Lack of passion in The Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of the Opera

Director: Joel Schumacher

Cast: Emmy Rossum, Gerard Butler, Patrick Wilson, Ciaran Hinds, Simon Callow, Miranda Richardson, Minnie Driver

Cert: 12.

The lavish screen version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's massive stage musical hit, into which he pumped £4m of his own money, looks good, sounds as it should; and is a bit of a clunker.

Dedicated fans of Lloyd Webber's musicals, always great audience-pleasers, will love every second of the story of the disfigured and tragic Phantom (Butler) who lives in the bowels of the Paris Opera House, lusts after the young chorus girl, Christine (Rossum), and competes for her affections with her lover Raoul (Wilson).

It all could have been so much better, but Schumacher opts for merely recreating the stage version and doesn't come up with anything that is innovative or exciting.

The cast is good - the young Rossum is a trained opera singer and is quite excellent as the longed-for Christine, and Driver, as the diva Carlotta, turns in one of her best ever screen performances - but there is a surprising lack of passion or heart in the film.

There is very little to grip us and transport us, which seems to be the fate of all Lloyd Webber stage-to-film shows; remember what a disaster the screen version of Evita, with the miscast Madonna, was?

Cry for this disappointing Phantom.

Star Rating: 3/5