"; if(is_file("header.php")) include "header.php"; else include "../header.php"; ?>

Not as good as seeing it in theatres. I'll start off by saying that I am an admitted Phantom of the Opera obsessee. Also by saying that I'd give it 2.5 stars, but, considering that it's not an option, it gets two. Now that that is done, I want to say that, while the movie is not nearly as good as the stage play, the movie is quite good. It starts off in black and white with the auction, and they introduce the aged Raoul and Madame Giry (whether it is Meg or her mother, we never do find out). It then goes to color and the story progresses. Emmy Rossum does a wonderful job as Christine, though her voice seems uncontrolable when she has to hit the low notes in "Phantom of the Opera" and "The Point of No Return." Gerard Butler, however, was a poor choice for the Phantom. Butler portrayed the Phantom as being young and stunningly handsome when the Phantom is supposed to be old and ugly. For another thing, to put it bluntly, his voice is simply all wrong for Broadway songs. They changed the graveyard scene to a sword fight, and the chandalier crash doesn't happen until the end when the opera house goes up in flames, which was absolutely pointless. The opera house doesn't even go up in flames in the book. Fanatics of the musical won't like it, but those who were never interested in the musical and made fun of the ones who did like the musical will fall in love with it. I know this from experience. Have I pre-ordered the dvd? Yes. But only because I am an obsessee. Should you buy the dvd? Only if, like me, you are an obsessee, or if you absolutely loved the film. If you haven't see it and you like the original broadway version, wait until it comes out and rent it from Blockbuster.