The Phantom of the Opera : 3 of 5

Most reviews I've read of this movie adaptation all boil down to how the critic feels about Weber's Broadway production - if they don't like the show, they don't like the movie, no matter how spectacular it is. I never thought I would fall into that trap, but I'm ashamed to say that the only reason I'm not giving this a 4 rating is because some of the songs are just so tedious! There are definitely some great melodies (that stick with you for days), but there's quite a bit of junk, too. Back to the film, though - this is a fantastic production, full of excellent effects and editing that make the subject matter even more interesting and exciting! I saw this with my pal Melinda, who is a big Phantom fan, and she pointed out several places where they changed things for the film, including moving the giant chandelier crash to much later in the story. As far as casting goes, I thought the Phantom was a little too young (since he supposedly has seen Christine grow up in the opera house) and definitely too suave, but let's talk about the best part of the movie: Emmy Rossum! This teenage angel is absolutely fantastic - definitely heart-melting material (especially during Point of No Return). Broadway fans will completely love this movie, but I don't think it has the appeal of a show like Chicago - I definitely enjoyed myself, though!