Everybody's a critic: 'The Phantom Of The Opera'

One star (out of four)

"The Phantom Of The Opera" is the movie adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage production, which in turn is based on a novel by Gaston Leroux about a mysterious figure that terrorizes a Paris opera house while trying to win the affection of a beautiful singer.

Watching this movie is a lot like going to a really boring church as a child; it seems to last a lot longer than you think it would, it's hard to understand and only manages to grab your attention every now and then.

The movie has many problems with bad dubbing during a few songs that detract from what could be a halfway decent experience. If you're not a fan of the original stage musical or musicals in general, I wouldn't recommend seeing this. Guys, if your girlfriend is dragging you to see this, bring a pillow!

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Two stars (out of four)

"The Phantom of the Opera" is a great musical, but a not-so-great movie. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against musical theater, I actually enjoy it ... when it's being performed live.

The film version of Phantom has several things going for it: The music is great, the acting is superb (for the most part), and the production value is very high (aside from some bad lip synching). That being said, "The Phantom of the Opera" still managed not to impress.

This mammoth film clocks in at just under three hours in length, and for me, that was its downfall. It was just too long. In a live theater setting, there are intermissions, so the audience can compose itself and be able to pay attention the second half of the show. That's not so in movies, which, in the case of "The Phantom of the Opera," results in a film that is more tiring to watch than it is entertaining.

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Four stars (out of four)

"The Phantom of the Opera" was a very exciting movie and one that was a wonder to behold. It was a masterpiece of cinematography, costuming, actors and feeling.

It was a wonderful sight to see a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber that started in London, England, then went to Broadway in New York City and on to touring around the world.

The movie took me back to Paris and the opera house. I was drawn into the picture and felt all the feelings that were to be felt -- like sadness for the Phantom and his plight, romance between Christine and Rowel, the fright of everyone over the Phantom and the love he had for Christine.

I was so taken by the music that I started to sing along in a hushed voice so no one else could hear me. The people that I saw watching the movie were all in their 20s and 30s. I loved this film and would love to see the musical when it comes to St. Louis again.