"If you liked the stage version, you’ll LOVE this version."
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.
Rated: 12A [See Full Rating] for brief violent images
Runtime: 2 hrs 23 mins
Genre: Musical & Performing Arts
Theatrical Release:10-12-2004
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.
Reviews for Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera
Schumacher has indeed delivered the lavish, lushly romantic film that fans have envisioned for years.
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Joel Schumacher turn out to be a perfect match. Two other people couldn't pull off spectacle this bad.
Right after hearing those bombastic rock opera organ chords, I felt all hope rapidly deflating from my body.
[Phantom of the Opera] is all shine and glitter but without substance.
Webber's musical fans will appreciate this version and champion its cause the same way that Americans promote apple pie, Chevrolet, and McDonalds
It's one of those movies where I spent a lot of my first viewing thinking, 'Yes, this is what movies are really all about.'
This is a lavish production best enjoyed at your favorite theater where the full effect of the music and ambiance can be enjoyed. It is also one to be enjoyed more than once.
Plagued by Andrew Lloyd Weber's hideous and already dated musical score (parts of it sound like 1980s hair metal).
...I could see it all because I wasn’t 800 rows up in the nose-bleed section of the balcony...
Non-fans will note that Webber's idiom is opera-lite, grafted together with rock, pop and soap opera. Some of the set-pieces are kitsch allegro...
What passion and excitement there is in the work has been sucked out; it has become boring.... It is shallow, yes, but even shallow works need competent directors.
It is not ideal, but it still is arguably the best dramatic adaptation of Gaston Leroux's novel.
How much you like this movie all depends on whether you like the music; you either love it or you find it repetitive and uninteresting.
Broadway bore comes to the big screen in a movie-musical adaptation that's too little, too late and too terrible for words.
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...
More DVDs
| 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 |
|---|---|
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 86% 86% | A Christmas Tale |
| 60% 60% | Paper Heart |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored 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

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.





