The Phantom of the Opera (2004 vs 2011) Revenge of the Remakes- Colby's Nerd Talks

Happy Valentine's Day! This installment is gonna be a little different. Instead of a movie vs. movie I'm tackling the 2004 film vs. the 2011 Royal Albert Hall live performance. Both are available on Blu-Ray so it counts! Enjoy!

[@kaylovesdisney4582]

Ramin could not be cast as the Phantom for the 2004 movie because he was too young! He was only in his 20s and Emmy was 16 and for the movie there had to be a noticeable age gap between the Phantom and Christine. Ramin would later become the youngest Phantom in the West End (London) and has played all the men in Christine's life....Roul, her Father and the Phantom

[@kevingaiman4464]

Ramin is in the movie. He is Christine's father they show his pircture.

[@kaylovesdisney4582]

@@kevingaiman4464 I know he is, hence why I mentioned he is the only actor (at present) to have played all three men important to Christine. 🙂

[@santangelogaia19]

Also age gap in theatre is not too much a problem but in movies yes. In fact Sierra is not at all 16 and yet a marvelous performance. In 2004 even if he was 24 he could have performed as Phantom but in theatre where the age gap is passable

[@debrabyrd2544]

Patrick Wilson is a trained singer "He spent his early career starring in Broadway musicals, beginning in 1995. He is a two-time Tony Award nominee for his roles in The Full Monty and Oklahoma!."

[@ColbyDicksNerdTalks]

Great for him! Its a shame he hasn't been cast in more movie musicals

[@VerisimilitudeFilms1]

Patrick Wilson should've been the Phantom

[@gloria.R.7286]

@@VerisimilitudeFilms1 lol ur not the first person I've heard say that😂

[@ivalicetifalucis]

@@VerisimilitudeFilms1 lol he would make a better Phantom

[@bookworm24601]

I agree with the evaluation of Emmy's lack of acting through her singing BUT she is in fact a classically trained singer. Great video!

[@6Haunted-Days]

She sucks in all ways then…..her training was awful I assume.

[@elithewho]

amazing review! it's so funny that you describe Hadley as the perfect Raoul, born to the play the part (and i totally agree) but Hadley was only in those 3 performances of the show and barely even remembers it 😂

[@shibumi-tanuki]

Movie Phantom's deformity reminds me of live action Zuko's "burn" Both fail to convince me it's _that_ bad

[@ColbyDicksNerdTalks]

Exactly! Idk why these big budget adaptations downplay burn/deformity when they have to means to do something really cool.

[@priestessmikokikyo77]

its a good deformity! calling the prosthetics a "burn" is just insulting! 2004 phantom is beautiful! it was what made me love the story in the first place!

[@raicrush]

I said that to my sister and she cut me off mid-sentence saying, "He would have been drowned as a baby-" And I laughed for like 20 minutes

[@madeleine5561]

@priestessmikokikyo77 it looks like a bad case of PINK EYE! It could literally be mostly covered with some makeup! You hear all these terrifying descriptors throughout the play and then you see some red swelling? No! That's NOT a deformity. Look at any stage adaptation version and that could not be hidden with some make up. That WOULD get him utterly ostracized and does make him look ugly (WHICH IS THE F*CKING POINT). The movie version is an insult because they played it down so as to not detract from butlers looks and consequently missed the point of the story. It just makes him look like he's whining about nothing! How can you think the deformity is good when it isn't a bloody deformity!

[@yelloworangered]

I read the novel and it portrays Erik as a very cruel man who tortures and kills people. That certainly makes the choice between him and Raoul a little easier to make.

[@ColbyDicksNerdTalks]

Yeah, even in the play it's a pretty easy choice if you think about it rationally, but I believe there's a part of everyone that on some level is attracted to the danger and toxicity of someone like Erik. And I think the whole point of this story is overcoming that.

[@melissam597]

He killed 2 people in the ALW musical too (unprovoked)

[@priestessmikokikyo77]

Erik is that way because of his childhood! he was tortured and harmed i still love Erik and i do think Christine in any version of phantom would have loved Erik romantically if she truly understood and got to know him as a person! instead she betrays Erik with Raoul. i hate Raoul in any verson of phantom! he is too much a a "hero" i hate that!

[@yelloworangered]

@@priestessmikokikyo77 ​ @priestessmikokikyo77 So, getting to know Erik "as a person" would have somehow made his torturing and murdering people more acceptable to Christine and you? Wow. Good luck in life.

[@yelloworangered]

@@ColbyDicksNerdTalks Attracted in fantasy land and fictional land, but it's not wise to indulge in such delusions because they can easily lead to sad choices in real life.

[@user-oc2xe2qz3q]

I've watched both of the versions. 2004 movie was the first time i've ever watched a musical,and as a teen i loved it. But now that i have watched 25th anniversary (like a hundred times) i cannot rewatch the movie. Sadly though they could have done an amazing job, it's sloppy. The costumes, the direction, the make up effects, the auto tunes,the unsynchronized in some parts playback,and the list goes on. And the casting of Gerard Butler (who i love) ,only makes me ask WHY? they didn't do him any favor casting him as the phantom. I will always remember the movie with nostalgia but Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess nailed it. (BTW i laugh every time you re trying to pronounce their names 😂❤️)

[@derekllewellyn6663]

Universal studios hollywood the best way magic and app magic key dream key new the phantom of the opera back past few years back and bring them to the bank and interview review biography documentary about the other money made movie maze and make it happen and pay pal made

[@6Haunted-Days]

@@derekllewellyn6663Christ you ok? What are you BLATHERING about? I think you need to get some help 😂🤡

[@Uselesscowboy]

literally the exact same thing happened to me and my sister lmao! loved the movies as kids but when we watched the 25th anniversary we were like how could we ever watch this movie again...

[@LingLing_Wannabe]

I LOVE RAMIN!!! Nothing will ever beat the 25th anniversary!! It’s just so GOOD!

