I was very pleased to find a used copy of this. It was Halloween afternoon and I was browsing a couple stores since I had some time to myself that day. The DVD case was beat all to hell, but I took my chances and I rushed home, made some lunch and started the movie. Thankfully, the disc played just fine.
I saw this movie once around 1990. I thought it was a bit slow but ok overall. That was when I was twelve years old though. This was the height of the Freddy Kruger craze, so it didn't matter to me if the movie was good or not at the time. There was nothing in this movie that was going to make the twelve year old me not wish that I was watching a Nightmare On Elm Street movie. I just wasn't going to be satisfied seeing Robert Englund in anything else. Still, I plodded through the movie and almost immediately erased it from memory.
So here I am, twenty five years later and I can't wait to give this movie another chance. A proper chance. I can't count how many movies I didn't care for as a kid that I absolutely love now. I suspect that Englund's Phantom will hold up better this time around. It does, and then some.
I knew that casting Robert Englund in this movie was an attempt to cash in on the Freddy Kruger following at the time. I felt that way then, and I still feel that way. Hey, at the very least, it worked on me back in the day. Englund's Phantom is nothing to scoff at either. He gives oa great performance here. You don't sympathize with this Phantom. He's a selfish killer that sold his soul to the devil long ago. He's been given unnatural strength and a quickness that isn't quite explained. Remember in old Friday the 13th movies, where no matter how fast those teenagers run, Jason could walk and still catch them? Yeah, it's more impressive than that even. I think giving this movie more of a supernatural feel than any of the other existing Phantom movies helps set it apart from the others. I'm sure the decision to go that route was based solely on the time this picture was made though. The mid-80's to early 90's were all about the supernatural slasher flicks, and this Phantom movie blends right in. Bill Nighy of Underworld fame also makes an appearance in this. Not necessarily a memorable role for Nighy but he does an adequate job. The female lead, played by Jill Schoelen, came across a bit hollow to me. I suspect that she was chosen more for her singing talent than her acting. If I'm wrong and her opera singing was dubbed, then they clearly should have chosen a different actress in my opinion. Maybe the budget wouldn't allow for a bigger name actress? I suppose I should find a copy of the Blu-Ray and see if that sheds any light on the casting of this movie. And so there's not any confusion, understand that this movie is not a musical. It's a horror movie first and foremost and stays that way. You get what you'd expect from a Phantom of the Opera movie: Gothic atmosphere, great costumes and set design, a bit of a love story. But you also get some things that you don't see coming like people skinned alive, supernatural dealings with the devil and time travel. Yes, I said time travel. I don't know how else to explain some of what happens in this. Also, unlike previous Phantom movies, there is not mask for the Phantom to hide behind. Instead, he just keeps sewing on fresh pieces of human flesh. Almost makes you want to see Englund's Phantom and Neeson's Darkman go at it for a few rounds.
I liked this movie more than I thought I would. It was good Halloween afternoon flick that really helped my day along. It was a good day.
GRADE: B-
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