Dario Argento's "Il Fantasma Dell Opera" aka. "Phantom Of The Opera" of 1998 is widely (and rightly) considered to be his worst movie, and regarded by many of his fans as a complete disaster. I am a very big Argento fan, and I agree that "Phantom Of The Opera" (not to be confused with Argento's excellent "Opera" aka. "Terror At The Opera" of 1987) is a disappointment, but I still don't share the wide-spread opinion that it is completely awful. The movie should certainly be avoided by people not familiar with Argento, or not familiar with the Phantom of the Opera Story. In case you don't know Argento's work, watch masterpieces such as "Profondo Rosso" of 1975, "Suspiria" of 1977, or "Phenomena" of 1985 instead of this, and if you don't know the story behind "Phantom...", go for the 1925 classic with Lon Chaney. People who like Argento, however, should at least give this one a try. It may be a disappointment, and it certainly is the weakest movie by this brilliant director, but it's certainly not complete garbage.
The story was changed in the way that the Phantom was raised by rats (Argento fans know that he likes to involve animals), and the film has some terribly cheesy parts. In some parts, however, the movie provides a great sense of macabre humor, and the gore is, of course, intense. Argento's daughter, the beautiful Asia Argento stars in the female lead in this, which is, in my opinion an advantage. I always like Asia Argento's performances, and this film is no exception. I also found Julian Sands OK as the Phantom, although his performance was far from being great.
The film may lack the typical Argento style in some departments, but the visual style and the intense colors will certainly make anyone recognize whose work this film is. The score was composed by the brilliant Ennio Morricone. I am a big admirer of Morricone, and many of his compositions, especially those composed for Sergio Leone's masterpieces, are without doubt some of the greatest scores of all-time. Still, in Argento's films I preferred the brilliant progressive Rock soundtracks by Goblin, since the music is not only superb, but it also harmonizes perfectly with Argento's style. I must admit, however, that a progressive Rock soundtrack would certainly not be appropriate for a movie set in the 19th century.
"Phantom Of The Opera" certainly is (by far) Argento's weakest film, but that doesn't mean it's completely bad. We're talking about a cinematic genius here, and I think the only reason this movie's reputation is that bad, is the fact that expectations are high when it comes to Argento. Argento's decision to get back to his old style, however, was certainly wise, as his next movie, "Non Ho Sonno" aka. "Sleepless" of 2001 was very good.
Concluding, I recommend to see this to my fellow Argento fans. The possibility that they will be disappointed is high, but, in my opinion, it is not as bad as people say it is. Is it a disappointment for Argento? - It Certainly is. Is it complete garbage? - No, Certainly Not. 5/10
The story was changed in the way that the Phantom was raised by rats (Argento fans know that he likes to involve animals), and the film has some terribly cheesy parts. In some parts, however, the movie provides a great sense of macabre humor, and the gore is, of course, intense. Argento's daughter, the beautiful Asia Argento stars in the female lead in this, which is, in my opinion an advantage. I always like Asia Argento's performances, and this film is no exception. I also found Julian Sands OK as the Phantom, although his performance was far from being great.
The film may lack the typical Argento style in some departments, but the visual style and the intense colors will certainly make anyone recognize whose work this film is. The score was composed by the brilliant Ennio Morricone. I am a big admirer of Morricone, and many of his compositions, especially those composed for Sergio Leone's masterpieces, are without doubt some of the greatest scores of all-time. Still, in Argento's films I preferred the brilliant progressive Rock soundtracks by Goblin, since the music is not only superb, but it also harmonizes perfectly with Argento's style. I must admit, however, that a progressive Rock soundtrack would certainly not be appropriate for a movie set in the 19th century.
"Phantom Of The Opera" certainly is (by far) Argento's weakest film, but that doesn't mean it's completely bad. We're talking about a cinematic genius here, and I think the only reason this movie's reputation is that bad, is the fact that expectations are high when it comes to Argento. Argento's decision to get back to his old style, however, was certainly wise, as his next movie, "Non Ho Sonno" aka. "Sleepless" of 2001 was very good.
Concluding, I recommend to see this to my fellow Argento fans. The possibility that they will be disappointed is high, but, in my opinion, it is not as bad as people say it is. Is it a disappointment for Argento? - It Certainly is. Is it complete garbage? - No, Certainly Not. 5/10