Without a proper Phantom, the entire enterprise sags monumentally, and, unfortunately, Butler is a disaster here.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:163
Fresh:54
Rotten:109
Average Rating:5/10
Consensus: The music of the night has hit something of a sour note: Critics are calling the screen adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s popular musical histrionic, boring, and lacking in both romance and danger. Still, some have praised the film for its sheer spectacle.
Theatrical Release:Dec 22, 2004 Limited
Box Office: $51,193,556
Synopsis: Those who thought that smoke machines and cobwebbed candelabras were the stuff of Halloween parties and dance clubs need to think again. In Joel Schumacher's film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd... Those who thought that smoke machines and cobwebbed candelabras were the stuff of Halloween parties and dance clubs need to think again. In Joel Schumacher's film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Broadway musical THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, these moody set devices--and countless others--make every scene an atmospheric vision of souped-up 19th-century Gothic bliss. Christine Daee (a luminescent Emmy Rossum) is a tortured young star who is haunted by the voice of the phantom (Gerard Butler--who also played the lead in DRACULA 2000), a musician who hides in the shadows to hide a facial disfigurement, yet sings to her obsessively. Dwelling in the dark, damp chambers beneath the Paris opera house, the phantom lords over the cast and management with artistic autocracy--he writes the shows, casts them, and threatens all who disobey his plans with dramatically violent outbursts. But when his young student Christine falls for the rich and dapper Raoul (Patrick Wilson), the phantom descends into madness. Webber's memorable songs are performed with aplomb by Rossum, whose background includes singing with the Metropolitan Opera, and Wilson and Butler provide ample accompaniment. One of the treats of the proceedings is Minnie Driver's deeply exaggerated portrayal of the jealous diva, giving this PHANTOM a very appropriate dose of comic relief. [More]
Starring: Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, Minnie Driver, Patrick Wilson
Starring: Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, Minnie Driver, Patrick Wilson, Miranda Richardson
Director: Joel Schumacher
Director: Joel Schumacher
Screenwriter: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Joel Schumacher
Producer: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Composer: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Studio: Warner Bros.
Get This Movie
Reviews for Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera
Now I know why, besides Lon Chaney, the best screen version of The Phantom of the Opera is the silent one. No one sings in it.
Deserves to be locked up in a dank, water-filled dungeon and left to molder.
Andrew Lloyd Webber is... a shallow, giftless dilettante whose hackneyed McOperas are an embarrassment to the art form.
Most fans are bound to be disappointed to some degree, and non-aficionados of musical theater will find it tedious and silly. Do yourself a favor and see this on stage
It's clear that this kind of cornball, overly melodramatic material is best kept to the stage.
Schumacher has bravely taken aboard this dreck and made of it a movie I am pleased to have seen.
Fantastic sets, costumes, great art direction and imaginative camera work make this a visually stunning film. The musical score, not so much.
Joel Schumacher takes this already wild theater production and puts a huge garish sheen on its big-budget cinematic retelling.
The screen version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical lacks both authentic romance and the thrill of memorable spectacle.
an unrestrained flight of Gothic fantasy, a romance unafraid and unapologetic in letting its emotions run to a fevered pitch while still maintaining its heart and soul.
Latest News for Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of...
March 13, 2006:
Ebert & Roeper: "V For Vendetta" Dark, Thoughtful, And That's Good
On their weekly syndicated show "Ebert & Roeper," Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper gave early reviews of "V For Vendetta" -- and gave the comic adaptation... More...
July 27, 2005:
Spielberg Settles On "Munich"
Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures jointly announced today that the upcoming film being directed by three-time Academy Award-winning director-producer Steven Spielberg... More...
June 06, 2005:
Dreyfuss, Russell & Rossum Climb Aboard the "Poseidon"
Richard Dreyfuss ("Jaws"), Kurt Russell ("Backdraft"), and Emmy Rossum ("The Phantom of the Opera") are the first high-profile cast members to... More...
January 24, 2005:
Are We There Yet Topples Coach Carter for Top Spot
This weekend, one of the worst reviewed films of the year took the #1 spot at the box office. With a very moldy 10% on the Tomatometer, the Ice Cube and Nia Long starring Are We... More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 67% 67% | Public Enemies |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
| 95% 95% | The Cove |
| 85% 85% | World's Greatest Dad |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Around The Network
- Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera at Rotten Tomatoes
- Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera at IGN
- Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

Techland lists the best Sci-Fi films of this decade.

Moviefone takes a look back at the biggest stinkers of the past 10 years.

The Me and Orson Welles star answers reader questions on TIME.com.

Hollywood.com's C. Robert Cargill offers his thoughts on what the best decade for film was.

In the AV Club's "Scenic Routes," Mike D'Angelo reminisces about the Tim Burton film.
Promos

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!



Top Critic