[@darthvader5153]

I don't know if anyone said it but, The cnadles in the movie were real candles, there is a special kind of candle that is meant to be underwater and when it touches air it lights on fire.... I have no clue about the science but there real candles (comment 1 of probably many) Also Ramin Karimloo (not said how you said it) was in the middle of a tour when the movie was being filmed and was only casted to play the dad because Lloyd Webber said "Put him in the movie somehow"

[@suebovard-kentner2089]

I have seen this on stage three times, including once in London. Breathtaking every time.

[@DarkVideogamer]

I think Gerard Butler has the same issue Russell Crow did. His voice isn't suited for grand stage music but more naturalistic folk/country music. But idk I didn't watch the movie or play first. My introduction to the sound track was from a best of Andrew Lloyd Webber cover cd.🤷‍♀️

[@eliaspeter7689]

10:06 It's so amusing for me that every single person looses his mind over that damn horse. But that stupid horse is there in the original book! Like what's up with that, he just stole it from the opera's own stall.

[@brxzbze]

I mean I think the point of an adaptation is you can leave out the stuff in the original that didn’t work so well. Anyhow, I don’t think the horse would work that well in a musical- based adaptation as it would be harder to explain everything leading to the horse’s abduction, so the horse would just come out of nowhere which would just be kind of distracting and a bit silly.

[@eliaspeter7689]

On the other hand, since we later see that this whole glowing candle thing was just her imagination and the corridor is dirty and dark in real life, it's not far fetched to think that the hors might have been only her mind making stuff up as well.

[@MartaSloane]

Andrew Lloyd Weber chose a different interpretation of The Phantom than Gaston Leroux's novel.. None of the actors who have portrayed The Phantom in the musical were thin or sickly looking.

[@ColbyDicksNerdTalks]

Yeah if we’re going by the novel Lon Chaney probably got the closest

[@brxzbze]

To be fair that look’s a bit impractical to pull off in terms of stage casting… they’d have to deliberately cast thin people and that would really narrow choices down. Iirc when the show was still being made they did try different types of makeup but some of them got in the way of the mic or weren’t comfortable for the actor to sing in so they went with the current design instead

[@ingridmay66]

@@ColbyDicksNerdTalks I don't understand why you praise Lon Chaney’s makeup so much. His phantom was not deformed. He looks like an old, wrinkled, balding man. He is ugly because he has bad teeth. I have seen several people like him in my village...

[@ilaanaweerasinghe7642]

I agree with everything you said in this video lmao BUT I am so TRIGGERED by the way you're pronouncing their names! It's pronounced RUHmin KUHrimloo and Sierra BoGUESS lollllll

[@amberballerinachannel9420]

Just letting you know that the Royal Albert Hall is located in London not Broadway. Therefore the 25th anniversary DVD in the Royal Albert Hall was a London version NOT a Broadway version.

[@benbozovich9522]

I can’t watch the 2004 movie ever since the 25 anniversary came out. The movie moves sooooo slow. Like why are the tempos slowed down so much? But yeah, the movie is a mess. I mean, I yell at the screen every time that I see Christine doesn’t move during ‘think of me’. And I hate that sword fight. It’s so annoying when community/high school productions add that to the show. But there’s so much that added to the movie that just shouldn’t have been added.

[@matthewmastrobuono582]

Emmy was a trained singer. I took lessons from her teacher

[@Dualis58]

clearly her training wasn't near good enough

[@svehyoung]

I understand some of the point you made but still: 1. the reason why Christine (Emmy Rossum) is seeing all these candles coming out of the water, the horse, the corridor with arms,...is because she is under the effects of a drug that was set on the rose the phantom sent her. This drug makes her feel amazed and she sees everything being enhenced and more beautiful. 2. Emmy Rossum is a trained singer! She studied and sang opera when she was young so I think the actress is well chose and that there can't be THAT much autotune. 3. The movie takes on some features of the novel and I don't see why that's a bad choice 4. As someone else said, the actor in the 25th anniversary was too young to play the phantom (there had to be an age gap) so they probably just wanted to please the fans by casting the actor as the father (an easter-egg) 5. I personally still think the red costume in the movie is beautiful and the mask is cool; they probably wanted to show another take (a more "Don Juan" one as you said) 6. They probably made the masks look more black, white and gold to not overshine the phantom's costume and to take a stilistic choice

[@Dualis58]

"yeah I sang opera years ago. that's makes me good enough for this." she sang like every mediocre high-school soprano.

[@eristineforever6934]

I know it’s my KZbin name but I’m going to say it anyways. Eristine Forever! In case you don’t know, Eristine is Erik (The Phantom) and Christine put together. Erik + Christine = Eristine. I ship them forever and always no matter what.

[@leonardogoulart3245]

If he's so picky with the phantom's movie, just imagine how he'll react to the cats movie...

[@ColbyDicksNerdTalks]

Just you wait...

[@peterdelany9931]

I'm ROFLMAO at the thought of it. :-) @@ColbyDicksNerdTalks

[@PinkPatriot]

I like the movie because it gives you more storyline and it’s easier to understand what’s happening. Also Emmy was fantastic, and so was Patrick. Gerard was good at playing the Phantom but not good at singing. The Broadway version was really good. When phantom comes out in the masquerade outfit i was in AWE at how bad ass he looked! The costumes were unbelievable all around, but I found myself missing a lot of the hilarious moments, as a lot of dialogue wasn’t super clear or easy to understand. Maybe that was a microphone issue more than anything. My dad watched it for the first time and was so confused the entire time. So that’s my only gripe. Also Sarah’s voice wasn’t as good, she can’t hit low notes all that well, but her acting was top notch. Also v sad the chandelier didn’t drop in the Broadway. That is an iconic moment! I grew up on this; and due to that couldn’t see it all the time. I was 15 or 16 when the movie came out end I am glad I had that to watch bc this is my all time favorite.

[@carolynstine3465]

Gerard Butler looks extremely handsome!! That’s why Emmy R is so attracted to him! It brings a different element to the movie that is missing from the play. Women get it.

