Like Dracula 3D, Argento's version of the Phantom of the Opera is not entirely faithful to the source text. For a start, the Phantom is not actually disfigured. He doesn't wear a mask, either. Also, the Phantom is abandoned as an infant and raised by rats (in the book he is raised by his mother). There's a bizarre rape in there, too. So the message is clear: anyone who wants to experience a faithful adaptation of Gaston Leroux's novel, don't look for it here. Anyone who wants crazy B-movie over-acting, nonsensical writing and gratuitous sex and violence should give it a gander. But be warned, this is a campy, schizophrenic film that completely fails on pretty much every level. That's coming from an Argento fan, too. It's hard to believe the director pissed away a $10 million budget on this. Even harder to believe is that Argento's original cut ran nearly two-and-a-half hours. Imagine having to sit through an extra hour of this?!
