GamerTab That was an excellent one.

CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Nicole I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

blanche-2 The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall was a treat for the eyes and ears, a magnificent production starring Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess, who played opposite one another in the Phantom sequel "Love Never Dies." They not only sang beautifully but were emotional and passionate in their portrayals.The stars were surrounded by a top-notch cast which included Hadley Fraser, Wendy Ferguson, Barry James, Gareth Snook, Liz Robertson, and Wynne Evans.The role of the Phantom has evolved over the years, in one sense influenced by the film starring Gerard Butler. A friend of mine played the role on stage for many years in Germany. When he tried to return to the role some time later, he was told he was not "the Phantom type." This was the first he'd heard of it. Though he's a good-looking man, he's not tall, he's not particularly young, and his portrayal probably lacked the element of overt sex that was suddenly a requirement.At the end of the show, four Phantoms were brought out on stage. The only one I really knew was Colm Wilkinson. There was a young man on the end, very handsome, and I thought, "If this guy is playing the Phantom, who the heck is playing Raoul?" I mean, I would have taken off with this guy in a second. I should add that Michael Crawford made an appearance but was unable to sing anything but the last note of Music of the Night, which was done by the ensemble, because he is also performing Wizard of Oz and had to save his voice.We come now to the music itself. To be fair, Lloyd Webber has written some glorious tunes, no question. He's ripped off some good ones as well. I suggest you check out youtube and put Andrew Lloyd Webber Plagarist in the search box and listen to the first video that comes up. You'll be astonished. Who knew he listened to so much Pink Floyd.

Fielga If you can't go see it live, this DVD is an excellent substitute. Though nothing compares to the live experience, this is a life saver for people like me who live in places where traveling productions of this caliber are few and far between. Little else can be said in it's favor simply because this is the genuine Lloyd Webber Phantom in all it's phantomy goodness, that alone ought to sell the product.The special ending is almost tear-jerking for longtime fans of the show. It was unreal to see the epic guest appearances, albeit mildly somber by the obvious lack of Mr. Barton, may the generous and kind gentleman rest in peace.As for the quality of the performances specifically, the vast majority were as wonderful and memorable as fans have come to expect from this show. Lovely, witty, perfectly pitched. I have only two complaints and bear in mind that these are merely my personal opinion and I hope that you go out and grab this DVD and judge for yourself.I thought the character of Raoul seemed more pushy and abrasive, more like the Love Never Dies version, less like the romantic "hero" of Phantom. And as for the title role, although Ramin is a phenomenal singer who has played this role so successfully for so long, I found this particular performance of his to be more shouting and less singing, unwittingly conjuring up horrible visions of Gerard Butler's teeny bopper Phantom, much to my distaste. With significantly more emotion to his acting, of course.All in all, those little complaints do very little to bring down the quality of this DVD. If you don't already own this, why in the world are you still reading reviews in IMDb? Go buy it!

taylor-sam94 I have loved "The Phantom of the Opera" for many years and listen to the soundtrack album with Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman almost religiously. I began watching this with great worry, remembering how underwhelmed and disappointed I felt with the 2004 film adaptation. Imagine my delight when I discovered this even better than the original cast!Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Bogges are both incredible actors and singers and are absolute magic together, as well as individually. Ramin has the passion and soul the Phantom needs and Sierra has the voice of an angel and makes feel every note she sings.For years, I have had to put up with people telling me that Joel Schumacher's utterly redundant 2004 adaptation was actually brilliant; or that they cannot afford to see the real show. Well, the 25th anniversary concert exposes the 2004 adaptation for the diabolical mess that it is, with it's far superior singing, acting and set. And the fact that it is available on DVD means the 2004 film can shoved into the deep hole it belongs in. Simply perfect, there is no excuse to miss this. Watch it and let it's music caress your soul.

ben83 Finally a full staging of my favourite musical and the second longest running one in the U.K is here for the first time on DVD. This live production filmed straight from the iconic Royal Albert Hall in London, which was broadcasted to cinemas and theatres around the world and celebrates 25 years of the Andrew Lloyd-Webber musical, is nothing short of a lavish treat for the eyes and ears, with amazing performances and acting from the cast, including all the songs that fans of the show will know and remember.The 25th Anniversary production stars the amazingly talented Iranian born Canadian Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom and American Broadway star Sierra Boggess as Christine Daae, with a great supporting performance from Hadley Fraser as Christine's love interest Raoul. Karimloo and Boggess incidentally are no strangers to the characters, having played them previously in the London production of the sequel to this show 'Love Never Dies'. Their chemistry on stage is perfect as are their performances. Ramin is terrific as the Phantom and injects emotion and passion into the show playing the phantom as essentially a victim, with a voice that at times can be vengeful and deadly, yet soft and vulnerable at others. His delivery of the 'insolent boy' line near the beginning strikes fear right around the Albert Hall. I would even go as far to say that he is the best Phantom that I've watched so far, having previously experienced others on stage live and unfortunately the terrible 2004 movie version starring Gerard Butler. His acting is great without being over the top, and you really feel for the character. Sierra Bogges is also amazing displaying sensitivity, vulnerability and sexuality all throughout the show. Her performance of 'past of the point no return' being a particular highlight. The two leads work very well together and make the show believable. There are also good supporting performances too. Hadley Fraser's Raoul is dynamic and energetic without becoming too irritating and makes quite a good match against the Phantom in the battle for Christine's heart. Wendy Ferguson and Wynne (Go Compare) Evans are very funny as the diva Carlotta and Piangi, the two Italian opera supremos who are the subjects of Phantom's rage and eventually driven to obedience. Equally as funny and memorable are the opera house managers Firmin and Andre, played brilliantly by Barry James and Gareth Snook, who camp it up and provide some additional comedy. The staging and scenery is spectacular, with the doomed chandelier hanging above the audience and the on stage sets, especially the bridge leading to the Phantom's lair, featuring prominently. Due to the venue they had to make a very slight change to the chandelier scene at the end of the first part of the show, but it isn't a big deal and still has a great impact in my opinion. The show is pretty much identical to that of the theatre version that one may see in London's West End or anywhere else it may be on. Some lines were changed ever so slightly but nothing noticeable or significant. The performances throughout will leave you astounded and definitely not disappointed. In fact there are simply no scenes or performances that can be criticised. If you are a fan of the show you will love this and not be disappointed. As in usual 'anniversary style', like the Les Miserables 25th concert, they bring back all the old Phantom's and stars who have performed over the years in various productions. Including Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. Andrew Lloyd-Webber also makes a speech about the show and it's legacy. So now finally you can watch the show like you were in the theatre itself whenever you want. One advantage this production has over seeing it live is that you get to see all the facial expressions and emotions up close, thereby really getting a feel for the show almost like a movie in some parts (but definitely much better than the actual movie).