[@jasminnemcdonald94A]

Take a look at what I've typed up for Act 2 of POTO Act II Entr'acte - Orchestra "Masquerade" - Andre, Firmin, Ensemble "Why So Silent" - The Phantom "Notes/Twisted Every Way" - André, Firmin, Carlotta, Piangi, Raoul, Christine, Madame Giry, The Phantom "Phantom of the Opera (Reprise)/Little Lotte (Reprise)/Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" - Christine "Wandering Child/Bravo, Monsieur..." - The Phantom, Christine, Raoul "Don Juan Triumphant Rehearsal" - Christine, Piangi, Reyer, Carlotta, Madame Giry, Ensemble "Don Juan Triumphant " - Carlotta, Piangi, Christine, Ensemble "The Point of No Return" - The Phantom, Christine "Down Once More/Track Down This Murderer" - The Phantom, Christine, Raoul, Ensemble "Finale" - Christine, The Phantom, Raoul, Ensemble

[@wwozanewmusical]

Emmy Rosum is a trained opera singer and actress. from NYC

[@suebovard-kentner2089]

It's pronounced Rah-MEEN KARE-im-loo.

[@melissam597]

No it’s Kar-im-loo, not Kare lol

[@eristineforever6934]

I very strongly disagree with what you said about Love Never Dies. Everything about it is amazing, beautiful,and phenomenal.

[@VladDraculaIII]

Susan Kay Phantom is a must read.

[@felixthecat2786]

There are so many misconceptions about the film. Gerard Butler was an unknown actor at the time and not a blockbuster star or heart throb. He wasn't chosen because "sexy man make teen girls sob," he was chosen because the director though his performance in Dracula 2000 was dark and interesting. He was just an unknown actor that the director found intriguing and full of potential. Hugh Jackman was approached for this role initially, but he turned it down due to scheduling conflicts. A lot of people like to insist that he should have been chosen and cast.....and he was actually. He chose not to do the role because he was busy. In fact, 20 other actors were approached for this role and by the luck of the draw it went to Gerard Butler. Ramin was much too young for this role, but he would have been a great Raoul. If we're going to criticize Gerard for being too young, why are we not criticizing Ramin? Just because he sings good? Seems like a flimsy argument ::eye roll:: There were plenty of prior stage Phantoms that would have been more suitable age wise if we are going to go there. I choose not to because I don't think stage acting translates to film acting. Film acting is vastly different. I find it truly bizarre that people are comparing a stage musical to a movie. A film is an entirely different animal. I studied and analyzed film in undergrad and grad. You simply cannot compare the two, it's ridiculous. I've always enjoyed this film as a separate entity from its stage predecessor. I don't know why film haters bother watching it if they hate it so much and prefer the stage musical. The endless "comparing" is really just an outlet to constantly bash it and spit vitriol and hate. I appreciate the 2004 film as a beautiful cinematic experience. I don't need it to be a perfect stage adaptation. There are some things that I think the movie improves upon as well, yet no one ever talks about that. They just fixate on the same simple points and pull the string regurgitating the same lines over and over and over again. Unless you're going to make a new point why bother persisting with this constant hate fest of a completely forgotten film from 20 years ago? It doesn't seem enough for it to be forgotten by the general public, it's like the haters have this campaign where they will not be satisfied until everyone hates it and agrees with them. Until they suck the spirit out of every single person who enjoys this movie. I will never concede defeat. I insist upon praising this film because I think it deserves it. There are so many elements to this film that are well crafted and I hate to see this go ignored. I also hate how haters cheapen the movie by saying "any girl would choose the Phantom cuz he's hawt!" Do you really think so little of your female friends and family? Do you really think that most women are so shallow and immoral that they would choose an abusive, wicked man over a good one? Most women wouldn't do this. The women that do this are women who have trauma and abuse is normal to them. Women don't make choices based of your six pack. We base our decision to be with you by how protected you make us feel. The reality is that there is no choice in the movie even though the Phantom is more attractive than most versions of this character. Christine never chooses, she was always in love with Raoul. The film really emphasized how desperate Christine's situation was and how she was fighting for her right to be free of his seduction and control. The film really toys with dark masculinity and dark triad traits that we often idealize in our media. It's weird and bizarre to see young people who don't remember 2004 analyze this film. Especially to not even have the awareness to know that Ramin was originally cast as Raoul at the time. ::POUTS:: "Still should have been cast as Phantom!" ::scratches head as I remember 2004:: The level of immaturity I see in many of the film haters outweighs that of its fangirls.

[@TheLewistownTrainspotter8102]

A lot of the dislike for the '04 movie has to do with groupthink and it being the trendy thing to hate on. _Hugh Jackman was approached for this role initially, but he turned it down due to scheduling conflicts. A lot of people like to insist that he should have been chosen and cast.....and he was actually. He chose not to do the role because he was busy. In fact, 20 other actors were approached for this role and by the luck of the draw it went to Gerard Butler._ And thank god they didn't go with Jackman. I think his association with Wolverine would've been too distracting.

[@LongdownConker]

So I prefer the play over the film for reasons that are comparable. Songs and singing abilities and character interpretation of both Christine and phantom /Erik. Since both are of Andrew Lloyd webbers making then we know the story line for this and the sequal. Phantom needs to be lovable because eventually Christine chooses him. Gerards phantom I feel shows no humanity until the very end wen he let's get her go, why would anyone ever choose him. Ramins phantom however visibly falls in love with Christine, makes himself vulnerable to her and grows as a person for her. All of that leads nicely into the sequal. Sierras Christine emotes more, you go on a journey with her if growth, ambition and conflicted love. Her singing exudes emotion whilst also being skillful and beautiful, which shows you why phantom believed so much in her singing ability. Tho I will admit having a better phantom in the movie would have helped that Christine look better than she did.

[@LongdownConker]

The phantoms sing in the movie does not sound nice at all, they especially did him dirty with that horrible auto tune! Where as Ramin sings beautifully, he really captivates and emotes so that you are drawn in (just like Christine is). They are both musicals which makes the music very important, why you would ever cast someone in a MUSICAL that can't SING or at the very least have someone else sing for him I will never understand! Many films have used other singers to sing for acters who can't sing and it works very well as long as they have a similar sounding voice, why didn't they at least do that, there's no excuse. Especially since the phantom is supposed to be so musically talented!

[@FEDEL89]

I did not know ramin was christine's father in the movie!

[@Makeji]

They just used his photo.

