Originally, this live taping of the Metropolitan Opera's production of "The Magic Flute" was intended for television. However, Fathom Events (a company that airs special interest movies in theaters) released it to theaters and I saw it yesterday. In many ways, the opera is NOT what I expected...and this is not a bad thing. First, instead of being in German as the opera was originally (since it was written by Mozart), this was translated into English--and it was translated very well. Second, unlike other operas I've seen, this one has some spoken dialog as well...not just singing. However, the most unusual aspect was the staging--with giant puppets and a strange set design that is most enjoyable.
The only version of the opera I can compare this to is the Ingmar Bergman version from the 1970s. I don't think comparing the two is easy, however, as Bergman is an auteur--the sort of guy who is perfection personified according to his ardent fans. I cannot believe that these folks would consider that the Met version was better....but it really was. Much more enjoyable and more beautiful to see on the big screen.