No, really...is it good?

[ldhenson]

So I went looking for reviews of the new Phantom of the Opera movie, trying to gauge general opinion among, hopefully, the musical's existing fan base. (I'm a moderate fan of POTO--I own the Complete OLC, but that's about it.)

I still haven't read enough reviews to know, but while many of them are intelligent and well-written, ones like these make me want to cry:

oh my god! the movie is soooo gud! iv got this erge to go and see it agen! lol i need the dvd to come out reel soon!
who thinks that Gerard butler plays the best (and most good looking) phantom?? he's the best iv seen anyway!
mind u iv nver seen the phantom of the opera before the movie came out heeeheee

As does this:

yeh a no we cried cz it wz soooo sad n da phantom should nt cry cz it makes me cry!! thinkin bout it gives me a lump in d bak of ma throat!!!...i didnt! i jst felt sorry 4 him. he wz still rele rele rele fit even if he did have his face like that or not!!!
oooooh!!!

Maybe I'm just not looking in the right forums.

Comments

o.o Fans on Phantom

[tallihensia.livejournal.com]

Okay, I'd be hesitant about it too if I'd read that first! Goodness... {shudder}

LOL, I had a 'fan' one time of one of my fanfics who wrote a compliment to me (and asked for my adult password on my site) in that sort of fanspeak... I sent their email back to them and said "thank you, but I can't read it and please write it properly and send it back and then I'll give you the password." ;p They did. Which only goes to prove that they really *can* if they want to... {shakes head}

For the movie... ^^ I went and saw it back in December and I loved it! I first watched the musical years ago in New York and then promptly bought the book and read it and loved it and then had to watch the musical a few more times over the years (in San Francisco mostly).

The movie was awesome! I thought it really captured the musical so wonderfully, it was amazing. They could zoom in with the camera and get all the details of the opera house and things that one just can't make out sitting in the back seats in a musical... they also added in some more parts from the book that wouldn't have worked out well for the long-distant musical. The sound quality didn't suffer much at all in the theaters. Didn't have the 'live' effect, but I honestly almost didn't miss it at all through most of the performance. There were just a couple of spots where in the theaters the orchastra just dominates with impact... and they tried to make up for those missed parts I think with some really good effects work on screen. In some parts, I think the movie actually improved, as for one of the first times I was actually able to *follow* the whole "overlapping dialog in song" set and understand what they were all talking about. ;) (I've read the scores, but sometimes, they're just very hard to individualize live.)

So do go see it if you have the chance. Worth the $12 ;)

Re: o.o Fans on Phantom

[ldhenson.livejournal.com]

I really don't get that sort of cutesy yearbook-speak. Especially since whatever keystrokes are saved by all the missing letters are more than cancelled out by all the superfluous exclamation points :-)

I've only seen the musical once, although I really enjoyed it. (Les Miz is the one I really go nuts for.) Thanks for the detailed review! I'm pleased to hear it sounds good. I, too, prefer the power of a live show, but unless people said the movie was horrid I don't want to miss a chance to see it on the big screen, either. How's the singing?

[fourth-moon.livejournal.com]

Funny thing, that. My first reaction after seeing the movie was this (http://www.livejournal.com/users/fourth_moon/49261.html#cutid1) rant, but admittedly my expectations were very high, and the whole visuals of the movie way to over-blown for my taste.

But.

After adjusting my expectations to reality and viewing the movie again, I liked it quite a lot, inspite or because of all the logic (death) leaps. I'm warming up to Raoul, and Carlotta and the two managers with their "used metal business" are a pure joy, and the whole atmosphere of the Opera House (with some stage hand or chorus girl hanging on the bottle in every other corner) is perfect for the story, and the graveyard scene has for once just the right balance between opulence and clarity.


oh, still interested in a bit more detailed opinions? Not from forums, but I stumbled across a few interesting reviews.

Found one that's a bit too sugary for my taste here (http://romanticmovies.about.com/od/phantomoftheopera/a/phantom122104.htm), from the other end of the scale, but deliciously snarky there's this one (http://www.splicedonline.com/04reviews/phantomopera.html), and of course one shouldn't miss the 15 minute version of the movie (http://www.livejournal.com/community/m15m/6231.html#cutid1) (drinking coffee while reading endangers your keyboard). Interesting (and net-speak free!) opinion (http://www.livejournal.com/users/cleolinda/218939.html#cutid1) of the movie, too.

[ldhenson.livejournal.com]

Thanks for all the links! I'm skimming them quickly, because I don't want spoilers (I mean, yes, of course I know how the plot goes, but I want to keep some surprises). I'll probably see it at any rate, as it doesn't seem to be universally condemned and it's almost too hard to pass up a chance to see it on the big screen, but all the same it's got to be a bit strange...it is an adaptation of an adaptation, after all! I'll save these links, as no doubt I'll be coming back for a closer look after I go watch it.

[fourth-moon.livejournal.com]

> but all the same it's got to be a bit strange...it is an adaptation of an adaptation,

IMNSHO (almost) anything's better than the original - Erik's whiny, Christine and Raoul are children, and Gaston Leroux is going on about innocence and naivite and blushing.

Enjoy the movie!

[ldhenson.livejournal.com]

Heh...I did read the book years ago, but I don't think it left much of an impression on me.

I finally did see the movie yesterday...and went on (and on) about it here (http://www.livejournal.com/users/ldhenson/63089.html). Now I'm off to read people's reviews...