[@wwozanewmusical]

first of all, it makes perfect sense since in those days Opera company's and big theaters owned their own live stock and had their own farms on site, plus when they started previews on Broadway the set and costume designer had a horse for her to ride on but it wouldn't work correctly, and so Hal cut it, same with having Doves fly over the couple in the roof scene and then after every show they had to collect them from the rafters, plus some pooped on the audiences heads doing the rest of the show so they were cut, and Hal wanted the rats and the rat catcher from the book, but it also didn't work, so they were cut also. they did try to get those things from the book into the stage musical. and it made sense to put them back into the movie, but it just needed a better script, your going to ee phantom of the opera people will understand if its sung all the way though you don't cut or change lyrics into spoeaking just cause your worried about the audience. that and they should have gotten a phantom that would sing the score, and not fucked up the red death costume. should have used the original make up from the show and the costumes from the show.

[@madeleine5561]

Yup you're making a movie MUSICAL sing the goddamm lines

[@ish_julierose5282]

I completely Do NOT agree with you of what you said about Emmy Rossum's singing, she is a professional singer and I love her voice and it's the angelic soothing natural innocence and what she is (her personality/before her arc) at the beginning. "Think of me" gives you a great example, like when Carlotta sings the song you can tell it's too vibrating and can't really get the words but with Christine it's really, REALLY Soft and angelic. And with the titular song, I always choose Emmy's part as it's captivating, magnifying, astonishing and phenomenal, as she blends it with the mystery and suspense. And she also brought the suspenseful, shivering and frightening to "why have you brought me her/Raoul I've been there" turns to christine's pity to the phantom and coming to an understanding. And "all i ask of you" love song brings Emmy's voice so soft and safe as of what Raoul is giving to Christine, as along with the lyrics. With "wishing you were somehow here again" she brings it hauntingly and really emotional with the darkness around and even in her. "the point of no return" Emmy brings Christine's raw emotions and even more raw emotions in the finale lair, "turn to tears of hate!" Gives me chills everytime and the "you are not alone" part (me: *tears*)

[@paulaaquino]

Very nice comparison. The casting of the movie was definitely a big mistake (except for Raoul). The issue here is ALW is too personally involved with this piece and he personally roots for the phantom and wants to make him a hero, which he is not. Hence the Love never dies tragedy.... But I am going to praise ALW also for Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar.

[@ckellyisme]

Hi! I’m new to your channel and wanted to make a quick recommendation. I think Patrick Wilson is the best thing about the movie version of Phantom and I think the best performance he’s given so far in his career was the HBO miniseries of Angels in America. He stars along side Al Pacino and Meryl Streep and truly holds his own. I hope you check it out!

[@Amelia-s]

Ramin always be the best phantom.

[@JoaquimSicart]

I think it's not all about the money, the budget of the movie. I think they took some stylistic decisions focusing on the cinematographic language. I think that the design of the red death, among other costume designs (the Masquerade color palette) is a success, and brings elegance and sensuality to the story, already romantic.

[@IngenuousSoprano]

I think that would make more sense if the rest of the entire aesthetic was more artsy/avant-garde like the version of Anna Karenina that Kiera Knightley was in. Might have been an interesting and effective way to go. In this case, they tried way too hard to assert that, "this is a movie, not a musical." They really tried to assert this in various ways and it makes no sense. In contrast, Chicago (which was made in the 2000s as well) really embraced that it was a musical, also in various ways, and it was far better done.

[@guada_cristina]

The greatest phantom lair and phantom's masquarade costume is in Robert Englud's versión.

[@benbozovich9522]

Do you like Jesus Christ Superstar or EVITA or even Sunset Blvd? ALW isn’t a one hit wonder. He’s made some amazing stuff! Yes, CATS is weird but some reason, it works in the space of a theatre. But yeah, he’s far from a one hit wonder.

[@ColbyDicksNerdTalks]

I know he's not technically a one-hit-wonder but none of his other stuff connects to me dramatically or musically like Phantom does, even the others you mentioned. But I don't fault other people for liking it.

[@l.n.3372]

​@@ColbyDicksNerdTalks I feel like Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream coat is a really underrated ALW musical.

[@laurenmiller8084]

raymon kermiloo 🤣

[@karenpinson759]

First off, Webber did NOT write POTO his musical for Broadway. He wrote it for Her Majesty's Theatre in the Westend of London to showcase his then wife/his muse Sarah Brightman. Secondly, the lead female character was NOT CHRISTINA (as you pronounced it). It was Christine. Thirdly, Emmy Rossum who played Christine in the movie was only 16 when she started filming and had turned 17 by the time the filming ended, so she cannot be held responsible for being underwhelming in her performance or a one note actress/singer. After all, she was a kid kissing on Raoul (a 30-year-old actor) and the Phantom (a 34-year-old actor twice her age). Both men had much more experience acting wise. She was opera trained from childhood though, which probably got her the part. Fourthly, the 25th Anniversary theatre version starred Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom. LEARN how TO PRONOUNCE his name correctly. It is pronounced "rah-meen" with the stress accent on the second syllable. It is NOT PRONOUNCED "rah-men" with the stress on the first syllable, as in ramen noodles. I agree that Gerard Butler should NEVER have been cast as the Phantom. Auto tune gave him about 70% of his singing voice. Since Ramin was one of the sexier/younger Phantoms in the Westend of London and quite popular (he is sexy, handsome, and has an awesome voice) especially with the ladies, Butler was chosen by Webber himself to be the sexy/young Phantom to appeal to the female moviegoers. Unfortunately, even he says that he gave up singing after this movie because his singing was such a disaster. Those fans who loved him in the movie, only loved him because he was gorgeous and sexy, so they could overlook his voice. Eye candy beats sound. With a few exceptions, the POTO movie was definitely going to get the majority of its box-office from women; it's definitely a chick fick. The movie had too much watered down (masquerade scene) and lost a lot of the magic and mystery which enhanced the high romance that the stage play had in droves. Webber bombed his own movie by the director and the Phantom he chose.

