Phantasmic!

Much has happened since we were last together, but not all of it is blog-worthy. I had a relaxing holiday (if being unemployed during the holidays can be considered "relaxing") and found plenty of time to catch up on my movie watching, movies I'd missed during the time I was a slave to my (formerly known as a hideous little existence) job.

Which movies you ask? Well here's a short list:

50 First Dates - LOVE IT!
Spanglish - LOVE IT!
Disney's Ice Princess - Very cute
Princess Diaries II: The Royal Engagement - Disney movie, what's not to love?
Mr. & Mrs. Smith - I despised myself for watching it, after the whole disgusting BrAngelina-Jennifer blowup, but I truly wanted to watch and see the hype for myself. It wasn't very good and after having watched it twice, I STILL can't remember how it ended/who did it. Memorable movie, yes? Blech!
The Fantastic Four - Jessica Alba looks gorgeous, but she always does. The movie, not looking so good.
Sisterhood of the Traveling pants - I kept getting distracted during this one, didn't keep my attention. I'll pass it by when I see it on cable reruns.
Bewitched - a let down.
School of Rock - LOVE IT!

And then last night I saw THIS one:

Phantom of the Opera – what do I think? Well, having been privileged to experience it onstage with the magnificent Sarah Brightman & Michael Crawford duo in the lead roles, I have been hesitant to see the film version. However, I have to give kudos to the cast! Gerard Butler, the gentleman who had to fill the Phantom’s shoes, was a tough sell for me, mainly because Michael Crawford OWNS that role and anyone who's ever heard him perform as the Phantom would completely agree with me. However, once I was “Past the Point of No Return” he had won me over. He's quite the hottie, which made me wonder why Christine would have chosen wimpy Raoul over the smoking hot, smouldering-eyed Phantom. YUM! >:D

Emmy Rossum did a fantastic job as Christine, in some cases even better than Sarah Brightman ... I know, I know, what a thing to say! I can hear the die-hards now, screaming and pelting me with rotten tomatoes:

(GASP!) "BLASPHEMER! Take THAT, oh ye of no taste!"

Emmy was only 16 years old when she began shooting this film; imagine what her voice will be like in a few years!

Raoul was good, too, but not great. Loved Minnie Driver as Carlotta the Diva, even though her singing was dubbed up until the closing credits, where she sings a new Andrew Lloyd Webber song. She’s got a great voice, but I guess not operatic, at least not to the degree that Carlotta would need to be.

I heard that the reason this film was not made during the Michael Crawford/Sarah Brightman heyday was because Sarah was married to Andrew Lloyd Webber, but then suddenly, they were divorcing and poof, there went the grand movie aspirations. Such a shame, because I would have loved to have seen what THAT cast could have done!

I may buy this movie, but I’ll still listen to my CD of the original score when I need a musical fix. :)