Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera has graced the stages of Broadway since its opening in 1988, making it Broadway’s second longest running musical. The classic musical has transitioned from the stage to the silver screen, thanks to the collaboration of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Warner Brothers Films and Director Joel Schumacher.

The Phantom of the Opera, which was originally adapted from a novel of the same title written by Gaston Leroux, is about the Opera Populaire, a Parisian opera house that is being terrorized by the Phantom, played by Gerard Butler. The Phantom becomes infatuated with the orphaned Christine, played by Emmy Rossum, and secretly coaches her to become the next lead soprano.

When Christine is convinced to replace the lead soprano, who refuses to perform following the Phantom’s latest attack, she becomes reunited with her childhood sweetheart Roaul, played by Patrick Wilson. Raoul is the Vicomte de Chagny, benefactor to the opera house.

When Christine falls for Raoul, the Phantom becomes insanely jealous and steals Christine away to his lair. The films signature song, “The Phantom of the Opera,” is presented in this scene. However, the classic Broadway song has a modern twist which includes the addition of an electric guitar to the instrumental background music.

The film remains true to the plot and music of the original Broadway musical. It follows the rise of Christine from a ballerina/chorus girl to the opera diva the Phantom has trained her to be. Christine must decide between her love for Raoul and the loyalty and compassion she feels toward her reclusive mentor.

Despite the obvious insanity of the Phantom, he is a musical genius who is determined to control the Opera Populaire. Because of rising fears for her safety, Christine struggles with obeying the Phantom’s will, performing, and hiding her relationship with Raoul from her mentor.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed the film, I was a little disappointed in the ending. The opening of the film builds anticipation for the climax of the film. The combination of special effects, elaborate sets, traditional costuming, and modern interpretations of the most well-known songs holds the audience’s attention throughout the film. However, the charisma of the beginning of the film seems to diminish in the final scenes.

I was surprised that the film was strictly kept as a musical. Although the signature song incorporates musical elements outside of the traditional symphony, it would have been more effective if this had been carried over into the other songs. The film’s running time is 2 hours and 23 minutes, but the time passes quickly because of the extent of the action in the film.

Though all of the cast members gave excellent performances, Butler was especially convincing as the Phantom. The Phantom’s mask seemed to fit his face more closely than the traditional mask revealing the contours of Butler’s face. This mask seemed to make the Phantom more menacing.

I give it four stars.