[@IngenuousSoprano]

I agree with the vast majority of what you said. I'll just add a couple of things On film acting and the responsibility of the actor/actress: the director and/or producer (depending on that relationship) have the final cut. You may have a director that is really trying to service the story as best as they can and may have been short-sighted in some scene or other. You might ask to do the scene another way, they let you try it out, they like it and decided to use that take. Or, you may have a director that doesn't actually care about your contribution on any level, may humor you, and print the take you liked the least. Those are pretty extreme examples, but they are to illustrate how little responsibility for a performance a film actor/actress actually has. It's not one shot for the performance and then you get notes for the next one, it's do x number of takes and you never know which one will end up in the film. On Rossum's singing: singing in the children's chorus of any opera house vs singing as prima donna of an opera have almost nothing in common. She didn't train very hard for opera. That's evident. Amy Nuttal, who did the show in the UK at age 16 was far more operatic. Same age, their time was spent on different skills. Emmy had proven to be a pretty fantastic actress and she can certainly sing (Sentimental Journey is a lovely album). I wish she had played Belle in 2017. She just wasn't really appropriate for Christine. As Rebecca Caine (an opera singer who opened as Christine in Toronto) said, "if you don't want to hear operatic vibrato, don't go see a show called 'the Phantom of the /Opera/.'" The story changes to make Christine younger were pretty weird (she's 20 in the book and had studied at the conservatory). Missed opportunities abound.

[@madeleine5561]

16 year Olds can actually act you know so I'm sorry I do somewhat hold her responsible for the one note performance like JESUS I've seen more expression from high-school productions! She just keeps the same bland look on her face for most of the film. Granted part of it also falls to crappy direction as you said Schumacher horrible choice. The choice to age her DOWN was also idiotic as a sixteen year old is unlikely in most cases to have the vocal range for that demanding a role and also she's freaking 20 in the book. So it was just really bad casting but sorry no inexperienced or not an acting 101 class will teach you to actually react with some depth to what's going on around you so part of it falls to her.

[@mctv7822]

I can’t agree more with you, really! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@EDDIELANE]

Did you get to the end of the video where this kid called Andrew Lloyd Webber a one hit wonder??

[@IngenuousSoprano]

Great job! I think cutting Notes II really did Christine and Raoul dirty. You don't get any of the build up that leads to Christine's breakdown and resolution. You don't get Raoul's fierce protective streak. You don't get Christine's mini confrontation with Carlotta either. I'm curious now about how that changed order you proposed would go in an actual performance. I kind of have to wonder if ALW got caught up in the Marko's singing in Nightwish's cover of Phantom on Century Child (2002) and if that inspired the decidedly un-operatic vocals for the title character. It's a long shot, but it's the only thing that I can think of that might have put that thought in his head. Funny that you mentioned Lost Boys, because, apparently, that's the movie that made ALW reach out to Schumacher. Patrick Wilson and the Minnie Driver/Margaret Preece combo were the best parts of the movie and I can sit through it again just for them. They should have let Wilson sing his lines. Just look at behind the scenes clips of him going over music or the promo bits they did where he sings with Rossum (she tried to be more operatic in those instances). It took some guts for Driver to tell Schumacher and ALW that she couldn't sing the score and that she would need to be dubbed if she were to be cast and they did just that. I'm glad they did. From one Phantom fan (Team Raoul, always) to another, check out the Dutch cast album (Henk Poort as the Phantom, Joke de Kruijf as Christine). Some of the best soundtrack acting I've ever heard -- especially in the finale.

[@CindersSpot]

Where can I find the Dutch cast album? It's not on Spotify, is it?

[@CindersSpot]

@@IngenuousSoprano I've been googling it and I found Music of the Night and Point of No Return (and also a full proshot???) but nothing else of the album. And I've seen René van Kooten and Celinde Schoenmaker sing the title song at Musicals in Concert ofc, that was my first introduction to the show!

[@IngenuousSoprano]

@@CindersSpot hmmmm, it may have been removed or made private. I'm not finding that old playlist either.

[@CindersSpot]

@@IngenuousSoprano Okay, thank you for looking!

[@IngenuousSoprano]

@@CindersSpot if I find the whole thing again, I'll let you know. :)

[@petersinnott2114]

Westend musical must check we're it played first the great Sarah brightman and Michael croford love move to saw first in London then broadway vegus and dublin great show but film is good

[@matthewmastrobuono582]

I think the movie was more accurate and they’re casting. For instance, the phantom was a musical genius, but he wasn’t musically trained. He was hidden away and cast out of society, so while he understood music and could write music that doesn’t mean he had the vocal training. Emmy was at the age Christine would’ve been and while the stage performance fevers. Amazing singers movie for it wouldn’t have called for an amazing singer because she was being trained and I think that’s what the movie shows. I definitely prefer the stage show also but the movie wasn’t bad

[@madeleine5561]

WRONG WRONG WRONG! the phantom was a musical genius he grew up in an opera house meaning he would be able to overhear practices and lessons on singing. Second that's irrelevant when the character is constantly describes in every medium as having the voice of an angel but the actor sounds like a water Buffalo with laryngitis being strangled! The phantoms voice is supposed to draw you in according to the story. Gerard makes you want to run from the Auditory assault and butchering of the material. Second. Christine was 20 in the book not sixteen and had attended the conservatory. So no. Not more accurate at all And anyway even setting all of that aside if you are doing a movie musical cast people that can sing the music the way its supposed to sound.

[@Makeji]

@@madeleine5561 Christine was 21 in the book, but, yeah, not 15 or 16 or however old Emmy was at the time. Agree about Gerard - his voice is so very awful. Christine would run IMO. No Angel of Music he.

[@HerHollyness]

Raymond Kermiloo 😂 bless! Also, everyone kind of unanimously agrees the music blasting over the hand hold was a weird, bad edit. I’m not entirely sure I trust your opinion here.

[@johnmarkgordonTV]

I disagree with the Red Death on the 2004 movie.. i love it!!

[@matthewmastrobuono582]

The movie wasn’t that much of a big budget film. They bought the rights so that a big budget filmmakers didn’t interfere. The movie was all Andrew Lloyd Webber and Joel Schumacher’s doing even down to casting Gerard Butler was Andrew Lloyd Webber’s choice.

