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The Phantom of the Opera (Widescreen Edition) Starring: Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, Patrick Wilson, Miranda Richardson, Minnie Driver $5.49 Features:
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Editorial Review:
Musical Drama based on Andrew Lloyd Webber's celebrated musical phenomenon. The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of a disfigured musical genius (Gerard Butler) who haunts the catacombs beneath the Paris Opera, waging a reign of terror over its occupants. When he falls fatally in love with the lovely Christine (Emmy Rossum), the Phantom devotes himself to creating a new star for the Opera, exerting a strange sense of control over the young soprano as he nurtures her extraordinary talents.
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.
Read our CD buying guide 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
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 
Visually stunning but miscast: 
Gerard Butler's singing made me cringe. Actually, he didn't sing as much as shout in a role that demands an excellent tenor. It killed a movie for me that otherwise was very good. You can do Professor Harold Hill with a non-singer but not the Phantom. Patrick Wilson did a fine job as Raoul. Emma Rossum had youth and innocence applicable to the role, and her singing is passable but immature, not surprising given that she was 18 when she made it. That Webber picked her personally shocks me since there are...
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Opera house is fantastic on blu ray: 
This is the best movie I've ever seen on blu ray! The HD is incredible. THe opera house was amazing. Definitely worth the money!
Excellent Service:
Excellent service as always. This was the only place I could find my favorite movie of all time in the full-screen edition instead of wide-screen, and best of all it was only 5 bucks. Of course I ordered an extra movie for a gift and the cd soundtrack. All items shipped the next day and I received them in perfect condition just a few days later.
WOW to Movie:
The 2 dvd was well worth the money. I loved the movie and the extra cd is a great addition. You get to see the history of the book, behind the scenes, and interviews with the actors. This is just what I was looking for.
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