| The Phantom of the Opera [Blu-ray] | ![The Phantom of the Opera [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51kruEham8L._SL160_.jpg)
| Actors: Emmy Rossum, Gerard Butler, Patrick Wilson, Kevin McNally, Murray Melvin
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $28.99
Buy New: $15.85
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New (34) Used (13) from $9.93
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Rating:  1442 reviews
Sales Rank: 1,523
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language)
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: Blu-ray
Region: 1
Discs: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Running Time: 143 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 5.3 x 0.5
MPN: 085391108108
UPC: 085391108108
EAN: 0085391108108
Theatrical Release Date: 2004
Release Date: October 31, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Although it's not as bold as Oscar darling Chicago, The Phantom of the Opera continues the resuscitation of the movie musical with a faithful adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's blockbuster stage musical. Emmy Rossum glows in a breakout role as opera ingénue Christine Daae, and if phantom Gerard Butler isn't Rossum's match vocally, he does convey menace and sensuality in such numbers as "The Music of the Night." The most experienced musical theater veteran in the cast, romantic lead Patrick Wilson, sings sweetly but seems wooden. The biggest name in the cast, Minnie Driver, hams it up as diva Carlotta, and she's the only principal whose voice was dubbed (though she does sing the closing-credit number, "Learn to Be Lonely," which is also the only new song). Director Joel Schumacher, no stranger to visual spectacle, seems to have found a good match in Lloyd Webber's larger-than-life vision of Gaston LeRoux's Gothic horror-romance. His weakness is cuing too many audience-reaction shots and showing too much of the lurking Phantom, but when he calms down and lets Rossum sings "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" alone in a silent graveyard, it's exquisite. Those who consider the stage musical shallow and overblown probably won't have their minds changed by the movie, and devotees will forever rue that the movie took the better part of two decades to develop, which prevented the casting of original principals Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. Still, The Phantom of the Opera is a welcome exception to the long line of ill-conceived Broadway-to-movie travesties. DVD Features
The special edition of The Phantom of the Opera has two major extras. "Behind the Mask: The Story of The Phantom of the Opera" is an hourlong documentary tracing the genesis of the stage show, with interviews of composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, director Harold Prince, producer Cameron Macintosh, lyricists Richard Stilgoe and Charles Hart, choreographer Gillian Lynne, and others. Conspicuously absent are stars Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford. Both do appear in video clips, including Brightman performing with Colm Wilkinson at an early workshop, and Crawford is the subject of a casting segment. Other brief scenes from the show are represented by a 2001 production. The other major feature is the 45-minute making-of focusing on the movie, including casting and the selection of director Joel Schumacher Both are well-done productions by Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group. The deleted scene is a new song written by Lloyd Webber and Charles Hart, "No One Would Listen," sung by the Phantom toward the end of the movie. It's a beautiful song that, along with Madame Giry's story, makes him a more sympathetic character. But because that bit of backstory already slowed down the ending, it was probably a good move to cut the song. --David Horiuchi More on The Phantom of the Opera 
The Phantom of the Opera (Special Extended Edition Soundtrack) (CD) | 
The Phantom of the Opera (2004 Movie Soundtrack) (CD) | 
The Phantom of the Opera (Original 1986 London Cast) (CD) | 
Evita (DVD) | 
Andrew Lloyd Weber: The Royal Albert Hall Celebration (DVD) | 
More Broadway DVDs |
Product Description
No Description Available.
Genre: Musicals
Rating: PG13
Release Date: 31-OCT-2006
Media Type: Blu-Ray
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 1442
 Gerard Butler is AMAZING September 5, 2010
Stephanie Swanson
This is one of the best movies I have EVER seen. I immediately purchased the soundtrack right after seeing it. I HIGHLY recommend this movie!
 Film Phantom Lacks the Brilliance Stage Phantom Exudes August 31, 2010
M. Secaur (Phoenix, AZ)
I really wanted to like this movie, I really did. I also expected a much better result with the stageshow's composer/creator as producer. Sadly, this film fell very short of my expectations and is one of the few movies I've seen which I simply can't stand to watch. It came off pitiful at best, and is not one I'd recommend to my friends. As a listener of the original London Cast soundtrack for years, I was familiar with the music and had a rough grasp of the story. I was curious about the film, and thought "Well, Andrew Lloyd Webber is working with the filmmakers, so it must be good". Boy, was I wrong.
This film adaptation is boring, incongruous, lacking in any emotional depth or honesty, and grating on the ears. It makes any other musical adaptation's jump from stage to screen, even how terrible, seem like nothing. Anyone who was hoping this would be the great immortalization of one of the best, most timeless musicals will be severely disappointed. Even Andrew Lloyd Webber's brilliant music couldn't save this travestuous adaptation simply because it too was severely altered.
I know that my review will get passed over by all the others that laud this film's brilliance, so I'll begin by telling you my own first impression: The first time I saw this, I came away feeling unsettled and totally appalled by the ridiculous and insane spectacle I had just witnessed. Five years later, I still feel this way, only now I'm just angry that some better choices weren't made in production. The choice of Joel Shumacher as director was madness, and every decision after that just got worse. Don't get me wrong here; I LOVED the musical and plan to see it again when I get the chance, but the film just doesn't reach to such heights in my book.
I would say this movie was passable and I might be able to enjoy it and overlook the differences between film and show if the music itself hadn't been so severly butchered by the awful choices made in the orchestration department, as well as the beating each song took when belted out by the unfortunate cast. The songs aren't electrifying or exciting anymore, and might end up putting you to sleep. When a great musical like "Phantom of the Opera" turns out bad, you know you've picked the wrong people to handle it.