[@jws1948ja]

I like the horse.

[@rachnathakur7321]

2011 version was best 2004 version also is also best but I having some complaints with phantom character like phantom is looking so handsome and I cannot find something horror in 2004 version otherwise i having no complaints with Patrick and Emmy and minnie character

[@GailKuzyszyn]

The movie phantom was a much more attractive, compelling and mesmerizing character. And I have seen the American phantom play and the play in London. Gerard Butler in the phantom movie was just plain sexy, period. I think his youth made a difference as well.

[@chaoscontrol3838]

Great review, just subscribed. Only nitpick - Sidney Lumet directed The Wiz, Joel Schumacher wrote it.

[@leadingblind1629]

I'll assume that plenty of people in the comments section have corrected your enunciation of the two leads of the 25th anniversary production. In the meantime I'll just be over here flinching every time you say them wrong LOL. And I'm also just curious when the last time you read the book was, or if you read it more than once? Not everyone is a super scary die-hard fanatic like I am. And that's fine. But little things kind of irked me here andn there. I'm getting over it already so I won't go through them but it happens in life. What can you do?

[@cursedcancersurvivor]

I remember being so excited when I heard the movie was coming out back in 04(?). There wasn't Netflix or streaming, so trying to find out when it was being released on dvd was a nightmare. Skip to: movie is released and I hustle to the local Walmart to get a copy. Came home. Chucked that baby in the dvd player and....by the end I felt empty. I watched the making of featurette more than the actual movie that had pro shot footage of JOJ as the Phantom. ~that~ was the movie I wanted to see. The atmosphere, the costumes etc. Maany years later the 25th anniversary comes out, and while it's... better...what stops it from being great is the choice to film it at Albert Hall (with those hideous screens is just no.) And a feeling just stuck in my craw that the only reason why Sierra and Ramin where selected where to appease a rabid shipping fanbase. Webber doing the same sh*t as Schumacher, hiring the hottest young actors, only now they're in the appropriate costumes and can sing better.

[@heatherlewis4477]

Emmy Rossum IS a trained singer, for the record, and Patrick Wilson IS a Broadway actor. Ramin Karimloo (pronounced Rah-MEAN KAH-rim-loo) and Sierra Boggess are amazing as the Phantom and Christine Daaé, I agree. That being said, I would beg to differ about Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber's other productions, especially Cats, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Jesus Christ Superstar, all of which predate Phantom of the Opera by about 10 years or so. I would suggest that you watch the movie version of "Jesus Christ Superstar" before you jump to conclusions about that particular musical.

[@SurinaSlackArt]

Emmy Rossum is indeed a trained singer. I think her performance in the movie is more the fault of bad direction.

[@madeleine5561]

That said her voice still lacks the strength and extraordinary quality the role of christine demands. She's passable at best but about as extraordinary as your average choirgirl

[@brooke3312]

Nice review. And to help you which you probably my know by now it’s Rah-Meen Care-Rim-Loo for the pronunciation.

[@LAVIV007]

Both the motion picture and the Albert Hall 25th Anv' are adaptations of the original Webber's The Phantom of the Opera as presented at Her Majesty's Theatre in London. You have listed some of the many changes and flaws in the movie (although the movie has its own superior moments) but you have not referred to the many flaws in the 25TH Anniversary at the Albert Hall which are there due to the round construction of the stage... therefore, at least visually, the musical show is inferior to the original.

[@madeleine5561]

Unfortunately we lack any full recordings of the original

[@LAVIV007]

@@madeleine5561 only officially ;-)

[@gildaw.7564]

I respectfully disagree with your review. I'll go point by point. - The horse in the lair comment...noone thinks the Phantom is feeding and maintaining the horse, we assume he simply took a horse from a stable, just like he took over the carriage ride to the cemetery. -The candles...no one is confused about why the candles are coming out of the water lit. We all understand that Christine is under a trance and may be seeing things that aren't actually happening. Just like the candelabras that are coming out of the wall with hands folding in, clearly that wouldn't happen so we know Christine is seening things because she is under duress. -Emmy is classically trained and has been since she was a child. -You compared Emmy to the seasoned Broadway opera singer and there is a big difference: Emmy was just a 17 year old kid when she played the role in the movie, whereas the Christine on Broadway is a seasoned adult. So it is unfair to think they should be equal. -You're mistaken about Patrick, he is classically trained and was on Broadway already. -I found the costumes in the movie during the Masquerade Ball to be more elegant than those on Broadway. The ones on Broadway were way too colorful, it was too busy and difficult to identify Christine in that sea of color. I prefer the black, gold and white colors in the movie. It looks more refined which helped when the Phantom came out in a red color which was vibrant, it was perfect. - The difference between the Phantom in the movie versus the one on Broadway is that the one in the movie is more masculine. The one on Broadway simply looked too thin and unstable. Gerard Butler was an amazing Phantom. I have watched the movie many times because of him. I don't care that he is untrained as a singer, if you think about it in the movie... the character was a child who was hidden from the cruel world and grew up in the theater in a dungeon, he wasn't classically trained which means his voice would be that of a common person and not of a classically trained opera singer. He understands music and Opera and is able to compose it, but it doesn't mean that he can sing as well as an opera singer. So it makes sense to me and I didn't find his voice to be horrible. He was endearing and sensitive while also being very strong. -You indicated that the movie Phantom was abusive/aggressive when compared to the Broadway Phantom, but you got that backwards because in the play the Phantom chokes Christine, slaps her and grabs her roughly by the arm, but in the movie, the Phantom is very gentle with her physically. -I've seen both the Broadway version as well as the movie and they are both excellent. I really wouldn't compare the movie to the Broadway version because Broadway is Broadway and a movie is a movie. Atleast, the movie stayed true to the storyline and was beautifully executed by all of the actors. Especially Gerard Butler... if I were Christine I would have stayed with the phantom . But only the movie version Phantom not the play version Phantom .😅 Thanks for the review though.

[@ingridsoderhielm8324]

They relly trashed Maria Björnssons beautiful colourful costumes in the film

[@analy9699]

Emmy was actually classic,y trained in opera since she was 5 or maybe 4 I believe.

