La Carlotta, Christine Daae, who's beauty and angelic voice reminds him of his dead mother, a nice back story line added to the original storyline with one more family member added in for the first time, the Phantom's friend and father played by venerable veteran actor Burt Lancaster. The soundtrack to this movie is available on RCA C.D. and Tapes under the simple name Phantom. It is the original theatrical stage production that this mini series was based on by Yestin and Koppit.

One, Charles Dance is always terrific, playing good, bad or indifferent guys with equal aplomb and skill. (This time he's a good guy who, unfortunately, is not blessed with good looks.) Two, the sets and music are superb. And three, the final climactic aria is Charles Gounod's fabulous goosebump-raising "Anges Pur, Anges Radieux" ("Angels Pure, Angels Radiant") from "Faust". No, we don't see the Phantom's face....but Christine does, and her expression tells us everything.

I watched this movie because I wanted to see what Andrew Lloyd Webber was up against. I honestly thought it was going to be horrible. After, I saw the movie not only was I very impressed, but I couldn't get enough of it. I loved the cast. I was extremely pleased not none of Yestin's and Koppit's songs were used.(Now, I saw the Yestin's and Koppit's play long before I even knew a movie of it had been made.)I didn't like what they did with Eric's background story. I felt that it took away from his character. I hated that they didn't make Philippe more of a hero and that he had scenes in which he smoked!!! I was disappointed that we only saw Eric's face once and that it wasn't more believable. His face also really wasn't scary. I also thought that young Philippe, young Christine,and young Eric should have, at least, some dialogue.