For one thing, the choice of actors is atrocious. They have absolutely no chemistry at all, and seem almost perpetually bored, sleepwalking, zombie-like, through their parts. None of them have acting abilities up to the caliber required for such roles, and their voices are nowhere near as strong as they should be for any musical. They sound below average of what you'd find in even the worst Off-Broadway show. They can't even sing on key! They also frequently over-act, under-sing, or whisper, a combination that doesn't work well at all on film and certainly something you can't do on in live theatre without getting booed off the stage. There are so many people who have played in "Phantom" on Broadway, in London, and on tour for years, and would have done marvelously, but sadly, none of those wonderful actors and actresses made it in.
Patrick Wilson as Raoul was bland and forgettable, even worse than in the original book, though I guess the one thing he has going for him is that he actually can sing, something that seems to have eluded the rest of the cast.
Emmy Rossum is much too young to play Christine. At age seventeen, she just doesn't have the chops to carry out any of the songs effectively. She's no Sarah Brightman, that's for sure, and isn't believable as an opera ingenue with such a thin voice as she has. Also, not seem too critical, but she's not much of an actress, and I couldn't believe that anyone would think of her as first choice to play the character who basically carries the whole weight of the story on her shoulders.
But if those two are bad, what comes next is even worse. Whoever picked Gerard Butler for the title character made the biggest mistake of all. Mr. Butler had no vocal training prior to being cast, and in this film it sounds like he still needs a lot more. He sort of growls his way through the film, and is also (I know, evil word here) WAY TOO YOUNG for the part. The Phantom isn't supposed to be really old, but he's supposed to have lived under the Opera for many years, and had many careers before turning recluse. It's impossible that he was only in his thirties by the time Christine crossed his path. Even in view of this fact, it would be all right if Butler could act the part of the mad but tender Phantom effectively, but he doesn't. He is gruff and unromantic, certainly not anyone you could picture falling in love with, and certainly not the first person you'd think of as the Angel of Music. As if that weren't bad enough, his supposed disfigurement is so seriously diminished that you don't want to pity his unfortunate situation, but rather ask him why a guy like that would go hide in the cellars of the Opera when all he needed was some minor plastic surgery?
I know that the filmmakers chose to have younger, more physically appealing cast in order to appeal to a wider range of audience, a choice which seems to have worked (Just look at the 1,000+ positive reviews on Amazon alone!), but I take it as a major insult to Michael Crawford that Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber chose not to at least ask him to reprise the role he made famous on stage. This movie had been in talks since 1990, but was put on hold when Webber divorced Sarah Brightman. Crawford had expressed interest in playing the Phantom the whole time. It isn't his fault it took fourteen years to finally materialize. Even so, I'd take Mr. Crawford over Mr. Butler any day. He looks much better in the cape, and could beat Butler in a singing contest at any age. Even Sarah Brightman at forty-five would have done a better Christine than Rossum's whispery, bosom-flaunting portrayal. What was up with those distressingly low-cut gowns? Ugh!
The look of the film is all right, I suppose, but it could have been better. In comparing the show to the film, the film is warmer in color and less foggy and mysterious, something I really loved and wish would have been included. It could have looked really spectacular in film. The Masqurade scene is reduced to a monochrome mess with misnomer lyrics ("Flash of mauve, flash of puce, fool and king, ghoul and goose...") What? In black and white? All I can hope is that the costume designer was color-blind. Most of the magical element is taken out (The magic Punjab Lasso, for example, or the Phantom's exit in the final scene), and the world is presented as less of a fantastic place and more a concrete-hard reality. Also, all of the grand, over-the-top theatricality which really made the show stand out has kind of evaporated, which makes this film just as boring and usual as every other one relased in the last ten years.
The movie was also too violent and visually disturbing, which made watching all two-and-a-half hours a painful experience. I'm still astonished how it can be frightening in all the wrong ways and still manages to be unexciting. I also didn't like the depressingly modern feel of the film, brought on by the lazy way in which the actors pronounced and performed their lines, despite the Victorian-esque design and setting. It seemed like a painfully lengthy soap-opera with fancy sets.
Since seeing this film, I have read Gaston Leroux's book many times and have seen the stage version once. I have to recommend only the latter two if you want to have a good time. Skip this film.
How to disappoint the purists August 30, 2010
Russell R. Bateman Jr. (Provo, Utah)
I have to apologize to the Crawford and Brightman crowd: I loved the film. It's true that Wilson might have come off better (perhaps if his hair hadn't been so long making him out to be more of a "pretty boy") or perhaps less wooden as others have suggested... However, I found the production touchingly done, the chemistry between Butler and Rossum perfect, the symbolism evocative, and the story moving and compelling. The pathos and irony were appropriately thick. All the supporting cast were superb. I bought the soundtrack too. I guess I'm just unashamed.
One of the greatest musicals EVER! August 29, 2010
Ozzy Mandias
If you love musicals,"Phantom of the Opera is a must-see! All of the actors do their own singing and I must say that I was very surprised at how good they actually are! Minnie Driver is phenomenal/hysterical as La Carlotta!
 I watch this for Gerry (spoilers) August 28, 2010
Mrs Bruna (Quebec Canada)
This is the type of musical I'd normally never buy but I made the exception because I think Gerard Butler is worth it. Even without the mask, with the so-called deformity of one side of his face, he's sexier and better-looking than the Count. It's hard to believe that Christine didn't choose him. The rest of the story I found typically overwrought and full of screeching songs and to be honest, I never got why both men were interested in such an insipid heroine. But let me give Minnie Driver her props: she was pretty good in her role. I wonder why she isn't a bigger star.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 1442
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