Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!
Plot Summary: A disfigured man haunts an opera house and will stop at nothing to win the love of a young, aspiring singer.
Review: Once again, we have the rare musical that I actually enjoy. This film is hardly a faithful adaptation of the book or even anything remotely like the many other film incarnations, but it is a solid story in its own right; it is actually just the film version of a play. Obviously the most important part of this film is the music which it accomplishes with great success. I love the soundtrack and almost every song is a winner. There is this '80s vibe to most of the songs which I think is all the more reason why it resonated with me, but I can that being a turnoff for some. I give a lot of credit to the main actors, Gerard Butler (as the Phantom) and the beautiful Emmy Rossum (who plays Christine), because they turn in excellent performances and performed their own singing. There are many great setpieces where the combination of music and scenery blend quite well as the opera house does look impressive or the graveyard scene for example. The story is also touching as we glimpse into the madness of the Phantom as he pursues the love of Christine. Even though it all ends in defeat, you can't help but root for the Phantom to win! I suppose it is no wonder that many fans have written their own makeshift sequels, and there is an actual sequel to the play out there, but it is beyond stupid. This film does have some flaws though such as many contrivances, some illogical choices from multiple characters (they seriously never bothered to get the police to investigate the opera house?), and the fact that they did not kill off the most annoying character, Carlotta. This music is great, the action is surpringly well paced, the ending is satisfying, and the story is engaging enough to make you care about the outcome of the characters. If you like romance movies, musicals, or just a solid story, check this one out!
Notable Moment: The final scene in which we see a single red rose at Christine's grave implying the Phantom is still out there watching over her.
Final Rating: 8.5/10
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