[@mikaelaisraelsson119]

Her voice is beautiful but it's not really right for Christine. You need a bigger voice to buy that she could be lead soprano.

[@analy9699]

@@mikaelaisraelsson119 I agree. All i was saying is that people shouldn't be demeaning her skill and experience because she is very talented. Just because someone is not right for a role doesn't mean they are not capable

[@mikaelaisraelsson119]

@@analy9699 True, she's very talented. I don't like the movie but I think acting wise she's a perfect Christine, one of my favorites even.

[@analy9699]

@@mikaelaisraelsson119 i agree.

[@sycamoregrad901]

Not breakdancing. He’s vogueing. “Strike a pose.”

[@sweeney60]

Why do you keep calling Sierra Boggess Sierra Burgess? Also Emmy was a trained singer she was just too young. She was 16 when she auditioned and she just didn’t have the vocal maturity needed for the part. Joel and Andrew should have known better. Patrick Wilson was a Broadway star. He was in several musicals on Broadway including Oklahoma and The Full Monty. I agree with a lot of your points but calling Patrick Wilson “not Broadway trained” when he literally trained to and eventually did perform on Broadway is just disrespectful.

[@Iansco1]

You had a shot here. My main issue here is the casting of Erik/Phantom. Sorry. Gerard Butler was not a good choice. Not at all. Know who was a good choice, and I know they would say "he was in Les Mis". Hugh Jackman. A SINGER. Who pulled off a part that Colm played. And COLM PLAYED PHANTOM TOO!

[@hefinrosser8685]

It should be advertised: Harrold Prince and Maria Bjorson present The Phantom of the Opera with music by Andrew lloyd webber!The musical was ruined when they started making the phantom young! Christine is drawn to the phantom because of her father, he manipulates her through her father!

[@jaxldtco]

Girrard buttler is like Liam Nielsen. He would have been fantastic with a live action version of the movie. Not so much with the musical

[@hothotheat3000]

Butler can’t sing worth a crap but he was so hot.

[@lhan9145]

i absolutely LOVE how wrong you pronounced ramin's name lol

[@charlieee9896]

Nooo it's a musical. Stop calling it a play 😭😭

[@bookworm24601]

Sierra Burgess and Raymin Kermilloo...? 😂

[@luvmuzik4me]

Andrew Lloyd Webber also wrote: Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar. Cats. He is not a one hit wonder. I liked Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar better than Phantom.

[@scruffy0928]

I thought the movie is easier to follow. However the stage version is more mesmerising.

[@eristineforever6934]

I’ve always shipped Erik (Phantom)/Christine and always will as you can probably tell by my KZbin name and picture. I completely and utterly HATE Raoul/Christine as a couple. I also HATE it when people ship Erik/Meg, Erik/Raoul, Erik/Daroga, etc…

[@redsus8725]

the 2011 one was so much better

[@desicpr00]

"Its a great story about choosing maturity over toxicity"? That is not why women love this production my friend. Woman WANT the phantom. They weep over Christine leaving him at the end, they write God awful fan fiction about the passionate love affair between the phantom and Christiane. You dont know women if you think the more sensible choice is why they get obsessed with Phantom of the Opera.

[@PufferfishSmugglers]

bruh

[@carolynstine3465]

The horse made it look more romantic. It’s a girl thing.

[@seattlesusieq6945]

Pretty good comparison, but the way you mispronounce Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess is almost unforgiveable. And Patrick Wilson is a well known Broadway actor. Look him up. And to call Andrew Lloyd Webber a one-hit wonder has made me decide to never look up any of your other reviews.

[@derekllewellyn6663]

35th anniversary celebration party years documenty biography VIP tickets tour New oasr awesome picture awards TCM hollywood ghost of view phantom of the opera of power outage map money made into store story about how much money does a new account be used in movie theater in Spanish story about how much money app magic key new number ride maze happy Halloween costume party conjuring universe New DVD more information on maze's contact info for years before 25th years before

[@doglover7377]

I have got the to of the dvds I love both and you have to remember.the girl in the film was 16 at the time but I think in the first place years ago it should have been Michael crawford and Sarah Brightman doing the movie I think that you are being so meen to the movie version I have watched that 149 times I am disabled and can't go to see it live in concert but I have the stage version you talked of I love the both of them

[@EDDIELANE]

Did you honestly just say that ALW is a one hit wonder. is that why you didn’t mention Jesus Christ Superstar or Evita?

[@priestessmikokikyo77]

The 2004 movie was the reason i fell in love with phantom. I'm a woman and i love this movie, I love Erik and Christine as a couple. I hate Christine's betrayal. yea she married the other guy but deep down in my heart Erik and Christine will always be my OTP! I love tragic love couples! I literally have several!

[@LongdownConker]

Ultimately she does choose Erik in the sequal though

[@Xushish]

I actually liked the 2004 movie. I first heard the phantom from Netflix when the movie was on Netflix. After a month or so I watched the 25th film and I loved it. But I’ll have to say the movie was better.

[@giuliano2244]

The movie is a masterpiece

[@Broadwaybaby707]

I’ve watched both versions you put in this video. My opinion is the 2004 Phantom of the opera! Is in every way better then the stage play 25th anniversary! They are both good! But the 2004 movie out shines the stage play by super far!!!!!

[@dipannitasarah5521]

What the fridge

[@doglover7377]

@@dipannitasarah5521 I don't understand what you are talking about you are not thinking of a. girl who was 16 years old to take on such a part she did very well and I enjoyed both versions but I have both dvds and I have love niver dies to I am disabled live on my own and greatful of anything to watch I have seen a lot of versions of phantom jane saymore one Charles dance Robert englud now his version is so horror you could be sick at it and there was phantom at the mall to a usa film I saw bits of the original with Michael crawford and Sarah Brightman now my mum allways told me no one can beat the original stars of it for the stage show now in England in London we have a black woman playing Christian in the new line up and I saw ia little bit of that she got good reviews

[@RobbinCotran1]

You have GOT to see Phantom on stage live to see how awful the movie was. Because it really is.

[@ingridmay66]

@@RobbinCotran1 Don't lie, the movie is amazing!!!! 😛

[@madeleine5561]

Ha ha! You're joking right? You realize the people in the movie can't actually fully sing the roles, they screwed with the music (all the speak singing) and even screwed up the masquerade which visually directly contradicts the song lyrics, then there is the awkward camera work, unnecessary sword fight oh and they screwed with the costumes! Like Jesus the only saving grace is Richardson as giry So on what planet is this discount version better than the stageplay (that's its based on!)

[@ohazeldean]

I think the biggest mistake people make in comparing the two versions is that they expect the movie to be exactly like the stage production when, in fact, they are two completely different mediums. HOWEVER, if we are watching both as films, then the movie certainly blows the stage production out of the water. The biggest issue with the 25th Anniversary version is the theatre acting. We're seeing the characters much closer than the medium of theatre intends, which makes the acting very campy and overdone. Even the singing is over-enunciated - which is exactly as it should be for theatre - but makes it hard to watch as a film because it sounds so forced. This is not helped by the fact that Sierra Boggess is far too old for the role of Christine. The Phantom of the Opera is essentially a coming-of-age story. In the beginning of the story, Christine is still very much a child: she is attached to her childhood romance, she's only 10 years from the death of her father, she’s in the beginning of her career, and she is desperately seeking guidance in the form of an angel from heaven. In other words, she still maintains a naive innocence until the end of her character arc, where she finally moves on. Sierra was in her 30s during the filming of the 25th Anniversary version. For theatre acting, a director can get away with casting an older actress as the audience is not supposed to be seeing her up-close. In fact, they probably NEED to skew a bit older so that the actress is trained enough to hit the E6. But when this is translated into a filmed medium, the suspension of disbelief is broken and it only makes Sierra's acting more forced and unimpressive. I simply cannot believe that a woman in her 30s could get groomed by a man pretending to be the Angel of Music and the spirit of her dead father. Casting Sierra Boggess to play Christine Daae is like casting someone in their 30’s to play a high schooler. On the other hand, Emmy Rossum was 17 in the movie which is perfect for Christine. She has the perfect look and really nails the ingénue essence of the character. The viewer has no problem accepting that a person of her age believes in angels and ghosts, can be manipulated by an older man, and even hypnotized to the point of hallucinating golden arms coming out of the walls. The best part is, Emmy Rossum IS that talented in real life - she is a classically trained singer. You can find videos of her performing live, and she sounds exactly like she does in the movie. When both versions are viewed as films, Sierra Boggess doesn’t hold a candle to Emmy Rossum. Since Christine is the heart of the story, this makes the 2004 version better in spades.

[@hilarysharpe-smith7639]

PLease Learn how to pronounce Ramin and Sier

[@Dualis58]

never in my life have I heard a worse pronounciation of Ramin Karimloo

[@youinspiremyinnerserialkiller]

OK you said her father died *recently* which is false. He died when she was a child. He told her he would send her an angel of music to watch over her and when she went to the oprea house as a orphan, phantom took advantage of that and pretended to be the angel/ her father. Which is extremely fucked up.

[@Makeji]

Christine Daaé was born in a town near Uppsala, Sweden. Her mother died when she was six years old. Raised by her father, they travelled through rural Sweden, wandering from fair to fair,[1] where he played the violin and she sang. They were discovered at one of these fairs by Professor Valérius, who took them to Gothenburg and then to Paris, providing for Christine's education. Christine was extremely close to her father, who told her Scandinavian fairy-tales; the tale of the "Angel of Music" was her favorite. Christine entered the Paris Conservatoire and trained for four years to become an opera singer to please her father and Mamma Valérius, the bedridden wife of the late Professor. However, by the end of the four years, she had lost her passion for singing and the music. When Christine arrived at the Opéra Garnier, she was described as "sounding like a rusty hinge", but one person found the beauty hidden in her voice. When Erik, the Phantom of the Opera began to tutor her, he told her that he was the "Angel of Music" of whom her father had spoken. She believed him, and he inspired her soul back into her voice. Having been singing small roles with the Opera for some months without making much impression on audiences, Christine had a spectacular success at a gala at the opera in place of the singer Carlotta, who had fallen ill. Christine's singing was described as "seraphic"

[@alexp.d3689]

He IS overrated ,and has quite an extended history with plagiarism ... His music is very repetitive ,and unlike Stephen Sondheim's where he DEVELOPS his themes as one SHOULD ... Plus ,Andrew is a huge reason as to why most of the film adaptations of his shows have failed ... Like Cats he didn't want to change ANYTHING of the Broadway show ,which like you rightfully said NEEDS to happened when adapting a story from one form to another ( stage to screen ) ... He overlooked the musical aspects of both Phantom which he also funded AND Cats ... His Cinderella attempt also sucked quite a lot ... As he grows older his music becomes even more derivative as well as repetitive ... He is not as good as Stephen Sondheim or Jason Robert Brown ,he was very lucky ... He is talented ,but he is severely overrated ... Also what the hell is wrong with those people who Ship Christine and the Phantom ... !?

[@riaesmi5414]

If we're talking about Christine/Phantom as musical version they could be together. They had lovely moments like in "The Music of the Night". I think people want them to be together in normal situation, to have a good life with music, not with abuse and something like that.

[@jasminnemcdonald94A]

Are you serious?

[@philchinamusical]

Ramin is a good actor, no doubt. Yet he is not a good phantom to me. His phantom is too eager too powerful but not mysterious and enigmatic. He was way better what Gerard Butler gave us in the film, but still sounds a spoiled teen-ager to me. I got this impression not only from the 25th show at the Albert, but also the Les Miserables I watched live on Broadway in 2014, in which he led as Jean Valjean. His Valjean seemed at least 10 yrs younger than how the character is supposed to be. Energetic yet superficial, passionate yet a little amateur. I even thought that he had more feeling towards Cosette than the Marius in that show. John Owen Jones, or Hugh Panaro are better choice, while Michael Crawford is always my best solution.

[@jasminnemcdonald94A]

The 2004 version of The Phantom of the Opera really sucks!!

[@Amelia-s]

And The movie is really boring, i prefer the movie of Les Miserables.